Great read

The blog that inspired this blog has a great post up about why counting calories is a better way to approach weight loss then going on a super restrictive diet. He has the weight loss to back up what he says, it is inspiring for me, and hopefully for others as well, check it out,

http://www.344pounds.com/

Setting goals

Changes in my personal life have made it hard to blog and focus on weight loss. BUT! I am going to overcome this by setting firm goals. I have blogged before about the importance of long term and short term goals. Goals can keep you on the path to weight loss, making short term goals that are achievable is important. So I have decided to get more serious about blogging, that means I need to have some goals I can work toward, and tell you all how the process is going. These are hard and fast goals now. Weight loss is not an impossible challenge for me, I know that when I try I can lose weight (last time I put some effort in, I lost five pounds in two weeks) but keeping myself on the path is what has been hard.

Short term goals!

1) Calorie counting.
           I am doing much better at eating the right portions, eating smaller amounts more often, and making healthy choices. Now I am going to see how many calories are really in the food I am eating, and what changes I can make to my diet so that it is even healthier.

2) Go to the gym twice a week.
           I know this doesn't sound like much, but I haven't been going to the gym much at all. So I am going to commit to the gym twice a week. But, I am also going to move around the rest of the week, playing basketball, swimming at our pool, walking with my boyfriend, and stretching in the morning.

3) Enjoy food more
           I have talked before about how cooking makes me feel better connected to my food, and is fun. So I am going to focus on preparing my own food, and enjoying the process. Eating slowly, and making sure I am enjoying the chance to relax and have a meal with my family or friends.

swimming

Playing is good exercise! I played with my partner's nephew in the pool at our apartment complex for an hour. I swam a few pathetic laps also. It was amazing how much it wore me out. I don't work out enough, and am out of shape. Using all my big leg, back and shoulder muscles to swim felt great, and gave me a little workout.
Working out at the gym, or going for a job, is great exercise and is important. But including more play in my life is a way to stay fit for the rest of my life.

what to drink at the brew pup

Despite what has been going on, I had plans to go see some friends tonight at a local brew pup. I grew up and came of age in Seattle, so I love local beer, it's practically a rule here. So besides watching what I eat, I need to watch what I drink. This meant doing a little research, since beer doesn't list calories on the bottle (or can).

A Blue Moon has 164. Guinness has 128. Red Hook ESB has 179. Pyramid Hefeweizen has 170. Miller Lite 96.  Anyways, that is just a sample, it is worth thinking about.

Beer is also really high in carbohydrates, if you are trying to cut back on carbs it is important to remember that.

There is also some research that suggests darker beers have more health benefits than lighter beer, similar to how red wine has more flavonoids (which are supposed to have more antioxidants) and is better for you then white.

The best attitude for me is to think of beer as a treat. It's okay if I am eating well to have a beer a few times a week. Besides, the health benefits of spending time with my friends is invaluable.

I'm Sorry Blog

I had fallen off the wagon. Work has been very stressful. Then I had a holiday stay-cation with my partner, then my Grandma died, and then I left my job.
So ugh!
Considering what is going on I am happy with how my weight loss efforts have gone. I have not gained any weight, and I have been thinking about it a lot. I have not put in enough effort in losing weight. I had nights when I ate poorly, but still not as poorly as in the past.

I will tackle these challenges. I need to make my priority finding a new job. But this does free me up for more cooking at home, and working out. Penny pinching is good for weight loss, I think, I will find out. 

Sorry for the Break

Tanner and I had a big party on Saturday. Then my work week started. I got off track!!!

I didn't mind eating some fatty foods at the party. But I ate left overs for a few days after that too. Which means I was not journaling or thinking enough about food, so I was not blogging either.

So I need to get back on track.

I went grocery shopping this morning, lots of fruits and veggies. Lots of low fat cheeses. Taking control of what is in my house and what I decide to cook is a good way for me to take more control of what I eat. I also plan on buying a basketball so Tanner and I can have some fun workouts this week.

Party Prep!

Things have been crazy around here getting ready for our party. We are having a House Warming, Anniversary, Cinco de Mayo party. This is good because it motivated us to get the apartment in good shape. Tanner has not finished unpacking, so there are some boxes in his half of the room. But we have rugs on the floor, some art we made on the wall, and the place is going to be very clean. I think losing weight is easier when your space is organized. Everyone has a different level of organization they are comfortable with. But getting your space organized can help your mind and you life be more organized. It can also be a reflection of how you feel, if you feel like your life is unorganized, it may be time to reflect on how you feel and how well you are taking care of yourself.

I tried a new Korean dish last night. I have all the ingredients for Korean soft tofu soup that I LOVE so much. So I looked up a recipe for Bulgogi, and sure enough I have all the sauces and things I needed. It turned out so delicious. It is great that I can cook these dishes that we like at home. I can better control how many calories are in the food, and how much we spend on it.

Also, getting ready for a party burns calories! I went up and down the stairs tons of times yesterday, doing laundry, taking out recycling and bringing in things from the car. Cleaning house also burns calories if you work hard at it. I plan on scrubbing out the bathtub, and doing some sweeping, and even getting on my hands and knees to mop, mostly because we don't have a real mop.

This blog needs more fun photos and crazy posts! I know.

I will also start doing posts on my measurments, weight loss numbers, and calories and things. So we can see if all of these motivational talks are having a real effect.