Getting Started

I LOVE a new week when it comes to my diet and exercise. The weekends are hard for me sometimes. I LOVE eating out and being social, which almost always involves food! However my weekend has been (and I was actually a good girl this weekend), I love the fact that I can start new on Monday.

OK so like I said in the previous post, this Blog is more of a journal. I feel sort of dumb making this public knowledge, but if it helps even one person--that's great!

I guess I should start by telling you what my goals are because they don't necessarily have to do with a number on the scale. In actuality, I have pretty much lost all my baby weight. I'm only about 3 pounds from the number I was at before I got pregnant; however, I've learned that that number now does NOT mean now what it did then. It seems as though I'll have to weigh significantly less to look the same. (Anyone else have this problem???) So I'm definitely not worried about a number. I just want to feel great and be toned when it's all said and done. I really have a different approach to this weight loss thing than I ever have before. I'm not trying to be "skinny" but rather healthy and energetic and in good shape to have the most fun with my family as I possibly can! If I get "skinny" in the process, well PRAISE THE LORD, but that's not my ultimate goal. :)

So here's how I got started:

1. I found an accountability partner, my awesome SIL.
2. We came up with a few guidelines (5-6 meals a day, 1200-1400 cals a day, 6 days/wk exercise) and vowed to email each other each day.
3. Started a food journal to record calorie intake.
4. Got my self to the gym!!!

Let me say a word about accountability. You don't have to have someone to go to the gym with. They don't even have to live in the same town as you. My SIL lives 5 hours away, but knowing that she is doing this thing with me helps tremendously. My husband and I used to work out together, which was amazing accountability, but with a child, that is not so possible anymore! Someone kinda has to watch him. :) If you don't have anyone you think will hold you accountable, I would LOVE to be your accountability partner. You can email me everyday if you want. I'd love to be a support to you.

Pack your fridge with healthy snacks, sources of lean protein (egg whites, chicken, fish, etc.) that you can access quickly and easily. Get ready to eat every couple hours. You're going to have to do some prior planning to keep yourself from getting stuck in sticky situations, but you can do it. It will soon become routine. It's only been 2 weeks for us, and I feel as though I've formed new (old) habits already.

OK and a word about keeping a food journal: I believe this is crucial to success in your diet. Sometimes you have NO idea the mistakes you are making. I like to think that I'm a healthy eater for the most part, but within the first couple of days of recording my calorie intake, I was able to pin point areas where I was committing diet suicide without even realizing it. I HIGHLY recommend this if you are trying to start any sort of healthy eating lifestyle. Record all of your calories, and be SURE to stick to portion sizes. (For example, piling black beans on a whole wheat tortilla is not necessarily a good thing if you're having more than 1/2 cup because a 1/2 cup of black beans has ~110 calories.) You don't have to do this forever, and yes, it IS tedious. But it's so worth it.

I will post what I've eaten for the day tonight (and try to do so each night.)

If you are not eating healthy and exercising, today's your day! It's Monday; it's a new week; it's the best time to start!

You know you want to!