Frizzy and Fit

I got home late last night and wasn't able to post.

So how am I going to lose weight without a program? I am starting with focusing on what I eat. In general I ate pretty healthy. But I know that if I was really eating healthy I would be losing weight. Which means I eat enough calories to keep on the weight. One of my problem areas with food is coming home hungry from work. I often get off of work at 9:30 at night. I get home and eat twice as much dinner as I should. Or worse, I stop and get junk food from the grocery store which is right next to work! I know I am not alone in this kind of behavior either.

So, I do plan on counting calories and looking closer at portions. But for the first two weeks I am going to focus on eating a large breakfast, lunch and a smaller dinner, and including lots of snacks. I don't want to subject you to exactly what I eat every day. I am also going to WRITE IT DOWN.

I know a food journal won't work for everyone, but there are at least a few research studies that show they can increase weight loss success (the media often does a horrible job of covering scientific news and studies, so when possible I always read at least part of the study itself, also I LOVE research, so when I get a reason to browse a peer reviewed scientific journal I will).  One study that got a lot of press http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(08)00374-7/abstract found that a behavioral approach that included increased physical activity and a food diary contributed to short term weight loss in a variety of groups. So for two weeks I am getting in the habit of using a food journal. Then I will put in the extra effort to count calories.

I know that for me eating better has been a challenge. It takes some effort to pick up the right kinds of foods, especially when I am tired or emotional and just want to eat something easy and comforting. All I can say is that I kept trying, every time it gets a little easier, and I get a little bit more motivated. There is no magic day. You just pick a day to start and start. And even if you fall off the wagon, you keep get back on and try again.