Why I'm Doing this

Week 1-5 lbs Down

So I completed my first week on MFP yesterday, and was down 5 lbs! Now, to be fair, my initial weigh-in was immediately following a weekend of drinking and eating too much, and flying (therefore water retention!). I know that next week will be a lot tougher. But still, it was nice to see the change on the scale!

I've told a few people that I'm on a "health and fitness kick", or that I'm tracking my calories and exercise, and some look at me like I'm crazy. But you know what I've already learned in 7 days? All I usually eat is carbs. It is incredibly eye-opening to see what I am actually putting in my body, and how it provides the fuel I need. In the past, I have gone through fitness kicks and gotten some decent muscle definition, and made a half-hearted attempt to "eat healthy", but I'm learning that without actually keeping a food journal I am way too tempted to lie to myself. Already in the past week I've eaten more balanced meals at home, loaded up on the protein to keep myself full, and packed snacks and meals so I'm less tempted to buy a cookie with my afternoon coffee. I'm not depriving myself of anything, I still went for beers on St Paddys day, and shared my order of 25cent wings with friends. But I did resist the pizza party for risk of blowing my entire day in one sitting. And my #1 trigger food, cookies are off limits - at least until I reach my goal

The reason I haven't quit yet (like I quit most fitness kicks - start Monday, quit Tuesday), is the awesome support that MFP provides. It's like Facebook for health! My MFP friends support me, give me a little push, and their success stories inspire me to create my own. I am a bit of a control freak, and my health is one thing I have never really been in control of, and yet is probably the most important element of my life. If I can achieve better lfiestyle choices, there is nothing to stop me from achieving all my goals!