Accountability and Progress

A good reason for starting this blog is for accountability.  Today is weigh-in day.  I started this journey 40 days ago and I have lost 7 pounds.  I would certainly like to lose faster and there has been some ups and downs in these 40 days but I know I am in it for the long haul so will celebrate those 7 pounds being gone and the lessons I have learned along the way.  To keep myself accountable I plan to journal/track my food each day and to exercise at least 5 out of 7 days.  In these last 40 days I have tracked my food 30 out of 40 days and exercised 36 out of 40 days.  I use an app called My Fitness Pal which I love.  I started this journey using Weight Watchers because I have had success with them in the past.  I realized that I just wanted them for the accountability of the weigh-in and not the lectures so quickly switched to My Fitness Pal.  It's hard to track when I know I am over my calorie limit or that I am bingeing or eating un-healthily. If I don't deny my slip and acknowledge it instead, it will help me to analyze what gets me off track and figure out how to stay on course.  Here are the lessons I have learned:

• When going to a potluck, think about what you are really hungry for and have it!  I was really hungry for the awesome brisket but ate many other things before settling on a beef brisket sandwich.  If I had eaten that first, I may have been satisfied and avoided all of the other things. 
• Because it was my birthday and I didn't have cake that day, I made myself a pan of yummy Coconut Cream bars.  Over the course of several days, I ate several pieces and then finally froze the rest.  I should have frozen them or given them away or thrown them after the first piece. 
• I visited my daughters the weekend before my birthday.  They had a lovely party and we had a wonderful brownie fudge cake.  Steph and I were fighting over my having a piece of the cake before the meal was ready and she said "For the love of God and all things sacred, let this be the first time ever that we have a cake or bring a pan to a potluck or some other event where the first piece or first row is not already eaten before it gets to the event!!" While she was off in the other room, I snuck a piece (saying it was for Olivia)!!  Lesson learned:  have fun and sometimes it's ok to be patient for the good things in life!!

Today I am thankful for apps that help me track and for my honesty to myself and others.