For the last two weeks, I've been using My Fitness Pal that I downloaded for free on my itouch and can log onto online. I didn't realize that I had signed up for it over a year ago when I started my journey of health and fitness. Undoubtedly, it was recommended by another blogger.
The reason I started monitoring my food (despite being a WW member and the "ease" of points) is that I am not capable of truly acknowledging and being accountable for what I eat when I don't write every single bite or drink to review at the end of the day. I need to see the number of calories that I am allowed, and I need to see how many calories I've subtracted from that number per meal. It is startling how much I can eat in one meal. Weight Watcher's points are great, but I needed to get back to the science of weightloss; like I did in college when I ate vegetarian and wrote everything down in a 5 subject, college ruled spiral notebook--yes, I am that specific in life.
If I am going to ingest it, I have to write it. Well, in this case, plug it all in. One thing was startling, that we can eat the calories gained from the burn of exercise. I did know this. Weight Watchers teaches this. However, I didn't quite understand it and how it relates to my body. It was a revelation that was amazing. If I want to eat a little more then I need to exercise. However, on the days I eat the amount of calories burned from exercise, I found that the next day I didn't lose an ounce. Okay, shoot me for weighing in everyday, but I was a bit shocked.
One of the things I want to start doing in April, is to use a heart rate monitor for exercise. I want to know exactly how many calories "my" body is burning while exercising. I've thought of getting a body bugg, but the expense of the device plus the membership is something I can't invest in right now. Getting back to the basics of a relatively inexpensive heart rate monitor is the way to go.
This morning I weighed in at 203.7 lbs. I've been up and down recently, but my average was always about 205, so this is great. My weightloss goal with My Fitness Pal is one pound a week. So far at the rate I am going with my calorie consumption of 1700 calories a day (without the extra from exercise), I can get to 198 lbs in 5 weeks. Pretty cool.
I am not at the point of reducing my calories to lose 2 lbs a week. I feel like I have to master the control of eating and cataloging my consumption, so I am not pushing it. I started a running program to get back to my 5k runner's status.
Goals for March 20-26:
1. log food.
2. exercise 5 times this week
3. move a little more during my sedentary office hours.
How do you monitor your calorie intake or burn? (I know you're there. Delurk and let me know what you do. Thanks.)
Hi! :)
ReplyDeleteI track everything I eat online (and I'm boring and eat the same thing pretty regularly, so that part is super easy) and then I use a GoWearFit to monitor my calorie burn. I actually started eating more when I began using the GoWearFit, because I had no idea that I burn around 2500 calories on a normal, non-active day.
Rosa, I am so glad to see you posting again! I track all of my eating on fitday.com. I am actually the exact opposite of you: my eating is usually cleaner than my exercise. For example, I haven't exercised in 8 days now, but I almost never go "off plan" eatingwise. I am trying to do better, to get both things going at the same time. This time I have a decent excuse- I'm sick.
ReplyDeleteAlso- your comment the other day on my blog- really meant a lot. I started caring more about clothes after realizing that my weight gain + school stress had really sort of overwhelmed me. I'd forgotten the joy of being playful with myself, of selecting things just because they felt good and brought me pleasure. So I started thinking about the time in my life when I felt freest, and it was as an undergraduate, post- weight loss (from about 210 lbs). With ten more years and more responsibilities, it's not exactly the same (and might even come off as a little vain) but for now I am enjoying the ride. Thank you for sticking with my ramblings.
Sorry for the novel- so good to see you back posting regularly.
I get that part about being accountable, funny that you plug it in rather than write it as we all did back in the day.
ReplyDeleteIt really is important to keep track of everything you eat. I found out that I was eating a lot more calories than I thought I was. What finally started working for me was eating the RIGHT kind of calories. When I follow the Flat Belly Diet, I'm eating healthy and lose weight. Eating the GOOD fats that actually burn belly fat is the key for me.
ReplyDelete