13 December 2013

Taking a Closer Look at Input & Output

Now that you have (hopefully) been monitoring what you eat through apps or a food journal, you are no doubt beginning to realize how all the little extras set you over your limit. You are learning how much you consume versus how much you burn, depending on your activity level. Hopefully it is an eye-opener. 

Being December, it would be impossible to start a real diet or workout program now. Try to do the best you can and avoid the filler (last week's discussion) and eat clean during the week. The best thing you can do is keep up your activity levels with walking, biking and micro-workouts. 

As a matter of fact, this month is a good time to experiment with your apps. How many calories, exactly, is that brandy Alexander? How many grams of fat was in that bisque? (Wait, I thought soup didn't count!... Right?) Are you eating enough vegetables? Fruits? (The kind that aren't baked into a pie?) How many grams of protein are you getting in a day? And how much cholesterol do a mere few slices of bacon contain? 

It might be a little depressing, but it's necessary. The point isn't to be upset that all the things you enjoy are killing you, the point is to realize eating them every day is accumulating and killing you. Sneaking treats adds up. And when you see how much that handful of potato chips costs, it might give you pause to reach for something else, like a banana or an apple, and wait to spend those calories when it's worth it (think: Grandma's fried sweet potatoes.) 

How much walking do you have to do to burn off one serving of au gratin potatoes? Your favorite takeout? Calculating these intakes and expenditures will probably make you more prudent about your decisions in the future. I also hope it makes you a little bit angry. Just a little bit, though. Too much anger leads to self-flagellation and guilt-eating. We don't want that. The goal here is to let the little seed of anger motivate your will power through this last month and inspire a permanent change. 

Be honest. Track EVERYTHING. You'll learn so much that eventually you won't need apps, you'll be able to tell the approximate nutritional information and serving size with one glance. It's an empowering thing, to know what you're consuming.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

having been a Weight Watcher I've mentally build that tracker into my head - most of the time it works. We have all learned that a oookie here, a few chips there, a small spoonful of ice cream out of the container all COUNT and all
ADD up. I was flabbergasted when I learned that eating one M&M took walking the length of a football field to burn off - not worth it!

Obat Maag said...

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