A Few Shout Outs

I missed yesterday. :S But I never said I would blog EVERY DAY... so deal! ;)

Today I want to give a couple "shout outs".

Did I mention I've been working out and eating better? Yep, I sure have! I'm getting stronger too! I've lost about 12 pounds so far this year and I've lost inches too! :) Still a long way to go though!

To assist me in my endeavor, I have been using a great website called Spark People. You can put in how much you exercise (what kind and how many reps/minutes/weight/etc) and it calculates how much you've burned. You can also put in what you've eaten and it calculates what you've taken in (calories/fat/carbs/protein/etc). You can keep track of your water intake, set weekly goals, long term goals, et. It will set a workout and diet for you if you want. You can weigh in and record your "inches" as well... it also sends out articles everyday about nutrition and exercise and stuff. (I admit, I rarely read those though. lol)

One of the reasons why I love that website is that I have to see what I'm putting in. It makes me think twice about what I eat because I know I need to report it. I have a food scale and that helps me know exactly what I'm eating - exactly. It's been great! :)

I also have to put in a plug for the nifty 100 calorie snack packs that are out there right now. I LOVE THESE!!! It's great because you feel like you are getting a "treat" - and you are, they are so yummy!!! - but you are being sensible about it. If you're going to reach for a cookie, you might as well reach for the 100 calorie pack of cookies! They taste just as good but have so much less guilt!!!

My very favorite snack is popcorn though! And they even have the 100 calorie bags of those! Just for people like me who can (and occasionally do) pop a bag of popcorn and eat the whole thing by themselves! This way I get the whole bag but it's a one serving size bag so I can't "accidentally" eat 3 servings at once! lol Popcorn is one of those good snacks too. Fiber. :) I like to use the "I can't believe it's not butter" spray, which adds the butter flavor without adding the fat.

Sweet! :)

I also strongly suggest getting a weight loss buddy! I'm part of a pretty good sized group of people who are trying to get healthier and that helps. But mostly I have benefited from the constant encouragement of a good friend who is doing the same thing that I am. We have friendly competitions, trying to just "keep up" with each other - and it works!!! We talk daily and share how we're doing. We encourage each other, motivate each other, challenge each othere.... It's great!!!

So those are my big shoutouts! I have been really enjoying eating better and working out. I don't see the weight loss as drastically as I'd like to, but I remind myself that I'm not just burning fat, I'm building muscle. That's so good. :) I'm going to keep at it!

If you have similar goals, consider looking into Spark People, give those 100 calorie packs a try, and get yourself a buddy! Good luck!! :)