There are a couple of things you should know about me. I am resistant to structured rules and routine. And I believe in healthy eating and lifestyles but I am resistant to the idea of “dieting.” That being said, recently I was reading a book called, Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want
What I Did:
Secretly, I started using the same calorie tracking app, Lose It. I didn’t want my family to think about what I was doing and don’t like the idea of calorie counting being on my kids’ radar. I am not exactly sure what I was hoping for, but I knew it would be good for me to see in print all of the food I was putting into my body. Before this, I had started making food rules for myself to try to make sure I was eating healthy, but they hadn’t been working very well for me. Even though it seemed less restrictive to make rules for myself then actually tracking my eating, I did feel trapped by doing it.
What I Learned:
I have been tracking my calories on Lose It for about 2 ½ months. It is so easy and fast to use. I have been amazed and so blessed by using this app. This is what I have learned.
The List:
1)I have so much freedom to eat and enjoy what I want.
2)I was eating way more than I needed
3)I feel so much better now that I am eating less
4)It was easier then I thought to change my bad habits
5)I am a lot more aware of what I am putting into my body and am respecting my body better
6)I feel light after a meal instead of heavy when I eat the right amount.
7)I still eat what I enjoy, just less.
8)I thought it was really hard to control my portion size, but when I know where my freedom is- it’s not so hard
9)The things I thought I would have to eliminate to eat healthy are not the things I do
10)It’s like having a budget and being intentional about where I spend my calories
11)Exercise does give me extra calories in my budget
12)Nutrition isn’t black and white
13)It’s worth it to me to budget my calories to have whipping cream in my coffee and it’s a bigger bang for my calorie buck taste wise then half n half.
14)I am even more motivated to eat clean foods because I can see the obvious pay off in ease of tracking, calories, and nutrition
15)I am learning more about what the best portions are
16)I would highly recommend this even if you don’t want to lose weight
17)Awareness of what you are eating and what it means gives you so much freedom
18)I don’t feel guilty about food anymore
19)It makes me feel less restricted
20)It helps me make better choices based on real information instead of perceived information
My Two Biggest Takeaways:
I think my 2 biggest takeaways from tracking my calories are that I have so much freedom when it comes to eating healthy and I don’t need near as much food as I thought I did.
Using Tools:
When I work with women with coaching on eating healthier or losing weight we try to maximize resources and tools to make the change. This is one of the many fabulous and helpful tools out there. Everyone is so different. There is definitely not a one size fits all method. However, I honestly wouldn’t have guessed that I would benefit from and learn so much from a calorie counting app.
It is worth a try. Tools can be very powerful in supporting the changes we desire so much. Other food tracking apps that I have hear good things about are: Weight Watchers and My Fitness Pal Calorie Counter. And there are so many more.
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