Gotta start somewhere

         So you have decided to really get serious and commit to improving your quality of life by taking responsibility of your choices up until now and going from couch blob to average person to hopefully fit person...where do you start?? That's what I kept asking myself! I knew I needed to learn to see food as fuel, count calories, portion control, exercise...... List could go on but I will do us all a favor and stop there. The internet is a great source of info but sometimes there's so much of it, that sifting through it and setting up your plan seems pretty challenging.

         I can only speak for myself when I say that what usually happens to me is that I start off full throttle on any diet plan then slowly but surely lose speed after the initial high wears off. I have started so many "changes" then stopped a day, week, a month later. I think that one thing I know for sure is that if I am on a diet and feel like I am denying myself things, I will crave everything, even stuff I never really care for before. It's like my body and brain rebel and fight my own self when trying to cut back. 

         I think that the biggest problem with diets, in my case, is that their restrictive nature keep me from being able to stick to it long term. When you have as much weight as me to lose, a month or two of dieting ain't going to cut it. My journey will be a long one in order to reach my destination but once I get there it doesn't end,  I need to have learned how to not go back to how I am and have been.

          The first decision I made was to start by keeping a food diary. Pretty simple, right? I  downloaded my fitness pal and started logging everything I ate. This app is free, so convenient and easy to use that it didn't seem hard to do. The first day I decided to eat what I normally would have so that I could see how much I was intaking. OMG do them calories add up!! It's funny how unaware I have been on the amount of calories I can inhale in a matter of minutes! My fitness pal is a great tool to keep track of your calories and exercise. The extra for me, is not wanting to lose my logging streak! It makes me keep up with it several times in the day. 

           Bottom line is that It's all about establishing routines.  Every time it eat, I want to log it in. And if I want to overindulge, knowing I have to log it makes me not go do it! #Winning! So now that we have a. Food diary, we have to do something about how many and what kind if calories I'm putting in there. I mean, potato chips out of the bag can't be that many right? Not as many as if I had a bowl full, right? *insert buzz * wrong! I decided to grab a handful and measure it and was shocked! I think my eyes have somehow accepted oversized portions as regular ones.  If you eyeball a portion of chips v. Measuring it,  there is a HUGE difference ( at least for me!) then thinking how often I could walk by the pantry and grabbed a handful makes me cringe inside. Not that I should be shocked, there's a reason we are here right? And it wasn't because I ate too many carrots and celery sticks ha!

             Anywho, that's how is arrived at my second decision: measuring or weighing food portions. Does it take time? Yes, a Few extra seconds. Is it worth it? Heck yes!! The more I train myself to measure and weigh food, the more it becomes my routine instead of a hassle.  Measuring out or weighing portions has been an eye opener. I want to retrain my eye and brain to learn to not overeat. I started off with a cheap Taylor food scale for less than $5 thinking I didn't want to invest that much in case I didn't stick to it (self doubt anyone??). But after the first week I made a deal with myself that once I lost over 10 pounds I'd buy me a nicer digital one. I am proud to say the new one it's on its way! Of course, this doesn't mean I don't eat anything that is not weighed or portioned out, it means I continue to be more and more aware and hold myself accountable for every choice I make. We all have to start somewhere, and there really is no right or wrong way to do it as long as you DO it. I'm finding out this whole accountability thing is something I really like! Here's some inspiration, until next time!!