You Can't Outrun a Bad Diet

Obviously from the title of my blog, I have become very active over the past several months. I do some sort of purposeful activity, whether it be running, Zumba, weight lifting, or a standby work out dvd most days of the week.   I will be the first to admit, though, that you can't outrun a bad diet.  Today's post is about how I have gone from this: 

September, 2013

to this: 

February, 2014
50 lbs lighter

and still going strong. If you want to get healthier, drop a few pounds, or just feel a little less tired and sluggish, you have got to get your diet under control.  I hesitate to even type the word 'diet' because this time around, the cliche "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle" has rang true. I had to retrain my brain when it comes to food.  It doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen.  

I have tried so many "diet programs" over the years and the ONLY one that I would be willing to share with you is Weight Watchers.  Let me tell you why.  Every other program I have tried is restrictive in some way. No carbs, no eating out, no this, no that.  WW isn't like that. I can literally have whatever I want to eat. Just not all at once. :) WW works with points. Every food has a point value, and you get a certain number of points per day. Foods that are healthier have less points, and foods that are more indulgent have more points. Simple enough, right? There is more to the program, but that's the gist.  I have decided that I will do WW for the rest of my life. It helps me feel more in control. 

With that being said, I know that not everyone is willing to shell out the monthly fee that I pay so here are my 'getting started' tips for the rest of you.  :) 

1. Stop drinking your calories. Seriously. Water. Water. Water.  I also love Lipton Diet Citrus Green Tea and flavored hot teas.  Find what you love for a treat, but drink water for most of your liquids. You need it! 

2. Track what you put in your mouth.  I tried to 'do' WW a few times and couldn't get the hang of tracking, but this time around, I committed to writing everything down (I use an app on my phone) and it has made all the difference. It is easy to blow your point (or calorie) budget by eating a bite of this or a taste of that. If you want to eat it, eat it, just be honest and write it down.  Here's why: if you are not seeing progress on the scale, you can look back at your tracker and see why.  If you want to indulge for dessert, you know exactly what you have eaten that day an whether you should save the ice cream for another day. If you choose not to do WW, I have heard lots of great things about My Fitness Pal as a tracking tool. You can get the app for your phone. 

3. Measure everything you eat. It is really hard to guess accurately what a serving size should be.  If you are tracking points or calories, but you don't know how much you've eaten, you will not be successful.  Measuring cups work great, but I also bought a kitchen scale and I wouldn't go back to measuring without it. It is amazing. Seriously.

One last tip, if you end up eating something you're not proud of, move on. You get to start over with the very next meal or snack. Stop waiting for Monday. Do it now!

What is your best tip for eating healthy? Do you count points or calories, or something else? Do you use an app to track your food?

Thanks for stopping by!
Jamie