I Ate What?!?

so . . . i have to start working on my nutrition . . . all this time i thought if i ate the right foods in whatever quantity that i was doing good . . . i cook damn near everything i can find on skinnytaste.com and eat it until i can't stuff another bite down my throat  . . . well little did i know how many calories i was consuming even if they were so-called "skinny" calories . . . the skinny recipes only work if they are eaten in the right portions . . . and boy were my portions OFF!! . . . i tracked the majority of my food consumption yesterday on my fitness pal and was shocked to see the number of calories i had consumed . . well over 700 more than my calorie goal . . . that was an eye opener . . . needless to say i broke out my measuring utensils when i packed my lunch last night to be sure that i was consuming the correct portions today and going forward . . . that $0.82 i spent at Wal-Mart on a set of measuring spoons/cups is about to be put to work . . . i entered my breakfast, snacks and lunch into the tracker for today and i have 439 calories left for dinner . . . not bad . . . a far cry from yesterdays consumption . . . i just have to stick to my meals and usually that's not a problem . . . hope there's no office birthdays today . . . . so i'm gonna give my fitness pal i fair try for about a month and see if having that tool makes a difference on my waistline . . . . i'm hoping so . . . so here's to "knowing" instead of guessing and assuming . . .  and like my good friend G.I. Joe once said . . . knowing is half the battle . . . if you are on my fitness pal . . . please add me . . . let's motivate each other :)

add me :)

Tools of the Trade

Although this is a blog about my weight loss journey i find it necessary to share with you all some things that nobody told me and that i just had to find out for myself.

• Getting a gym membership is not enough, it's simply a first step. Going to the gym without having a plan or not knowing how to use the equipment has the potential to be just as useless as sitting on the couch. Before you set foot in a gym and spend 90 minutes on a treadmill take the time to do some research. I know i've mentioned bodybuilding.com before but believe me it is a great tool.  They have workout regimens for both men and women with tutorials and video links attached to all exercises so that you will know proper form when it comes time to execute those exercises. And best of all it's FREE!! I also suggest lolofit . It is an app available through iTunes for both the elliptical and the treadmill. all you have to do is download it, add your music to the app and get going. It will customize a treadmill/elliptical workout for you that will be set to your music. There is a virtual trainer that encourages you throughout and provides helpful tips to improve your health. The apps are 4.99 each but well worth their weight in gold.

                              

• Invest in a heart rate monitor. There are several on the market but any of them will do. I have the bowflex heart rate monitor that i purchased at big 5 for a whopping 29 bucks and it works just as well and has just as many features as it's more expensive counterparts from makers such as Polar. Having a heart rate monitor is important because it will provide you with your heart rate as well as how many calories you burned during your workout session. It is true that the heart rate monitors on any given machine at the gym works but the calories burned feature aren't set to match your height, weight or body fat percentage. Those machines overestimate by as much as 15%. With your own heart rate monitor you will get a more accurate reading.

• Measure, Measure, Measure!! Both your food and your body. It is soooo easy to think we are eating less than we actually are. I can pretty much guarantee that the bowl of cereal you ate this morning was at least three times the normal serving size yet you counted it as one. You can avoid this common pitfall by beginning to measure your portions.  Purchase both the Cup and tsp/tbsp measuring sets so that you are always sure of what you are eating. You can get them from the 99 cents store for all of 2 dollars. and while you're there pick up a measuring tape. The scale is not your friend. (mine either) but the measuring tape will be your best ally. As your body changes the measuring tape will capture differences way before and more continuously than the scale will. You may not think you're losing any weight or making any progress if you only focus on the number on the scale. It's all about the small victories and the measuring tape will provide that for you.

• Last but not least journal, in some shape or form. Keep a diary, a blog, a spreadsheet, make tick marks on a calendar but do something so you can see your progress in black and white. As you continue on your journey, you will be inspired when you look back and see just how far you've come.

Now that i have provided you with what i feel are the most important tools of the trade i can go on with my journey. i hope in some way you find this useful. until next time  . . . . . peace and love

It's Go Time!!!!!

well i did it . . . i got up this morning and went to the gym . . . day one of exercise is in the books . . . now comes the hard part . . getting through the entire day and sticking to my meal plan . . . . i must say i started off this morning well . . . i had/have a HUGE problem with eating before and after i workout . . . before is a problem because i go to the gym at 3 in the morning and immediately after is hard because when i get home it's time to shower and get myself ready for work . . . well i think i solved that problem . . . i made some of Jamie Eason's turkey muffins for snacks this week and before i went to the gym this morning i had one . . and when i got home i made a protein shake which i drank in the car on my way to work . . . if i can continue to do this then i think i will be ok . . .i made my lunch and snacks last night for work . . .

i don't think i'm going to eat it all but i brought it all just in case i go into shock and want/need something more. the only thing i didn't do was measure so i need to make sure i do that for tomorrows lunch . . . if i don't check back in this evening then i will definitely update tomorrow with how i did with my nutrition today. also if you hit the link below it will take you to the recipe for jamie's delicious turkey muffins . . . until next time . . . stay focused!!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/video-jamie-eason-turkey-meatloaf-muffins.htm

Ready! Set! . . . . .

i can't quite say go yet because go time is not until tomorrow. but it's time once again for me to start my weight loss journey and hopefully this time it will be my last. i've been cleared by the doctor to workout on the elliptical trainer, i have printed out 12 weeks of workout routines and i've researched proper nutrition for weight loss. so i have no excuse but to get started. day one will be tomorrow January 24th. can't say i'm looking forward to it but i will say i'm ready for the challenge. if you're interested to know the tools i'll be using i'll be happy to share by posting what my routine was/is for the day and what i plan on eating and what i actually ate.

i really hope someone out there is paying attention. although i have a slew of family and friends who support me, for some reason i find comfort and hold myself more accountable when i'm in the company of strangers. i know not all feedback will be positive but i do hope that you will all be respectful of me and of any others who should happen to visit or post on this blog.

if any of you are on the same journey and you have a blog post it and i will follow you. you never know we might be able to help each other along the way.

here's to all of our success. i'm claiming it now because this time i'm not going allow me to sabotage myself!