150 Days of Calorie Counting
Today marks day 150 of calorie counting and food journaling. Wow. What a long few months it's been. As of today, I am down 25.5 lbs! (though the ticker always rounds up, that's why it says 26!)
I've decided to do a then and now, a little motivation to set out on my next 150 days. What I did when I started and where I am now. Just a little reflection for this Monday morning, keeping me working toward losing another 17.5 lbs.
Food: In April I was allowed 1680 calories/day on MyFitnessPal. Now, I'm allowed 1470. That's reduced my food intake by 210 calories/day which is quite a dramatic change. This is all thanks to losing 24lbs!
Running: I couldn't run longer than 90 seconds. Now I can run 5km (though, it does exhaust me!)
Exercise: I was getting exercise maybe once a week. Maybe. Now, I exercise at minimum 3 days a week. Whether it is running, taking a long brisk walk or hitting the gym to do some weight lifting.
Food Shopping: I never really bothered to read the labels. I went by what I thought was healthy. Now, I read the labels on everything. Nothing I purchase at the grocery store has an unknown calorie count anymore. Oh, and boy was I wrong about some of the items I thought were healthy!
Cheese: My go to cheese snack was old cheddar and Wheat Thins. No longer. I was able to keep my Wheat Thins (YAY!) but I've switched the cheese to Blue Menu Goat Cheese. Still get the satisfy the cheese craving while I cut out hundred of calories.
Sweet Cravings: I used to eat whatever I felt like. Usually ice cream most evenings. Now, I still let myself have treats but I've found lower calorie options like fudgecicles, creamcicles, and home made recipes like that Pumpkin Pie recipe. They allow me to consume less calories while getting my sweet fix.
Drinks: I love iced tea (the sweet kind for my American readers!) I had it pretty much every single day. That's now gone, and believe it or not I still miss it and crave it. Now, I drink water, flat and sparkling and sugar free pop on occasion like Fresca. Luckily I didn't have to give up hot tea but I'm still adjusting to drinking Earl Grey without milk or sugar which adds unnecessary calories.
Carbs: I admit it. I didn't give them up. I love them way too much. That said, pasta was definitely a staple in my diet, eating it multiple times a week. It's a definite weakness of mine. Now, I have it probably once a week. I enjoy every last bite when I do eat it now! My favourite pasta, gnocci is actually lower calorie and very filling, so glad I didn't need to give it up!
Stress: In April my stress levels were through the roof, I wasn't happy and I was doing a lot of emotional eating. Now, I've learned how to curb my emotional eating and deal with it in other ways. I also took major steps this summer to make a life change and significantly reduce the amount of stress I was under. It's harder to loose weight carrying around a lot of stress.
This is what I am trying to focus on on day 150:
I've decided to do a then and now, a little motivation to set out on my next 150 days. What I did when I started and where I am now. Just a little reflection for this Monday morning, keeping me working toward losing another 17.5 lbs.
April 2012 vs. September 2012
Food: In April I was allowed 1680 calories/day on MyFitnessPal. Now, I'm allowed 1470. That's reduced my food intake by 210 calories/day which is quite a dramatic change. This is all thanks to losing 24lbs!
Running: I couldn't run longer than 90 seconds. Now I can run 5km (though, it does exhaust me!)
Exercise: I was getting exercise maybe once a week. Maybe. Now, I exercise at minimum 3 days a week. Whether it is running, taking a long brisk walk or hitting the gym to do some weight lifting.
Food Shopping: I never really bothered to read the labels. I went by what I thought was healthy. Now, I read the labels on everything. Nothing I purchase at the grocery store has an unknown calorie count anymore. Oh, and boy was I wrong about some of the items I thought were healthy!
Cheese: My go to cheese snack was old cheddar and Wheat Thins. No longer. I was able to keep my Wheat Thins (YAY!) but I've switched the cheese to Blue Menu Goat Cheese. Still get the satisfy the cheese craving while I cut out hundred of calories.
Sweet Cravings: I used to eat whatever I felt like. Usually ice cream most evenings. Now, I still let myself have treats but I've found lower calorie options like fudgecicles, creamcicles, and home made recipes like that Pumpkin Pie recipe. They allow me to consume less calories while getting my sweet fix.
Drinks: I love iced tea (the sweet kind for my American readers!) I had it pretty much every single day. That's now gone, and believe it or not I still miss it and crave it. Now, I drink water, flat and sparkling and sugar free pop on occasion like Fresca. Luckily I didn't have to give up hot tea but I'm still adjusting to drinking Earl Grey without milk or sugar which adds unnecessary calories.
Carbs: I admit it. I didn't give them up. I love them way too much. That said, pasta was definitely a staple in my diet, eating it multiple times a week. It's a definite weakness of mine. Now, I have it probably once a week. I enjoy every last bite when I do eat it now! My favourite pasta, gnocci is actually lower calorie and very filling, so glad I didn't need to give it up!
Stress: In April my stress levels were through the roof, I wasn't happy and I was doing a lot of emotional eating. Now, I've learned how to curb my emotional eating and deal with it in other ways. I also took major steps this summer to make a life change and significantly reduce the amount of stress I was under. It's harder to loose weight carrying around a lot of stress.
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