All About That Portion Control, Baby!

One of things I have struggled with when it comes to healthy eating is portion control. You know that ad for those chips that come in the tube-shaped can... "Once you pop, you can't stop!" Well, that's me... With all kinds of food that I probably shouldn't even put in my mouth to begin with. One Oreo? Yeah, right! One Dorito? I'm not sure that is even physically possible. Okay, okay I'm just joking around, but I think you get my point. There are lots of pitfalls out there, but how you deal with them can make all the difference in the world! 

Take for example, my lunch today... Not some of the lowest fat food choices I could make (Rotisserie Chicken Salad on Mediterranean Flat Bread & Deviled Egg Potato Salad), but by making good use my handy-dandy digital food scale, I was able to control my portion sizes and know just how many calories I was eating. 

This meal equals 530 calories, which is a little higher than what I normally eat in one meal, but sometimes you just want to have some potato salad. I went with 1 serving of potato salad (to satisfy my craving) and compensated by only having only 1/2 a serving of the chicken salad on my pita bread. It was so worth it! I've gone over my daily goal for fat grams by 2g, but since I plan to have a vegetarian stir-fry for dinner tonight, it should all balance out.

The trick to eating healthier doesn't have to mean depriving yourself of the foods you love, it just means being willing to measure and weigh and make compensations in other areas to allow for that little indulgence. Oh, and of course MOVE a little more to help burn off some of those extra fat calories. Today, I'll be doing my 18 minute/1mile routine on one of my Leslie Sansone DVDs to help me out. Do you measure your portions? Do you count calories? Thanks to the super easy to use MyFitnessPal app for my phone, I can keep track of my food, my exercise, and my water intake. Very nifty! 

Beginning again...

So, it's been awhile since I got busy with some cardio for a couple of reasons:

• I am not a huge fan of cardio despite knowing how good it is for me and my health. There, I said it. 
• I have a few physical limitations (that's a WHOLE other post...) that make walking or swimming pretty much my only options for cardio. Oh, how I miss dancing...
• I do NOT enjoy walking in cold weather due to previously mentioned physical limitations.
• And if I'm going to be 100% honest, I have some pretty lazy tendencies. Hello, my name is Melissa and I LOVE Netflix. (I'm working on that one by starting this blog and trying to make myself more accountable by sharing my experiences with others.)

Okay, so now that my list of excuses has been exposed, let me tell you what I'm doing to try to fight the battle of the bulge and GET MOVING!

I decided to order some Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds DVDs and new pair of athletic shoes. Who doesn't love a reason to buy new shoes?? Anyway, I ordered two different DVDs just to help mix things up and not get too bored doing the same routines over & over. Because we all know that when we get bored with an exercise routine, we tend to give it up. Or at least, I know I do. So, I put my Amazon Prime to good use and ordered:

• Walk Away the Pounds Ultimate Collection and
• Just Walk - Walk Off Fat Fast

So, last night I did the 1 Mile workout on the Walk Away The Pounds DVD while my son cheered me on. (It's pretty awesome having your very own personal cheerleader!) I really wasn't sure what to expect, so I just jumped right in. The workout was a perfect way for me to get back to cardio. It raised my heart rate and made me sweat just enough to let me know that I was OUT OF SHAPE! But that's okay. I already knew that. That's kinda the whole point of all of this. The main thing is I am MOVING AGAIN!!! And I intend to keep it moving. 

This is my journey. Thanks for coming along with me. 

The beginning of the journey...

This is the beginning.

I've been down this path before, but hopefully with the right attitude and tools this trip will be a one-way trip in the RIGHT direction! I decided to keep a blog of my journey, not so much to share everything with other people, but more to keep track of things I am trying and the progress I am making.

I'm going to be using positive thinking, exercise, and healthy eating to help get myself back to a weight I am comfortable with. I don't have a particular number or size goal in mind. I just want to feel better, to have more energy and feel comfortable in my own skin. And having less back pain would be an added bonus. Having DDD (degenerative disc disease) and being overweight puts A LOT of stress on my spine. Not a good thing.

Anyway, nothing will change if we don't make changes, so I figure now is the best time to get started.  I make no claims about knowing what works and what doesn't work for everyone, I'm just trying to find what works for me. I'm not a deprivation kind of girl, so I won't be depriving myself of anything. I've tried the fads; they don't work. I've done the work before an had good results, so now it's time to start working again. Working toward being a healthier, stronger, happier me.

So, feel free to follow along if you'd like. I need all the encouragement I can get!