I finally decided..

I have heard wonderful things about doing this so I say congrats for taking that step!  If getting some new tats is what gets you motivated, kudos to you.  Good luck, it will be worth it.  No one ever says "gee, sure wish I hadn't lost all that weight!"

It really is amazing when you look up the calories and go "I ate THAT many calories in so little food?!?!?!"  You end up eating more healthy things simply because the calorie count allows you to eat something you really want.  So, lots of veggies will still leave the calories free for that bread or something else.

Good luck to you!!!  It isn't the diet that is hard - it's sticking to your commitment that is.  Set your goal within reason and you can do it. 

 Seriously! I just started doing this today too. I enrolled in CalorieKing.com. They have a really nice online journal - and I'm totally an online journal type of person.

Anyway, just a trip to subway took most of my calories for the day. Yikes! Of course I KNOW this but there's nothing like seeing it, you know?

Good luck and wish me luck too! :) 

I was munching late at night and not realizing how much I was actually eating! DH told me to start writing things down and wow! No wonder I stopped losing weight!! I also have a sweet tooth which is bad, but as long as its not here I won't eat it. The only thing here is some ice cream which is there for me for my one day a week I get to eat it.

I just got done eating some baby carrots and 1/2 a cucumber cut up and surprisingly it filled me up!
Has anyone tried those Flat Earth chips yet? I really love them!

 Jewlieee, I may sign up on that website too...it'll make it easier for me to do it online. Thanks!
 

 P.S. GOOD LUCK JEWLIEE!

The journal helps.  I did one at the beginning and then stopped.  Then last week after I had been at the same weight for 2.5 weeks, I started again.  Today I had a doctor's appt. and according to my weigh-in I've lost almost 3 lbs since my plateau the past few weeks (135 to 132.2).  It helps to see exactly where you are at.  I'm supposed to eat 1500 cals a day (according to the nutritionist that helps me).  If I'm short and feel hungry, I can see I have room to have a granola bar.  If I'm not doing too well, I can see when to stop.

Today was not a good day b/c my friend wanted to meet for lunch.  I do WAY better when I bring ALL of my own food to work.  I also do better snacking all day.  Like instead of having a breakfast and a lunch, I'll have a yogurt cup....then a banana....then a granola bar....then an orange...etc.  One thing every 2 hours or so. 

This is what mine looks like right now.  I want to cut out the hot chocolates, but it's just soooooo cold I need something warm, and it's so much easier to drink and work than it is to eat and work!  The ?? mean the calories are estimated based on info I look up, otherwise I get calorie info from the packaging.  Also, I don't know if the elliptical is accurate at counting calories, but I record whatever it says.  I don't workout wednesdays b/c we have dog training (leave at 5:15, get back at 10).

 2/17/08
12:00pm: Progresso Clam Chowder (200 cals), 5 strawberries (75 cals)
2:30pm: sandwich with whole wheat bread (180 cals), 2 slices Colby cheese (200 ??), 2 slices turkey breast (200 ??), and a pickle (5 cals), lemonade (0 cals)
8:00pm: 94% fat free popcorn (100 cals), piece of Colby cheese (100??), lemonade (0 cals)
10:00pm: granola bar (90 cals), lemonade (0 cals)
Total: 1150
Workout: elliptical, 48 mins, -400 cals


2/18/08
8:30am: 12oz hot chocolate (120)
10:00am: navel orange (80 cals), onion bagel (200 cals) w/ cream cheese (100 cals)
12:00pm: plum (40 cals), yogurt cup (40 cals)
2:00pm: granola bars (180 cals)
5:30pm: Progresso pea soup (150 cals), cottage cheese (100 cals), piece of Colby cheese (100??), pickle (5 cals), lemonade (0 cals)
8:30pm: popcorn (100 cals), lemonade (0 cals)
10:00pm: granola bar (90 cals)
Total: 1305
Workout: elliptical, 48 mins, -400cals


2/19/08
8:30am: 12oz hot chocolate (120 cals)
10:00am: onion bagel (200 cals), w/ cream cheese (100 cals)
11:30am: mango (150 cals), yogurt (40 cals), granola bars (180 cals)
5:30pm: Wonton soup (50 cals), sandwich with wheat bread (90 cals), Colby cheese (200??), and turkey breast (200??)
8:30pm: popcorn (100 cals)
Total: 1430
Workout: elliptical, 47 mins, -400 cals


2/20/08
9:00am: 12oz hot chocolate (120 cals), large bagel (500??)
12:30pm: yogurt (40 cals), granola bars (180 cals)
3:30pm: banana (150 cals)
5:30pm: sandwich with 1 piece of bread (90 cals), 3 pieces of cheese (300c??) and 1 piece of meat (100 ??), lemonade (0 cals)
10:30pm: popcorn (60 cals), lemonade (0 cals)
Total: 1540
Workout: none


2/21/08
9:00am: yogurt (40 cals), granola bars (180 cals)
12:00pm: beef & cheddar wrap (500 ??), potato soup (300??)
2:30pm: 12oz hot chocolate (120 cals)
7:00pm: Progresso pea soup (150 cals), cottage cheese (100 cals), lemonade (0 cals)
10:00pm: granola bar (90 cals)
Workout: 48 mins, -425 cals
Total: 1480

I use:

www.sparkpeople.com

 I love it! And good luck!

 Thanks Liesje! That's exactly something I came up with, I love it. It makes me more conscientious of what I'm eating.

I totaled mine up today and ate 1700, but I did the elliptical for an hour and burned 800 cal. and then walked for another hour (dog walking) so I'm under 1000 cal for the day :) I think I did good.

Truley, I joined sparkpeople but never went any farther with it. I get helpful emails but I haven't logged into that in months.
 

 Gosh I need to start a journal too. I need to lose this baby fat from being pregnant 2 years ago!

But it's not easy when there is a 2 year old running around that eats anything and I cant stand to see what little food she leaves wasted so I eat it.

Oh I will be glad when summer is here and I can go OUTSIDE!!!

Good luck guys. 

I REALLY like CalorieKing, too - very large database of items makes it so much easier to just look stuff up.  I find that if I have everything totaled by midday, that I make a better decision for dinner.  I ate anything I wanted, no matter what, just kept within a certain calorie level and it worked.

Ok, you guys are inspiring me to join you - I hit a plateau and just stopped trying, but I just gained 3-4lbs, and we're coming into Cadbury Mini Egg season - which always loads on 5lbs for me!  So, back to writing it down and counting!! 

Yeah, it's not free but it is pretty cheap. I picked them over the online WW because calorieking pretty much has EVERY food item out there in their database. WW does not.

I stayed within my calorie range yesterday but was WAAAAAYYYYYY over my fat needs. oh my. I love how it shows you if you need more fiber, carbs, fat, whatever. That actually made me pick a good dinner last night because I was low on fiber and protein. So I had baked chicken and a baked potato. Otherwise, I would have had pizza

I just love encouragement threads. I looked at Calorieking, and it looks great. Since I am a diabetic I will share some things that I have found recently that have helped me, plus there were a couple of fantasic informational articles in the last couple of days that might also sway you in food choices.

Here is one article from yesturday that I just had to say "yeah" to. Since most of my weight is middle area weight.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23256171/[enter%20URL]

And today, I see a new grain in my future:

http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100193331>1=10914

Now, has anyone else seen the comercial for the new tv show that is coming out? Where the guy says he is going to change your view of food? I, for the love of ice cream, cannot remember the name, when it is going to be on, or what channel.................

Truley

Now, has anyone else seen the comercial for the new tv show that is coming out? Where the guy says he is going to change your view of food?

I had no idea what you were talking about, until I just saw an ad for some guy named Paul McKenna and his show "I Can Make You Thin" on TLC and I think that is what you are talking about...

miranadobe

I had no idea what you were talking about, until I just saw an ad for some guy named Paul McKenna and his show "I Can Make You Thin" on TLC and I think that is what you are talking about...

I JUST seen that commercial today!!