Just a reminder: These bi-monthy Sunday guest posts are part of a series my sister-in-law is writing as part of a Healthy Habit Journey she is doing for the year. She relates her experiences trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle one habit at a time! Enjoy!
This particular post discusses food journaling and calorie counting. If you have a history of ED and feel this may be triggering, please do not read ahead.
Oh, and if you celebrate, Happy Easter!
Hello! Hope everyone has been doing well. A lot has been going on since my last post- I’ve been busy, busy. How busy? Well, I’ve been out of town for FIVE WEEKENDS in a row. Not much time for doing laundry…
After going to Dallas to see Alischa and D.C. w/ Low, I took my Girl Scout Troop Camping (yes, I’m a troop leader and I have no offspring), then I went to Honey Creek Resort on Rathbun Lake in Iowa for a wedding, and then I went to Sulphur, Oklahoma for a romantic weekend with the Hubby.
I’d like to give a shout out to Echo Canyon Resort and Spa- amazing food and wine selection too! Here’s a picture of our view from our room:
And, not that you care, but my friend Alischa emailed me this from Utah yesterday- clearly she has a better view where she’s at:
Back to my happenings – I’ve quit Weight Watchers. I have been an avid food journalist for over a year with them; however, I don’t like their new points plus program. Why? Mainly because I have gained 6 pounds back since following their new program (and I follow that stuff very anally).
They changed stuff around so the program is now based on carb/protein/fat/fiber ratios instead of calories – which is good…I can see how they are trying to make it healthier for people and are pushing more fruits and veggies. However, one problem is that they have made all fruit zero points.
Fruits still have calories though… Just because you eat 3-5 servings of fruit a day doesn’t mean you can just “throw out” the 300-500 calories or so that go with it – that is enough calories for a healthy snack or small meal.
Before, I was allotted 24 points a day (while they still assigned fruit points). Now, fruits are zero points and I’m allotted 29 points a day. I’m not sure I get this…there are tons of other issues I have with the program, but this is a positivity place, not a negativity place- I just wanted you to understand why this is no longer the program for me. It could work beautifully for someone else though.
So, I figured I’d need a new place to track foods and I needed it to be FREE. Low recommended several free food journaling sites from when she used to food journal in addition to ones I found and I fell in love with Spark People. It’s easy, it’s quick, and it can find all my foods! Yay for new programs!
I can monitor everything I eat and all my nutrition! I find it so much fun to find different foods that will give me my recommended fiber, potassium, calcium- you name it, I can track it! I wish I had this two weeks ago when I was tracking my fiber- it would have been SO MUCH EASIER. Here’s yesterdays screen shot:
I’m pretty darn impressed! I’m a little over/under on a few things, but the main thing is I’m near my target range for each goal I’ve set for myself. And I’m feeling good! I even started taking a multivitamin every day. It’s not something I normally do, but I’m getting older and I’m trying to be more conscientious of what I put in my body. And I need some vitamins and minerals.
Also, I’m back to my run/walk interval training so I’ll be ready to go on a 30 minute jog with the Hubby by May 19th! Woo! I did 7 minutes straight this week. I’m coming up on my big 10 minute interval next week. I can’t believe I’ve gotten this far!! Apparently in 4 weeks, I’ll be able to go 30 minutes straight through!
In addition to being able to run for 30 minutes for the first time ever in my life without stopping, I’d like to get the 6 pounds off that I gained during the last few months using the new weight watchers program. Hopefully I can do it with Spark! I’ll keep you posted
QUESTION: Any ideas to keep me PUMPED UP while I continue my interval training for this 30 minute run without stopping (or anything you do to mentally prepare for it)?
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Good music saves me all the time when Im running. I like to put “Eye of the Tiger” on my playlist right at the point where I would normally want to die. I dont care how hard it is, you cant stop while that song is playing. It always gets me going again.
LOL! I love that song! Thanks!
Hoppy Easter !!!
I was an avid Sparker for a year or so, then I deleted my account and I made a new one recently. I won’t delve into why I deleted my account, but if you’d like to be Spark friends (I was with Kacy on my old one) you can find me as NERDGIRL23.
Music is definitely key, but some days I go sans music so I can take in the area and tune into my body more. If I feel I am struggling to keep walking, I break up the run and tell myself, go 5 more min and then rest, and when I get to that 5 min, I usually can go another 5 and another until I’ve done the whole run. Some days you’re going to feel amazing and like it’s a cinch, and others it will feel impossible, but keeping at it is the only thing that will make you better.
Happy Easter!
I remember our Spark days! Good times
They were! Almost as good as our SELF forum days. I was in the best shape of my life thus far back then! Their message boards are bombarded with spam now. Really sad.
The SELF forum was the best
Thanks! I might find ya on there once I learn the website more!