Why We Track

Looking back through old posts this morning and saw something that caught my eye. In August I was down to 34" waist, but still at 167. My waist is back up again to 36" (dang it). But this made me curious, what on earth was I doing in August that was working so well? I went back on to MyFitnessPal (thank goodness for tracking) and I went through July and August looking at food and exercise. I was eating between 1800-2300 calories on any given day, and I was maybe working out 30 -40 minutes a day max. Now it was summer and I think there were many walks and hikes that I didn't log during that time so I am unsure if this is completely accurate. But assuming I did track everything since I am kind of a tracking freak, it looks like the key component was carbs. I netted around 160-200 grams of carbs a day but none of that came from white flour, white rice, or any refined carbs.

I literally ate fruit, veggies, and meat 95% of the time. There was no brown rice, no quinoa, bread, nothing like that. The most carb filled item I ate was sweet potatoes. I had just started the 21 day fix program so I was using this workouts, combined with occasional hiking and evening walks with the kids. But that's it.

So three things I guess- one eat only healthy carbs, mostly from fruit and veggies, with the occasional brown rice, quinoa, or oats. Two, 21 Day Fix works, and three, TRACK YOUR PROGRESS.

I have been tracking for almost two years. Yes it can be exhausting, but it is so important! Not only does it keep you accountable, it helps you to clearly see what is working and what is not, and that information is priceless.

Why Counting Calories is Better

After trying a program that touts  a "no calorie counting" method to healthy eating and weight loss I have determined that for me counting calories is so much easier and allows me so much more freedom in food choice. In the 21 day fix you use the cups provided to measure out food portions. There is a guide that tells you what types of foods should be measured in each cup. It is a helpful way to see appropriate portion sizes, however it s not a long term solution in my opinion and here is why....

There are many foods and beverages that are not included in the guide, that leaves you wondering what color cup it should fit into. You risk throwing yourself off by eating/ drinking too much, or getting  discouraged if you do happen to have something that isn't on the guide because you worry you aren't really staying on track. I love soy chai, I don't have it all the time, but when I do what cup does that go in?? If I want an Odowala Bar is that a fruit? A grain? Is it a mix? What about Naked Smoothies.. are those a fruit, a veggie? Both? How do I measure that? What if I want a latte? The possibilities are endless honestly there are many foods that don't fit this profile. If I was committed to eating completely clean, no processed foods at all I can see how this would possibly be the best solution, but thats isn't real for me and I am guessing that isn't real for many of you. You are making changes, but still eating some of the foods you used too.

If you are counting calories you can easily see where you are all all times in the day. the My Fitness pal app has literally every food you can imagine. People add to it all the time, the database is immense. You can also add your own foods, which allows you freedom to be creative and make up recipes. You can eat out and quickly see the calorie content.

You can't carry those cups everywhere. I mean you could, but where is the practicality in that? You can track calories on the go on your phone. You can even scan in barcodes and it will add the food for you right away. You also can't dissect foods you eat at a restaurant and start measuring them out at the table.

The cups are great for teaching yourself portion control, and for teaching you the right foods to eat, and how much of each food group you should eat in a day. I was eating way too many grains. I still use the cups to measure out meats because I don't have a scale, but the red cup is 1/2 cup which ends up being 3-4 oz of meat, that is a serving size. It is a helpful guide. It is also helpful to see what bracket you should be in for your weight loss goals, however the My Fitness Pal app gives you rough calculation on that as well. It has worked very well for me so far.

After a while you start to know how many calories are in all the foods you eat, you become super educated and prepared to make choices on the run. Counting calories trains you to really see the food for what it is, and allows freedom in choosing foods. If you find yourself struggling with the cups, maybe switch it up, use them as a measuring guide, but start counting those caloires. I think you will find it's actually easier in the long run. Give the fix a chance for 21 days at least. Especially if you have really been struggling to lose. You paid for it, use it! But don't try to live on it forever.

Diet is not a verb

Somewhere in the course of history we added a second meaning to the word diet. It went from this

Noun: the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.


to this

Verb: restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight.

And that is the problem. When we think of the word diet we tend to think of the second definition. It is this dirty word that we all loath, and it has certain unmentioned caveats. One being, it is temporary. The original definition of the word diet is clearly not temporary, it is the kind of food you eat, you eat to live you eat every day, it is simply a description of the kind of foods you eat, nothing temporary about that.

But when we go on a diet, I think we all imagine it will be a temporary thing, "just till I lose the weight, then I won't have to be so restrictive." The truth is that's a sad little lie we tell ourselves to make it more manageable, more palatable. "I can do this because I don't have to do it forever."

But see the original definition tells us otherwise... Your diet is what you eat ALL the time. You have to keep it up, you have to keep going. You are making changes, you are not DIETING (verb), you are permanently changing your DIET (noun).

Personal story: when I started my weight loss journey I was determined. I was crazy about my diet and my workouts. I lost weight quick. I was down 30 pounds in 3 months. I was strict I was regimented, I said no to yummy things, I was a drill sergeant about working out even on vacation. I was committed. I was also under the illusion that it was temporary...

One day I had an ephiany. This is forever. If I go back even a little bit to the way I used to eat, the way I used to be about exercise, I will be right back where I started. I will gain it all back. I can never again be complacent about workouts, I can never again say "it's ok if I eat this."

This is a lifestyle change, you are changing who you are, changing your habits. You are a new different person. You have to give up the old and embrace the new. That was a hard pill to swallow. I reached a point where the weight stopped coming off. I kept up my "diet" (using it a s verb here) and saw no change no results, nothing. I hit a major plateau that I am still riding. The worst part about the whole thing was I kept thinking (and still do sometimes) but I am eating so well, I am doing so good, I am dieting! That kind of thinking discourages and leads to relapses.

Obviously this is my maintain point. It is going to take something drastic to get over this hump. I work out 4-6 times a week. I eat healthy, I count calories. I don't lose. I maintain, and that means if I stop, if I don't work out, if I don't eat this way I will start to gain.

You reach a point where you realize, these changes are permenant. I want you to know that now going into this so maybe you wan't be so shocked and disappointed like I was.

In all honesty I have a difficult time maintaining this. When I saw other mommies with stellar results and six packs and flat tummy's I used to think "I want that!" But now I know what it would take for me to get there, and I don't want it bad enough. It is easier to maintain than to lose especially when you are starting out. When I was heavier I burned so many more calories, now that I am 30 pounds lighter the same workout burns 1/4 of the calories it did before. That is discouraging, and makes it difficult.

I don't have the motivation or desire to have a flat tummy. And that is OK. My goal is to be happy and healthy and help my kids start good eating habits and have a good relationship with food while they are young. I would love to lose the extra fat I carry, but if that means more work than what I am doing now, it's simply not happening, and I am ok with that. I seriously have reached a peaceful place (after much whining and frustration).

You will reach a point where you are ready to stop "dieting" and simply maintain a healthy diet. Make your goals attainable, make them sustainable. Be happy with the little victories. If you find that you are miserable evaluate whether or not you can maintain this forever. You cannot think of this as a temporary thing. You are making changes for a lifetime. This is not A diet it is YOUR diet.