How I did it:

I tracked fitness and nutrition statistics for the first time in my life. I used online nutritional diary Myfooddiary.com and for the first two weeks I didn't change my eating habits but committed myself to being brutally honest about the foods and portions I consumed. I was shocked to learn that more often than not I was consuming 500 to 1,000 more calories than I should and that even though I exercised regularly the excess calories were preventing me from losing weight. I slowly adjusted my eating habits—more green veggies fewer cheese and crackers.

Lessons & tips:

• Find a healthy cookbook that not only has delicious recipes but provides the nutritional breakdown for each dish.
• Consider cooking only from spa (the trendy title for low-calorie) cookbooks.
• Don't lie to yourself. Always log your exact nutritional data daily.
• Don't beat yourself up about splurging on desert or cocktails. But do try to offset the calories with exercise.

Resources:

Myfooddiary.com

Golden Door Spa Cookbook

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Nov 03, 2008, 08:50PM PST | 1 comment | 2 cheers