Tracking Magic

I've found that in my diet tracking my intake is huge!  The past two days I didn't and I gained 2lbs.  Baked macaroni and au gratin potatoes will do that...They're so delicious though!

But I'm not going to be down or give up.... It's just a minor set back.  I take my mistakes and use them as fuel for the fire of my willpower.

Hope for the Discouraged Dieter

For those of us who don't enjoy measuring and counting in diets, there's hope!  As you measure and count, you begin to memorize values, for example, I know that one egg is 72 calories and I know that a cup of chili is about 230 depending on the brand.  I know that peanut butter and banana toast is 272.  But the cool thing is you start to be able to say... this meal is approximately this many calories.  Then you can still be on track when you are no where near your pen and paper.

Willpower Diet

I've started the Diabetic Diet.  I've been on diets before, but this is different.  I'm having more success and I'm set up to actually accomplish my goal.  What are the things I did differently?

1. Get a friend who actually cares. 
• They want to hear about your successes and your failures.
• If they will work with you on it that's awesome.
• Physical restraint from sweets may be necessary from time to time.  Like in Costco when there are free samples of cheese cake...
2. Get properly motivated.
• Why am I doing this?  Who is this for?  How much do I want this?  What do I get out of it?
• Again, get friends who will help you. (and want to)
3. Follow the rules.
• Exceptions... often when we think we are on a diet we make exceptions... well your body is losing weight but also making exceptions. Give yourself at least 2 weeks of solid following the "rules" without breaking them.
• The success will drive you to continue.
4. Make your goal measurable.
• My goal I am supposed to eat less than 1400 calories and cut out processed sugar completely for a while.  So I write down all the calories I eat.  I also measured my waist and weighed myself before I started.
5. Embrace change.
• Your eating habits and exercise mentality is going to have to change, have an open mind.
6. Make small good choices and relish little successes.
• If you need to work on your will power, work on it one decision at a time.  Your will power will get stronger as you exercise it.

I am so excited about my progress!  I've also inspired friends to do the same!  I will be sharing my successes and food substitutions in the future as well.

key to success

The key to success in waking up earlier, is your routine the night before.  Last night I exercised and took the time to relax, then I set out all my work out stuff for the morning, so when I woke up, I could just hop into it.  This morning was wonderful!  I woke up at 6:30am and I'm not even tired.  Not only that but I've already jump started my day, getting things done.

Goals

I wasn't perfect, but I feel like I did significantly better.  I've been making scripture study a bigger part of my life and I've found scriptures come into my head more.  The scripture that came into my mind is Alma 48:17 It's about captain Moroni, how if every man was like him, Hell would be closed.  I want to be like that, so I figured I ought to study him, his life, his choices and his character.  I was also thinking about the scriptures where it says that God "giveth liberally" to those who ask.  that has a lot of implications to me.  I have to figure out what it is that I need to ask for.  More importantly however, I need to "pray in faith"  I've been thinking about faith and what that means for me.  Faith is an action (not an inaction). Which means I need to do something.  I figured out the things that would really help.  (Also I was thinking that personal progress really worked for me so I wanted to create goals that mirrored the program)1. being geneology and indexing because the general authorities in the last conference said it strengthens and protects us against temptation (10 hour project). then there were some other ones that were less important.  I had an interesting discovery, I came to the "avoiding bad habit" part and realized that it wasn't an action, it wasn't something I could do.  I decided I needed to find a replacement activity.  I decided that When I get in the mindset that I end up in bad habits, it might be "easy" (with some practice) to divert this mindset into a good channel by writing letters.  

Back to the "giveth liberally." It gave me a different picture of Heavenly Father.  As if he is just waiting to give me these blessings and he's not going to skimp on them either.  He is generous in his gifts. This is a huge perspective change for me.

I figured all this out by reading and keeping a journal.

Who Knew!

So I have recently made some new friends.  These people like to play sports and run around.  They are rediculously fun people but I do not have the stamina for that... so I decided!  I want to play more...i'm going to have to get in shape!  So I've changed my eating habits. I'm making sure I get as many nutrients into the calories I am eating... I'm adding bananas to my cereal, I switched to 1% milk.  I ate a salad yesterday (it was delicious) and I drank WATER!  

Oddly the whole water thing is kind of a big deal for me.... I do not like water.  It's not just the taste... It's like my mouth and throat reject it.  I think it's a genetic thing because everyone in my family is like that.  Each gulp of water is a struggle.  Add to that that most water does not taste good... (we do have pretty good tasting water though) But I forced myself to drink it!!!

I have never before practiced this much restraint when it comes to eating... I am so excited!!!