Getting Healthy in 2010

It's been a while since I updated. I figured it was time to log in. Getting healthy is going good (I hate the term dieting). I've had a couple weeks lately where eating has been a challenge, but I've always tried to get back on track. I read on a blog lately that at sometime in your journey you are going to fall, but the right thing to do is just try to do better. Whether it is later that day or the next day, you should just try to do better. A lot of people think "I'll just work hard later to make up for this brownie", instead you should treat yourself every once in a while and just try to do better the next day. I've often thought of this on days that I don't eat so well that I will just do better the next day, but I struggle to get in the groove the next day because eating sweets and cake or whatever is so tempting. I guess the real point is to try to not keep those things in my house.

I wrote in my last post about experimenting. I thought I'd update that. I found that the weekend I was out of town didn't really hurt me. I just tried to remember portions and if dessert was served that I only take a small serving so that I didn't feel deprived. I ended up coming home from that trip and didn't gain any weight! It felt good to maintain while still eating out and eating sweets. Eating out is hard for me because frankly, I like fast food. Some people don't have a problem living without fast food, but I like it. It's bad for me, and so it is a rare thing that I actually eat it, but while traveling it is almost unavoidable. Seeing as how we were traveling I tried to think of better choices and portion sizes. It made me really evaluate what I was shoving in my mouth. It also helped to plan some snacks and meals that I took with me and ate while gone, instead of resorting to snacking on the road and eating fast food.

I also gave a list of food that are supposed to aid in losing belly fat. I'm not sure that is helping lose the belly, but I do know that they are better snack/food options so I still try to get 6 of them into my diet every day. If anything, it helps me limit my food intake and not over eat. Plus, I like most of the things on the list and it's always a treat in the afternoon to have whole wheat bread with a little peanut butter spread on it.

My husband has also gotten on board with me in eating better. He has done really well becoming conscious on what he's eating and helps remind me when I'm wanting to make a bad food decision. He's lost about 8 pounds so far! It's nice to have the support but I'm also happy he's going to be on this journey with me to lose weight, get healthier and feel beter. We both have some goals set, and it will be nice to reward ourselves when we achieve them. We weight in daily and track it, it always makes us more inclined to keep going when we see our numbers going down. Just this morning I had my lowest weight yet, which made me stand a little taller and actually want to do good today. I just have to keep feeling motivated...

I was looking at a weight loss site yesterday and they have a BMI calculator there, I know those things aren't completely accurate because how can it be the same for men and women, and for different body types? But going according to their calculations, I'm 10 pounds away from being "healthy". And it just so happens that if I lost that 10 pounds I'd meet my first goal. So that is my goal for 2010, end the year being "healthy" so I can say I got healthy in 2010. I've got 10 pounds to lose in 2 months, that's 5 pounds a month, and 1.25 pounds a week. Totally do-able, right? If I achieve this goal I will end the year with losing a total of almost 35 pounds!

What are some ways that you find helpful to stay on track? What is the most effective way to keep going each day when you want to eat that big piece of cake, or whatever your indulgence is? What are your most effective weight loss tools? What is your favorite healthy snack?