Costco

Last night at work my friend persuaded me to rejoin my gym and to go to a class today.  We started by heading to Costco where I picked up a two year membership to 24 hour fitness for $370.00, which is actually around sixteen dollars per month.  Not bad right!  I also loaded up with a cart full of vegetables and was prepared to eat mostly veggies, lean proteins and fruit for the next week, with one "cheat" day.

The last paragraph was a draft of a post that I wrote two weeks ago.  I was supercharged to start eating better and be more active.  I did go to the gym three times a week the past two weeks and started eating a bunch of salads and counting carbs the first week.  However, this last week has been tough.  I had some life drama (including one jerk of a guy I was dating) and also was bombarded with a rough and tumble monthly visitor.  I'm sure this is all TMI!  Anyways... those are my excuses.  Seeing them in print makes me realize that they are just that....excuses!  I mentally allow myself to make poorer food choices when I have "stressors" in my life.  I know that I tell myself a few different things:
1 - It's okay to eat a cookie or order Jimmy John's because you are at work and have to stay up all night so you don't feel great and it's okay to eat crappy in this situation
2 - It's okay to indulge and get a cookie and candy because you are on your period and have hormonal cravings
3 - Something really emotional happened to you recently so you deserve to soothe yourself by eating some fries

Those thoughts are paraphrased, but you get the jist.  This week I'm going to work on changing some of the thoughts that run through my head.  I want to tell myself:
1) Your at work and feel tired because you work nights so eating a salad or something lighter will help you to have better energy levels
2) You are having hormonal cravings.  It's okay to treat yourself to a cookies or candy but not both.  And better yet - a piece of fruit could satisfy that sweet tooth too.  Try the fruit first and see if you still HAVE to have the high calorie treat.
3) I'm feeling emotional.  How can I soothe myself without food?

Thoughts are hard to change, so I'm going to start working on these and will keep you updated.

This week my goals are:
Gym - Monday (today), Tuesday, Friday
Eating - track my food intake for seven days, Monday the 21st to Monday the 28th

By the way I track my food on MyFitnessPal on my phone or online.  It's a really great app that you can create your own homemade recipes to use to track your caloric intake as well as having a comprehensive library of food that you can search for and track.

Gonna starts out with a goal to simply track my food since I read all the time on other blogs and in scientific studies that a food journal helps people be more aware of their food choices and consume less calories (without even trying to change your what you are eating)!

I figure that since my attempt to drastically change my diet two weeks ago failed I should start by making a smaller, easier change to track food rather than re-hauling my all of the eating habits that I have formed over years and years.  I know that starting a diet or eating clean or eating low carb works for lots of people, but I have never been able to maintain drastic changes to my diet.  Therefore, I'm going to start with the new habit to track my eating because it feels more manageable and attainable. And hopefully will help me to be more conscious of what I'm eating but more importantly how much I'm eating of any given food which will naturally change my eating habits.

Crossed fingers, determined mind set......Ready, set.....Go!!