If Ya Bite It, Write It...

For me, one of the most eye opening experiences of this whole journey has been journaling. I never journaled my food before (at least, not past day 2!). I think, truthfully, I didn't want to see what I was doing to myself. A typical day for me consisted of waaaaay more calories than I care to imagine. My doctor once told me that to maintain my weight, I had to eat about 4,000 calories a day. That doesn't take into consideration that I was gaining weight! Seriously a typical day for me started with the drive through of Hardee's or McDonald's, where I would either get bagels, McGriddles, or sausage biscuits (on the weekends, I'd really splurge and get biscuits and gravy) and of course, my "coffee" a/k/a sweet tea! Then, I'd usually order lunch - most often pizza from the deli next door, or a Philly cheese steak from the diner across the street. Then, more often than not, I'd end up ordering something for dinner...if I'm honest, usually Pizza Hut - the personal pan pepperoni pizzas, with breadsticks, and a Mountain Dew. I don't know how many calories that is, but that's nuts now that I've typed it out.

Now, of course, every time I start a diet, I've been told to journal. From the time I started Weight Watchers as a teenager, to Jenny Craig (with my awesome counselor, Jenna), back to Weight Watchers, to portion control, back to Weight Watchers, carb cycling on the Chris Powell plan, and now this...seriously. But this time, I'm actually doing it. The food does not cross my lips unless I've accounted for it.

I am using two different methods for tracking my calories. One is MyFitnessPal. I like that because it has the app on my phone and makes it readily available 24/7. The other is through my gym, called Anytime Health. I don't know if they have an iPhone app...if they do, I have yet to find it in the app store. Apparently, the Anytime Health will notify my trainer, etc...I'm still learning to navigate that one. If you do not track your calories, I strongly recommend that you do so.

Another thing that really helped me was to get rid of anything I could munch on. Crackers, cookies, chips...had to go bye-bye. Mini ice cream cups....see ya later. Now, my fridge has carrots, celery, fruits, and lots and lots and LOTS of water. My goal is a gallon a day. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't.

If you haven't already posted your challenge on yesterday's blog post, do it! I want everyone to be involved in making a journey for a healthier lifestyle. It's way more fun if your friends are doing it too!
If you need help setting up MyFitnessPal (if you're not an Anytime Fitness member), look me up at ashlwar84. If you're an Anytime Fitness member, friend me on Anytime Health - it's ashleywarren84.
Hope to see you all there soon!