Well January has come and is now gone. The good news is that I have lost a total of 8 pounds this month and I am looking forward to February. February poses some hurdles for me though. Two wonderful days occur during this month. The Chocolate Holiday (Valentine's Day) and my anniversary (Feb. 18). I am going to request anything but chocolate for Valentine's Day and when Dave (my husband) doesn't buy me any I will be sad and will probably forget that I forbid him to buy it. However, now that I am not eating a lot of fatty foods, my skin is getting so much clearer. So there are worse things than having no chocolate. :) I had a goal to lose 8 pounds and I did it!! I did it by just calorie counting and watching portions. Sounds grueling, doesn't it? Well, it wasn't so bad. What I learned this past month is that moderation really is the key. You can have foods you love, but just not a lot of it. For instance, I have been eating chocolate but only dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa). I have been eating Dove dark chocolate and I only eat two pieces every other day. Two pieces is only 84 calories. It helps with the cravings for sweets and doesn't bust my calorie bank. Okay, I have to go off topic here for one minute...I just saw this segment on Dr. Oz about brownies that are only 88 calories per serving and very little fat and sugar. Did anyone else see Rocco DiSpirito make these brownies? The recipe is on www.doctoroz.com if anyone is interested. I will make them and report back to you. Anyway they are made with black beans, cocoa powder, espresso powder, whole wheat pastry flour, and a bit of sugar. Sounds funky, huh? But if I can have a 88 calorie brownie...I'll try it!! Okay that was my Dr. Oz plug of the day ( I love Dr. Oz). Back to moderation....so I do occaisionally still eat things I love, but that are bad for me. For instance I had Frito Pie and Olive Garden on Friday, which was my free day. I allow myself one day a week without counting calories (my anniversary will be one of those days because I really want to go to that Bonefish Grill), but I don't go crazy. I still eat small portions, but I feel like I am in control of the food instead of the food controlling me. However, today I feel like the food is controlling me. I have been starving all day. I think it's the weather. I have eaten like normal, but for some reason want to snack. So I had some pistachios (85 calories) and some salad greens with a tsp of sunflower seeds and a bit of light ranch dressing (a total of 114 calories). Just a 200 calorie snack, but I feel satisfied without the need to reach for more. Plus I drank a lot of water. Water helps tremendously, but I still have days where I feel hungry all day. I just don't succumb to the pressure. I find something to occupy my mind and keep me busy and that helps a lot too. So this month I will continue on my current eating plan and work in more exercise. I am still doing abs every day and every day I still cramp like mad, but if I ever do get in shape I will remember the pain and never go back to being out of shape, rest assured. February will be all about getting an exercise routine together. Any suggestions anyone? I am going to use that aerobic stepper even if I can't walk for days afterward!! :) Well, pray for me and wish me luck!!
Tracie
