For me? - Information: Key to Success

Counting calories is for chicks…Is what I used to think. I thought I was a big muscular guy that could lose weight at will. And I could more or less. The past 8 years I have struggled a bit with my weight. I would get serious for a few months and drop some lbs with no real clue how many calories I ate or how many I burned from exercise. I had no idea why I lost what I did from week to week and no thought to what a portion actually looked like. I looked at a label, figured it was ok or not and ate it. But then something would happen and I would slowly gain it back, plus a few bonus pounds.

6 weeks ago that changed. I knew and am continuing to learn that I have to change my life. I was not really living to the potential that I could. My wife deserves the best me possible and I owe it to her and my family to be the person I truly am. I’ve really only just begun but I feel like I have already won. I will no longer be the sitcom-ish fat guy walking next to his gorgeous wife.

For me finally realizing that I needed to change my life for good was only a portion of it. I needed a reliable method to do it with.

I needed information

I am a stats guy and I love to see my stats on progress. I have built many a spreadsheet to track my progress. Finding MFP gave me a way to get the information I needed. I could count my calories AND my exercise and get my exact numbers. I got a heart rate monitor to quantify my workouts. I got an electronic food scale to measure out portions. Finally learning what a cup of this or an ounce of that really looks like. This allowed to very quickly and easily get every mouthful of food information together into one place that could tell me instantly what calories I have left and what nutrition data I am eating too much or too little of.

This changed another aspect I was not expecting. My self control. I realized yesterday, even though I was hungry and passing by fast food restaurants I did not long to stop and get one of their products. Because I knew how many calories they contained and I knew exactly how many calories I should eat that day if I wanted to hit my goals. Not to mention that to fuel the workouts that tracking my exercise has encouraged me to do; I needed real, wholesome food, not delicious garbage. If there is something I really wanted, I planned to have it in the future. When I had planned for it and it fit into my “budget”. I KNOW everything about what I am doing. I have the information that I need.

Not every day has been easy or good. But I have the tools and information I need to make the right choice most of the time. As a result I have gotten faster, stronger, and slimmer in 6 weeks quicker than I ever would have. I have a ways to go but I am confident in my approach and I do not fear failure anymore.

Not every day will rock. But get the tools, get the knowledge, get the support. Keep your goal in mind and you will win. Every. Single. Day.