Introducing...Get Fit Friday!
About three months ago, after much deliberation, I decided to quit Weight Watchers (or WW, because apparently they just recently changed their name...I honestly have no idea what the WW stands for anymore). It was a tough decision because I absolutely love the program, and I've had fabulous results with it. I reached my goal weight with WW back in 2013; then WW helped me get back to goal weight after Baby #1, and I went back to WW earlier this year to try to lose the post-Baby #2 weight. Honestly, the only reason I'm quitting is the monthly expense. Lately, Tom and I have been trying to cut down on unnecessary expenses, and that was one that suddenly didn't seem worth a budget line at this point in our lives.
However, just because I quit Weight Watchers doesn't mean I'm giving up on losing this baby weight. (Huh. Can I even still call it "baby weight" even though my youngest is closing in on her 2nd birthday...?) I'm just going a different route by tracking calories in the free MyFitnessPal app. It's not exactly the same as tracking WW points, but it's close enough, and you can't beat the price. ;) I'm not doing anything fancy or particularly revolutionary, just being a little more careful about what I eat, while also adding in some regular exercise. I've found that that's the best way to get good results that are easy to maintain. Also, I just don't want to shell out extra cash for a personal trainer or special diet food or pills...'cause I'm cheap like that.
So, without further ado, allow me to introduce my first-ever weekly feature on this blog: Get Fit Friday!
I'm hoping that blogging about my journey will address the other thing I miss most about WW: community/accountability. WW has an amazingly supportive online community in addition to their famous weekly in-person meetings. But I want to take it one step further than just talking about myself; I would love for this to be a place where you feel comfortable sharing your journey as well. If you know of a great workout or healthy recipe, reached a weight-loss or fitness milestone, or just want to vent (e.g. "Ugh, the scale moved in the wrong direction AGAIN!"...trust me, I've been there), leave a comment!
Trigger Foods
This week, I've been thinking a lot about what I like to call "trigger foods." You know what I'm talking about. They're the foods that call to you every time you feel sad, angry, whatever (especially when it's that time of the month, am I right, ladies?!). Or maybe it's the food you crave constantly for no apparent reason. In any case, whenever you get your hands on it, you can't control yourself and end up eating way too much. I've been an emotional eater for pretty much my entire life, and my #1 trigger food is baked goods, especially cookies. Tortilla chips (with or without dip) are a close second. Once I get my hands on either of these, it's nearly impossible for me to stop eating them.
My solution to dealing with this problem is to keep them out of my house. As a stay-at-home mom, having tempting food in the house is just as bad as if I worked in an office and someone left the same tempting food in the break room. Now, I've heard the whole "everything in moderation" shpiel before, and I don't really think it applies here. I once bought a package of Oreos and kept them in the pantry with the intention of having just one or two a day. Yeah, I finished the entire package in two days. I know myself, and I know that I can't be trusted where cookies are concerned. So for me, the best approach is "out of sight, out of mind." If it's not in the house, I won't eat it. It's really that simple. Now, I might allow myself to have cookies and other treats when I'm at a party or out to eat, but it's not allowed in my house.
So, what are your trigger foods? And what do you do to keep them from taking over your life (not to mention your waistline)? Leave a comment, and I'll see you back here next Friday!
However, just because I quit Weight Watchers doesn't mean I'm giving up on losing this baby weight. (Huh. Can I even still call it "baby weight" even though my youngest is closing in on her 2nd birthday...?) I'm just going a different route by tracking calories in the free MyFitnessPal app. It's not exactly the same as tracking WW points, but it's close enough, and you can't beat the price. ;) I'm not doing anything fancy or particularly revolutionary, just being a little more careful about what I eat, while also adding in some regular exercise. I've found that that's the best way to get good results that are easy to maintain. Also, I just don't want to shell out extra cash for a personal trainer or special diet food or pills...'cause I'm cheap like that.
So, without further ado, allow me to introduce my first-ever weekly feature on this blog: Get Fit Friday!
HUGE thanks to Katherine Chase on Unsplash for this beautiful photo!
Every Friday, I'll be stepping on the scale and discussing my progress. I'll also be "weighing in" (pun intended) on what's been working for me and what hasn't with regards to food and exercise. While my weight is one of the things I will be trying to change, I don't want to get hung up on numbers; instead, I'd like to focus on overall health and well-being, which is far more important to me than just a number on a scale.
I'm hoping that blogging about my journey will address the other thing I miss most about WW: community/accountability. WW has an amazingly supportive online community in addition to their famous weekly in-person meetings. But I want to take it one step further than just talking about myself; I would love for this to be a place where you feel comfortable sharing your journey as well. If you know of a great workout or healthy recipe, reached a weight-loss or fitness milestone, or just want to vent (e.g. "Ugh, the scale moved in the wrong direction AGAIN!"...trust me, I've been there), leave a comment!
Trigger Foods
This week, I've been thinking a lot about what I like to call "trigger foods." You know what I'm talking about. They're the foods that call to you every time you feel sad, angry, whatever (especially when it's that time of the month, am I right, ladies?!). Or maybe it's the food you crave constantly for no apparent reason. In any case, whenever you get your hands on it, you can't control yourself and end up eating way too much. I've been an emotional eater for pretty much my entire life, and my #1 trigger food is baked goods, especially cookies. Tortilla chips (with or without dip) are a close second. Once I get my hands on either of these, it's nearly impossible for me to stop eating them.
My solution to dealing with this problem is to keep them out of my house. As a stay-at-home mom, having tempting food in the house is just as bad as if I worked in an office and someone left the same tempting food in the break room. Now, I've heard the whole "everything in moderation" shpiel before, and I don't really think it applies here. I once bought a package of Oreos and kept them in the pantry with the intention of having just one or two a day. Yeah, I finished the entire package in two days. I know myself, and I know that I can't be trusted where cookies are concerned. So for me, the best approach is "out of sight, out of mind." If it's not in the house, I won't eat it. It's really that simple. Now, I might allow myself to have cookies and other treats when I'm at a party or out to eat, but it's not allowed in my house.
So, what are your trigger foods? And what do you do to keep them from taking over your life (not to mention your waistline)? Leave a comment, and I'll see you back here next Friday!
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