A Little Now, Longer to Go

So, in my last post I talked about how I was on the road to changing things. My plan is to get healthier for the glory of God. To take care of my temple the way that He has intended. Well, here is a little more about what I am doing and an update. 

I've been starting with eating foods that help to burn fat and that are yummy. The yummy part is important because if it isn't good, there is no way I am going to eat it. I have been eating mostly turkey and chicken as my protein at lunch and dinner. I also am eating more vegetables and fruit, my favorite being blackberries and blueberries. Another thing that has made a difference is breakfast which is a variety of different things. Some of the things I eat for breakfast are: eggs, whole wheat bagels with cream cheese, oatmeal, frosted mini wheats, fruit, and my most favorite! whole wheat waffles with peanut butter (so good!). I also drink either orange juice or coffee in the morning. I have found that breakfast really does make a difference in helping me be more alert in the morning and able to eat better balanced meals throughout the day. For the busy mornings I grab a Kashi granola bar. This week I have Dark Almond Mocha, very delicious. Other foods and snacks that I eat are applesauce, almonds (my favorite go-to), pretzels, white-corn tortillas and low-fat yogurt. I also discovered delicious smoothie mix from Yoplait! Another key staple in my day is water! Water, water, water! I have pretty much cut out soft drinks and tea, mostly because of the sugar. I get my caffeine from the coffee that I drink. Another thing that I have that helps me is an app on my iTouch called My Fitness Pal. It is specified to my height and weight and tells me my calorie goal. I enter everything that I eat and drink and my exercise and it calculates it all to whether I stayed at or below my goal or if I went over. I really like this app because it tells me the breakdown of whether I'm eating mostly carbs or fats and what things I went over on. Most importantly, it has helped me to count calories and learn portion sizes. 

As far as exercise goes, I try and do mostly cardio three times a week, and then strength exercises the other days. On Saturdays, I alternate walking and running for up to an hour. I'm slowly trying to build my way up to complete running. The first Saturday I was able to run for 5 minutes (although not consecutively) and the next Saturday I was able to run for 6 minutes total, at 2 minute intervals. So mostly, the other 55 minutes is walking at a semi-fast pace. 

Now for the update. After the first week that I started and changed my diet and starting exercising, I lost 2 pounds. That isn't much, but it shows a change and is encouraging. I have noticed other changes though like more energy and just feeling better. I only weigh myself once a week, usually on Friday mornings. Any more than that I am only going to get obsessed with the number and those fluctuate so much. 

Now for the bad. I do normally allow myself one "cheat" day where I continue to watch portions and what I eat, however I do not document it in My Fitness Pal. Well, the past couple of days have all been cheat days. I have not done well in eating right and watching portions. I relate this to lack of time to plan and actually eat a meal and also that I am getting "bored." This week is also difficult for me to intentionally make meals, with having a long list of homework to do. However, really this is showing my lack of self-control and procrastination in doing what I know is the best thing. The past few days I have not watched portions, skipped meals, and gone through too many fast food lines. I was going to tell which ones, but I think I will refrain. Even if you think it's possible to make a "healthy" choice at a restaurant, it is very rare to actually do. It is way better to take the time to make and eat a meal at home. 

Here is to getting back on the road to better and healthy eating. 

For His glory!