Since Christmas, I've been trying to adopt better eating habits. I want to lose weight, but I also need to be more health conscious in general. I'm not getting any younger, and I don't want to put unnecessary stress on my body as I age. It's time to stop being lazy about food!
I am using a free app called My Diet Diary to look up and track calories, fat, carbs, protein, water intake, and exercise. It helps me be more aware of what I'm putting into my body, and also helps me make better decisions about what to eat. There are a lot of apps out there that are similar to this one, but I found My Diet Diary to be the best for my needs. It's simple and clean-looking, and doesn't require you to sign up for an account. I
hate apps that do that!
I have posted a handwritten list of "rules" eat my desk, where I spend most of my time. Some are borrowed from the SkinnyGirl blog; others are my own. In case they might be helpful to others, I'll post them here. I've added explanations in parenthesis to make it clear what each rule means.
- Your diet is a bank account. Balance it out. (A splurge on a dessert should be balanced with a healthy salad for lunch, etc.)
- You can have it all. You just can't have it all at once. (Don't have meals made up entirely of foods that cater to cravings. Refer to Rule #1.)
- Eat with awareness. (No mindless snacking while watching television, etc.)
- You don't have to clean your plate. (Duh.)
- Get real. (Choose "real," fresh foods over processed, pre-packaged meals with lots of preservatives and chemicals.)
- Remember that food is primarily for fuel, not entertainment. (Don't eat because you're bored! Eat only when you are actually hungry.)
- Downsize! (Eat smaller portions, then wait 15 minutes to see if you are still hungry. In most cases, you won't be.)
I don't own a scale, so I will be tracking my weight loss mainly in the mirror, as well as by the fit of my clothes. I don't want to focus on numbers, because I tend to get discouraged when they don't do what I want them to! I do get weighed when I go to the doctor, so every now and then I will get a concrete measurement of my weight. That's enough for me.
I've heard that it takes 30 days to instill new habits. I guess I'll find out if that's true!
