Wrote down what I ate for a week....

caimay199 · May 2016

I recorded as precisely as possible what I ate this week. I didn't add up the calories going along because I wanted my focus to be on making healthier choices in the moment and begin instilling new, healthier habits that will last forever.

It was definitely eye opening! I lost 2lbs, and when going back through and adding up the calories, my average daily intake was 1885. Here are some things I learnt:

1. The day I thought was the least healthy, had my lowest calorie intake at 1640. I skipped breakfast at home, had something small at my desk, a 'big' lunch calorie-wise (tuna sandwich and vegetable chips, clocking in at 750 calories!)....but then didn't eat again until I got home 7 hours later, when I had a bowl of chilli and brown rice. It's got me questioning whether I really need 3 full meals a day, or whether 1-2 main meals and a snack might be better suited to my lifestyle.

2. I don't work out as much as I think I do. I'm supposed to be in 5 dance classes per week. I blew two of them off because I was tired. I'm supposed to be lifting weights 3 x week in the gym, and I blew all 3 of them off because I was tired. And by tired, I mean lazy. This is something I've got to look at.

3. I eat more blueberry muffins than I think I do. (but to my credit, I said 'no' a lot this week, too!)

4. This process doesn't have to be painful at all. I've been perfectly happy this week, eating what I've been eating. The beef and vegetable stir fry I cooked tasted better than any Chinese takeout I ever had (not to toot my own horn or anything). Chicken fajitas and Thai red prawn curry with brown rice are two of my favourites now. I've saved a ton of money too - despite still having a mocha light frappuccino every day. I can definitely fit in my favourites and not compromise on taste, but that said I've noticed some places I can tweak and will slowly start working on those - firstly, creating a workout schedule that I can stick to, and cutting out the almost-daily muffin and cookie.

Let's see what next week brings!

CM_73 · May 2016

Well done! Accurate logging is the ONLY thing that ever works for me. No matter how long I do this, no matter how well I think I know what I'm eating, I keep being bought back to earth with a bump on weigh day if I don't log EVERYTHING!
It also helps me think about what I'm eating and makes it a conscious act.
Good luck, sounds as if you're on the right path

joncooper1980 · May 2016

Well done. Sounds like a great week. Blueberry muffins are awesome and you can't beat home cooked food.

Sounds to me like you are making some great choices and not suffering as a result. To be honest with you diet is a huge portion of the work with weight loss. Getting into a workout routine is just habit formation. Do it enough times and it becomes second nature. As a side note I would look for a work out that inspires and interests you. If you can get into the mindset of your workouts being something that you enjoy rather than a chore no amount of tiredness will keep you away from it.

caimay199 · May 2016

Thanks both

I think with the workout thing, I love being in the gym and dance is a huge part of my life. But sometimes you think 'oh I had a really late night, I just need to take it easy today' and it can be legit - but if you're doing it 50% of the time like I have been, then it needs to be fixed. I think I just need to plan better and switch around my days so I get 1 or 2 evenings in the week to go home and relax. It also doesn't help that my commute is long at the moment - when I move in a few weeks I'm going to give morning workouts a try!