I have now been logging on to MFP for 90 days. I know this, because on my
profile page, it is my status. 90 days. Wow.
Thank goodness MFP counts my days for me, because anyone who knows me "from the real world" knows how math-tastic I am not. Really. I went to law school BECAUSE I knew I could write, and because I knew I couldn't add. (side note.. if I could have added, I would have figured out how much of an investment NOT to make in going to law school... by the time I was done paying off my school debt, I was ready to leave the practice of law altogether...)
But that's a story for a different day. Today, 90 days in, I feel like I need to share someless smart alecky maybe actually useful
suggestions that have helped me make it to 90 days. I don't eat Clean, or
Vegan, or claim to have any mystic knowledge. I'm not a nutritionist or an
expert. Please don't tell me what I'm doing "wrong" because honestly, I'm happy.
And what I'm doing is working FOR ME. It isn't a recipe for success for anyone
else, but it is some tips that I found helpful. So, for what it's worth, here
they are:
1) THIS IS NOT A DIET. Seriously, this is the number one thing. There are no required foods or forbidden foods. I think of each day as having a bank of calories to spend as I wish. And MFP as my calculator helping me figure out what I can afford to eat (see math phobia above). There are several accounts I monitor pretty closely- namely calories, fat, and sodium. I don't watch the carbs or the sugars as much. To date, this is still working for me. But I'm only trying to lose a pound a week. This is a marathon for me, not a sprint.
2) IT IS WORTH IT TO EXERCISE. Even if I only burn 110 calories pedaling away on my recumbent bike like a hamster on a wheel, it's worth it to get my body moving. Because I see the reward both in terms of the numbers on the scale and in terms of being able to add to my daily "caloric bank". I DO eat my exercise calories back. It works for me. If it doesn't for you, then don't. But I can only tell you what works for me.
3) IF THERE"S SOMETHING I REALLY REALLY REALLY WANT, I HAVE IT. This is true whether I'm talking about a healthyfood that might be a little more expensive (darn it, I'm worth it) OR it might be an unhealthy food. What's the difference? Easy. If it's (let's say) SHRIMP, yum yum yum... I can easily justify spending the money because I know I'll really enjoy it. Can I do it every day? Of course not. But I do appreciate it when I do splurge a little. Similarly, if it's let's say GUMMY BEARS, I can easily afford the money... but can I afford the calories? Depends on the rest of my day. There are plenty of days where I've been able to fit in a handful of gummy bears. But I take ONE handful. And I count 'em out. And I love em. And I bite their heads off first. :)
4) I KEEP EASY LOW-CAL SNACKS ON HAND FOR DAYS WHEN I DON'T WANT "MEALS". There are ALWAYS carrots and hummus in my house. And Special K snack foods really work for me. I LOVE the 100 calorie fruit crisps for breakfast (and haven't found anything else with 100 calories that I enjoy as much) and the occassional Sour Cream & Onion Special K crackers (27 crackers for like 100 or 110 calories). I buy low-fat Tzatziki dip at Costco and eat it on Sweet Peppers. Yummylicious. And totally satisfying.
5) I PLAN AHEAD... SO I CAN GO ANYWHERE AND FIND SOMETHING TO EAT.I love the MFP Food database. From the first weekend when I joined and realized I COULD still go to Culvers with our TKD family and find something there that I could enjoy and still keep under calories... that is really meaningful to me. I happen to LIKE to go out to eat. I'm not a huge fan of cooking... so being able to go out and eat with my friends was critical to my success. And having the ability to plan meals at some of the trickier restaurants allowed me to go in and not face the menu and panic.
6) WHETHER I HAVE A GREAT DAY OR I GO OVER... I JUST KEEP MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ONE. I don't spend my life worrying about whether I was too far over or too far under on any one day. Why? Cause this is a marathon, not a sprint (see above). And because tomorrow I won't remember what I did today (I'm a little like Dory.. and I just keep swimming swimming swimming)....why are you following me? ;) Oh yeah and also because I get to see a big picture on a weekly basis. I'm aiming for that 3500 calorie deficit over a week-long period (I know some of you say baloney but since it is working for me, I buy it).
7) I STAY POSITIVE. This is the one I think that really keeps me going. If I gain, or if I lose each week, I DON'T LET IT RATTLE MY CAGE too much. That's right. Whether I lose or gain, I see it as a bump in the road. I don't get out of the car to see whether what I hit was a wallet or a skunk... I just keep driving. I figure if it was a wallet, then I don't want to be too excited because I'm going to be invested in finding whose it was. If it was a skunk, and I get out and make a big deal about it, I'm just likely to get sprayed. So if there's a loss, I note it, and i'm pleased because it shows I'm doing things right FOR ME. But I'm not pretending that because I lost it... it's gone forever. It's only gone forever if I keep on going. And if there's a gain, I don't throw my hands up in despair and claim it's not working. I try to understand WHY it happened, and as long as I do, I learn. And I keep on going.
Just keep swimming.....
Thank goodness MFP counts my days for me, because anyone who knows me "from the real world" knows how math-tastic I am not. Really. I went to law school BECAUSE I knew I could write, and because I knew I couldn't add. (side note.. if I could have added, I would have figured out how much of an investment NOT to make in going to law school... by the time I was done paying off my school debt, I was ready to leave the practice of law altogether...)
But that's a story for a different day. Today, 90 days in, I feel like I need to share some
1) THIS IS NOT A DIET. Seriously, this is the number one thing. There are no required foods or forbidden foods. I think of each day as having a bank of calories to spend as I wish. And MFP as my calculator helping me figure out what I can afford to eat (see math phobia above). There are several accounts I monitor pretty closely- namely calories, fat, and sodium. I don't watch the carbs or the sugars as much. To date, this is still working for me. But I'm only trying to lose a pound a week. This is a marathon for me, not a sprint.
2) IT IS WORTH IT TO EXERCISE. Even if I only burn 110 calories pedaling away on my recumbent bike like a hamster on a wheel, it's worth it to get my body moving. Because I see the reward both in terms of the numbers on the scale and in terms of being able to add to my daily "caloric bank". I DO eat my exercise calories back. It works for me. If it doesn't for you, then don't. But I can only tell you what works for me.
3) IF THERE"S SOMETHING I REALLY REALLY REALLY WANT, I HAVE IT. This is true whether I'm talking about a healthyfood that might be a little more expensive (darn it, I'm worth it) OR it might be an unhealthy food. What's the difference? Easy. If it's (let's say) SHRIMP, yum yum yum... I can easily justify spending the money because I know I'll really enjoy it. Can I do it every day? Of course not. But I do appreciate it when I do splurge a little. Similarly, if it's let's say GUMMY BEARS, I can easily afford the money... but can I afford the calories? Depends on the rest of my day. There are plenty of days where I've been able to fit in a handful of gummy bears. But I take ONE handful. And I count 'em out. And I love em. And I bite their heads off first. :)
4) I KEEP EASY LOW-CAL SNACKS ON HAND FOR DAYS WHEN I DON'T WANT "MEALS". There are ALWAYS carrots and hummus in my house. And Special K snack foods really work for me. I LOVE the 100 calorie fruit crisps for breakfast (and haven't found anything else with 100 calories that I enjoy as much) and the occassional Sour Cream & Onion Special K crackers (27 crackers for like 100 or 110 calories). I buy low-fat Tzatziki dip at Costco and eat it on Sweet Peppers. Yummylicious. And totally satisfying.
5) I PLAN AHEAD... SO I CAN GO ANYWHERE AND FIND SOMETHING TO EAT.I love the MFP Food database. From the first weekend when I joined and realized I COULD still go to Culvers with our TKD family and find something there that I could enjoy and still keep under calories... that is really meaningful to me. I happen to LIKE to go out to eat. I'm not a huge fan of cooking... so being able to go out and eat with my friends was critical to my success. And having the ability to plan meals at some of the trickier restaurants allowed me to go in and not face the menu and panic.
6) WHETHER I HAVE A GREAT DAY OR I GO OVER... I JUST KEEP MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ONE. I don't spend my life worrying about whether I was too far over or too far under on any one day. Why? Cause this is a marathon, not a sprint (see above). And because tomorrow I won't remember what I did today (I'm a little like Dory.. and I just keep swimming swimming swimming)....why are you following me? ;) Oh yeah and also because I get to see a big picture on a weekly basis. I'm aiming for that 3500 calorie deficit over a week-long period (I know some of you say baloney but since it is working for me, I buy it).
7) I STAY POSITIVE. This is the one I think that really keeps me going. If I gain, or if I lose each week, I DON'T LET IT RATTLE MY CAGE too much. That's right. Whether I lose or gain, I see it as a bump in the road. I don't get out of the car to see whether what I hit was a wallet or a skunk... I just keep driving. I figure if it was a wallet, then I don't want to be too excited because I'm going to be invested in finding whose it was. If it was a skunk, and I get out and make a big deal about it, I'm just likely to get sprayed. So if there's a loss, I note it, and i'm pleased because it shows I'm doing things right FOR ME. But I'm not pretending that because I lost it... it's gone forever. It's only gone forever if I keep on going. And if there's a gain, I don't throw my hands up in despair and claim it's not working. I try to understand WHY it happened, and as long as I do, I learn. And I keep on going.
Just keep swimming.....
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