eat better and exercise more

I have been walking at least a couple times every week. We also did a ton of walking when we were on vacation.

I started working out twice a week now. Still not so great with controlling what I eat though. It’s rather pathetic but it’s a start.

I’ve been eating better and walking about five miles a day, it’s not too hard as long as you can establish a routine.

I track my calories and food intake in an Excel spreadsheet, using a blank for every week, with goals that change with my weight.

I am not inflexible, the plan is to have a goal and an allowable excess to the goal, sometimes I use it, sometimes I don’t. The goal isn’t to lose weight but to get into better shape. If I lose weight, that’s great.

===

Now, as for exercise, walking does wonders and is easy. It won’t build a lot of muscle, but it will burn calories and, as the topic indicates, if you can get your hands on books on tape/CD/MP3… it makes walking an hour a day enjoyable (and not feel like wasted time if you had intended to read anyway ;) )

While I also go to the gym (which is why I am not concerned if my weight doesn’t drop, since it is expected)... you don’t need to do so in order to lose weight as long as you are watching your calories and getting some exercise in every day.

Figure out your “maintenance level” (how many calories you need to keep your current weight) ... and step it back a few hundred calories. EASING back as opposed to massively cutting back is the key to success.

If you go from 2000 calories a day, to 1000 calories a day, you WILL FAIL. You will be hungry all the time!

If you step it back to 1800, you might have a few periods of vague hunger between meals, and will be more likely to succeed in the long run. You won’t see 5 pounds a week coming off or anything, it takes time, but losing weight slowly and naturally is much more healthy than the system of shock (and loss of vitamins) that cutting off too much will cause!

You can do it! :D

Just drinking water and cutting out soda is enough to make you feel better. Cuting down the alcohol was the hard part, I live in Milwaukee all we have his beer and cheese everywhere! I also noticed not eating to stuff my self and eating little meals helped alot….

Tonight I made dinner: chopped salad with shrimp, fat-free croutons and fat-free Catalina dressing. Yum.

Last night I went for a 25-minutes walk and this morning I went swimming and did several laps.

This week I was more physical active than most of the time because I was playing drums and walking around campus alot. I also ate more fruits and vegetables and snacked less.

During the past week, I have done the Pilates video and taken a walk three times. That should be the minimum amount of exercise that I do each week. Now I need to continue to do it!

I also have been drinking more water and limiting the amount of food that I eat.

Today I finally did the Pilates video and went for a walk. Hooray!

eat less sugar!!!!