Small Changes

I had my weigh-in yesterday and was thrilled to see that I had lost 2.4 lbs this week!  Woo hoo!!!  I am getting so close to my first 10 lb goal!  I really hope to hit it next week and am going to work hard to get there!  When I hit that 10 lbs mark, I will be adding more pictures.  I'm doubt you can see the progress, yet.  But, I would love to make a flip book when I reach my goal so I can watch my waistline shrink!

				MEASUREMENTS
DATE	WEIGHT	LBS. TO GOAL	BMI	WAIST	HIPS	CHEST	THIGH	CALF	ANKLE	ARMS	BRA SIZE
8/25/12	263.30	108.30	42.49	40.00	51.50	43.00	32.00	19.50	10.50	16.00	42G
9/1/12	258.40	103.40	41.70	38.50	51.00	42.00	32.00	19.50	10.50	16.00	42G
9/8/12	259.20	104.20	41.83	38.50	51.00	41.50	31.00	19.00	10.50	16.00	42G
9/15/12	258.80	103.80	41.77	38.50	51.00	41.50	31.00	19.00	10.50	16.00	42G
9/22/12	258.80	103.80	41.77	38.50	51.00	41.50	31.00	19.00	10.50	16.00	42G
9/29/12	257.00	102.00	41.48	38.00	51.00	41.50	31.00	19.00	10.50	16.00	42G
10/6/12	254.60	99.60	41.09	37.50	50.50	41.50	31.00	19.00	10.00	16.00	42G
Loss	8.70	8.70	1.40	2.50	1.00	1.50	1.00	0.50	0.50	0.00

So, far this has been done with nothing but changes in my diet.  Not really with what I am eating, but rather, with portion size.  This begins with tracking EVERY. SINGLE. BITE.  I have to admit that I haven't been very good at this.  So often I just plain forget!  Other times I'm not quiet sure what to track because I forgot to measure.  I need to make some changes!

Please, Remind Me!

First, I am going to set a reminder on my phone for around the times that I generally eat my meals reminding me to track my food.  This way, I won't forget and have to try and remember at the end of the day what I've eaten all day - or the day before!

Tracking your food is important with any diet plan.  But, with Weight Watchers, it is the backbone of the whole program.  If you are like me, you often don't realize how much you are eating throughout the day.  You may forget a snack or a desert.  Or you might not remember that you had two helpings of mac and cheese instead of one. 



Before you know it, you've eaten more than you ever planned or should have eaten.  It may not be much.  Maybe just one cookie more than you should have.  But, in the long run it all adds up.  People don't gain weight that lasts after just one horrible day of eating.  Rather, it happens over time after weeks and months of not-so-great eating.

If you had looked at my food intake for any given day before starting this weight-loss journey, you probably wouldn't have seen any red flags that would make you say, "That, right there, is why you are so overweight!"  I wasn't going to McDonald's and ordering two Big Macs, a large fry, and a 32 oz Coke every day for lunch.  In fact, I rarely ate fast food at all.  I also wasn't gobbling down a huge piece of cake every evening for desert.  Until recently, I almost never ate desert (I started making it for my family around the same time I started this weight-loss journey and only eat it if I have the points available).  Rather, it was an extra serving here, a snack there that, over time, added up.

The changes I've made since starting Weight Watchers are small.  Things like, not eating an extra piece of bread with dinner or a second helping of mashed potatoes, or choosing to eat an apple instead of a serving of chips.  Sometimes, it is as small as measuring a serving of rice instead of just taking a spoonful.  But, these small changes really add up!

Just a 1/2 a Cup, Please!

The second thing I am going to do is make sure to measure everything.  I already have the tools for the job: a kitchen scale, measuring cups and spoons, and my ice cream scoop.

I've learned that my eyes just aren't reliable when it comes to portion size.  Even after a year of measuring portions my first go-round with WW, I still had trouble eyeballing it.  So, I completely rely on these tools to get the job done:

Kitchen Scale

I invested in a nice digital scale after giving up on my cheap dial one.  The dial always got stuck or would shift too much with a small item, showing that it wasn't very accurate.  My digital one cost less than $25 at Walmart and works great!  Most foods have weight listed as one of the ways you can determine portion size.  I've found this is the most accurate, as well since it removes human error.



Measuring Cups and Spoons
I actually have a couple different measuring cups and a couple sets of spoons.  This way, I always have one clean and ready to go!  I keep them within arm's reach in the cabinet over top my counter and the drawer right underneath.  This way, they are easy to find when I am preparing meals or making my plate.





Ice Cream Scoop
This might sound like a silly one.  But, my ice creams scoop holds exactly 1/4 cup.  (To figure out how much yours holds, measured it by filling it with water and then measuring the water in a measuring cup.)   By using this as a serving spoon, I can quickly measure out potion sizes instead of having to dirty a serving spoon and a measuring cup.  This means I'm more likely to actually do it!


Now, I just need to make sure I really use them!