To Be Successful

Through this process (mainly writing about my weight loss journey) I have come to recognize a lot of things I will have to do to be successful. Here's a few of them:

1. Don't let myself get too hungry. There are days, when for instance, I don't eat enough at breakfast because I'm in a hurry or something else and I feel really really hungry compared to normal by the time I eat lunch. So what do I do? I overeat.
2. Don't let myself cheat because I'm going to make up for it latter. I have a really bad habit of eating a big breakfast or a large dessert and thinking to myself "I'll eat really good the rest of the day" or "I'll exercise an extra 30 minutes tonight." I just don't have the control yet to keep these "promises" that I make to myself.
3. Don't let myself eat mindlessly. There are times when I grab a bag of chips and sit down to watch tv. Before I know it, I've eaten half the bag! (This is one reason I like those 100 calorie packs - if I want more I literally have to open another bag.)
4. Don't let myself eat just because I can't find anything else to do. There are many times when I'm sitting at home on Saturday afternoon, doing nothing, so I eat.
5. Make myself exercise. I've actually done better this week (so far exercising 3 out of 4 days) but I really really really need to get where exercise is something I consistently do. I don't neccessarily think that its the exercise that I avoid so much as when I exercise I get tired so quickly because I'm in such bad shape. I always have these thoughts like "If I could only run one mile straight through, it'd be easy to get up and start my day that way." But it takes time and effort to get to that point - no one starts out being able to run a mile! Even if you have been in great shape your whole life, you first had to crawl, then walk, then run! :)

Low Calorie Treats I Love

Just thought I'd share a few of the low cal treats I've found that I really enjoy.

1. Kool-Aid Jammers
These drinks come in three flavors (Tropical Punch, Strawberry Kiwi, and Cherry - although I've yet to see cherry at the store) and only have 10 calories per drink. They also have 100% Daily Vitamin C (according to the label). I like the Strawberry Kiwi better than the Tropical Punch, but that's just me.

2. Act II (and other brands) of mini or snack size popcorn
These bags of popcorn contain only 100 calories and come in a variety of flavors. I love them because they are low calorie, but also take a little longer to eat than most low calorie snacks.

3. Nabisco 100 Calorie packs
These snacks come in 100 calorie packs (which is good for me because it helps control my portion size). The varieties include everything from oreos to chips ahoy to wheat thins to cheez nips. I've found some varieties are more satifying than others. :)

4. Splenda
I know this isn't a "treat" so to say, but it is making a lot of foods we all know and love a little lower calorie for us without sacrificing a ton of flavor. One way I like to use Splenda is on my cereal - to me it tastes just like sugar.

A Bump Along the Way

So weekends are not good for me . . . especially when I'm out of town. When I'm out of town I usually eat out a lot which equates to not eating well - a habit I desperately need to break. What does that mean for my diet? Well, I'm back up to 167 - I'm not proud of this but I expected it after the week I had. I haven't gotten back into the habit of exercising since I was sick a week ago . . . I am constantly making excuses which I have to get past. I really need to focus and get a routine down - Schedule exercise so I know that I have the time. I have set a short-term goal to lose 10 lbs by the end of Febraury. I feel like this is doable and I need to set these little goals to reach my long-term goal.