Calorie Count

I recently came across an article about a girl who was incredibly unhappy with the way she looked. She had been layed off and found solace and comfort in food. I know what it's like to find comfort in meals and although I know it's bad for me, the feeling I get from eating something delicious is addicting. This can be very hard to fight off, but I am getting there.

This girl tried every diet under the sun and nothing worked. Eventually, she just made a lifestyle change and she gave herself a limited number of calories to eat each day and when she reached her limit she would not eat any more. She used Calorie Count to keep track of what she ate daily. I think this is a great idea because you learn to eat foods that are more filling and it teaches you self control. She ended up losing 122lbs!! She literally lost another human being!! She looks like a completely different person!

Here are some tips she gave to lose weight:

• Log everything you eat.
• Plan ahead.
• Lean on your support system when you're having trouble.
• Stay away from processed foods.
• Allow yourself "less healthy" foods, but in moderation and make sure you factor them into your calorie/nutrient limit.

I definitely think these tips are great and I have been using them already. The end result is amazing and it definitely got me motivated. I started using Calorie Count, which is what she used. So far, they recommend I eat no more than 1200 calories per day. It has been a bit difficult but this website is very helpful because it tells you if you are eating too much fat, sodium, etc or not enough protein, calcium, etc so you can adjust your diet to include healthier options.

Below is the article where I got this information from:

Happier Than I've Ever Been

Stats-Week 1

I cannot describe how much courage it is taking for me to post up my beginning weight pictures. It has taken a lot of convincing, on my part, to do this, but I am serious about this journey and I feel that this is necessary. I am really and truly appalled by what I see in these pictures and it just confirms that I am doing the right thing.

So without further ado, below are my stats and track pics for week 1:

Stats

Age: 24
Height: 5'5"
Current Weight: 184lbs as of 01/10/2011
BMI: 30.6-obese

Goal Weight: 140lbs
Goal Date: 06/30/2011

Pics-Week 1

Food Prep Goals

So my official start date will be January 10th, 2011. I had a setback because I have been working over 12 hrs daily and have had no time to set a sleeping schedule or prep my meals for the next day. Matter of fact, I haven't even had much time to eat, much less eat healthy. My "week of hell" at work is coming to a close so I have a few things to do this weekend to get myself ready.

I find that a very important factor in weight loss is preparation and organization. If you have healthy snacks readily available, you will not just grab the first quick thing in sight (which is usually something unhealthy). So here are a few simple plans to keep myself organized so I can minimize failure:

Go to the grocery store weekly
I want to keep my fridge/pantry stocked with fruits and veggies and healthy alternatives so I am not tempted to go to the corner 7-11 and get a corn dog.

Prep fruits and veggies ahead of time
I find that if I buy fruits and veggies and cut them up and store them ahead of time, I tend to eat them more often. I buy pineapple, melon, strawberries, etc and wash and cut them and then store them in ziploc bags or containers. Ziploc has small snack size bags that are perfect for portion control. You can also pre-package snacks like almonds, dried fruit, cheerios, etc. Then if I am on the go, I just grab a bag and head out. Of course you can buy these things already pre-cut but they cost a lot more money that way.

Set up a healthy menu weekly
If I pre-plan what I am going to eat, the chances that I stray are less. If I set up my menu for the week, I can go grocery shopping for the week and buy the ingredients I need and I can prep them. The last thing I want to do after a long day at work is spend 2 hrs prepping dinner. If I have everything pre-cut and pre-seasoned, all I have to do is cook it.

Allow one planned indulgence/splurge per week
If I am craving something, the more I prevent myself from having it, the more I want it. If I tell myself that I have ONE splurge per week, then I know that I have to limit myself to it. This helps curbs cravings while also keeping myself in control and on track.

Always keep water handy
To be honest, I HATE water. My drink of choice is juice, but as we all know, juice is packed with sugars and high fructose corn syrup and soda....well, its just not good for you. If I always have a bottle of water around, then that is what I am going to drink because when you are dying of thirst, you drink what is readily available. Also, adding Crystal Light to a water bottle does make it more bearable.

Next up, stats and pics!

Holiday Season Blues

The holidays have made it very difficult for me to establish some sort of routine. I haven't been to work for the past week and a half so it is unrealistic to start a routine that will be interrupted as soon as I go back to work. This is why I am waiting until the new year to do this. It is a fresh start without interruption.

I have been eating anything and everything under the sun, have gotten virtually no exercise since there was a snow storm that has kept me trapped at home, I have been going to sleep late and waking up later than I am accustomed to, and I have been drinking excessive amounts of alcohol on a daily basis. None of these are conducive to a healthy lifestyle and I am very aware of it. I guess I am getting all of these things out of my system because once it is 2011, I know that everything will change. What is different about this time is that I am so excited to make these changes, like I am looking forward to it. This is how I know that I am ready for this....I am looking forward to it.

How to Begin

Since I am embarking on a complete lifestyle transformation, this is going to take a lot of work. I am a big believer in making lists so I made a list of the changes I want to make so that I could know where to start. These are the things I will be working on:

Changes:

1. Incorporate more fresh food (fruits and veggies) and less processed foods
2. Limit carb intake (one per day)
3. Replace white with brown (mayo, bread, rice, potatoes, cheese, pasta etc to brown rice, wheat bread, sweet potatoes, wheat pasta,etc)
4. More healthy snacks (almonds, fruit, yogurt, veggies, grains, protein shakes)
5. Limit sugar intake (substitute with honey)
6. Sleep 7 to 8 hours
7. Exercise at least 2-3 times a week
8. Water, water, water!
9. Portion control
10. Start taking vitamins

Overall, I am not looking to accomplish unrealistic goals. I know that I will not always eat just fruits and veggies. I am looking for a way to even out all food groups. I will allow myself chocolate and carbs, but in small moderation. They say everything in moderation is the key to a successful lifestyle change and that will be my motto.

Welcome

I decided to start a blog to track my journey into transforming myself physically, mentally and emotionally. My main focus will be my physical lifestyle transformation and I am hoping that the mental and emotional fall into place after.

To put it simply, I am looking to lose weight.

I have always been thin up until 4 years ago and I am unhappy with the way I look. It is more than me being vain, I don't feel comfortable in my own body and I feel like my weight is holding me back from doing the things I want. Everyday that passes I get older and I lose the opportunity to enjoy my youth. I use my weight as a crutch to prevent myself from doing things that I am not comfortable with and I am done with that. I want to feel comfortable, I want to take risks, I want to be confident, I want to be healthy, I want to look back on my life and think that I made the most of it. The time to do this is now because if not now, then when?

This blog will be where I track my progress and setbacks, if any. I will post weekly with things I learned about myself, tips, advice, things that work and things that don't, ideas, recipes, pictures of myself, etc. Basically everything that has to do with my weight loss/lifestyle change journey.