Cooking more, eating less

Friday night was two new recipes in our house which puts me back on track for a new recipe every week (the two weeks in Puerto Rico didn't count).  The parm-breaded pork loin was great and the garlic potatoes were also good.  I'm proud I've been keeping up with my goal and I really haven't been disappointed in any of these new dishes.  Tonight I tried some new chocolate mint cookies that taste a lot like Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.  Another keeper!

Another thing I'm proud of is cutting down on the amount of food I've been eating lately.  Like most people, my weight has fluctuated in my adult life, usually in the upward direction.  I walked away from college 10 or so pounds heavier than I was in high school.  And then another 5 pounds after graduation.  After a stint in Hawaii where I really slimmed down without trying (I tend to eat less when I'm hot and couldn't afford food prices), I gained it back and then picked up another 10.  My jean size didn't go up, but the way I fit into those jeans was a less appealing.  My problem is that I love to eat things that are terrible for me.  I have such a sweet tooth.  

On Christmas Eve my sister and I huddled around the scale in the bathroom and weighed ourselves noting that those were our heaviest numbers.  And then we went to eat all the Christmas goodies and weighed in at the end of the night, happily stuffed and heavier still.

Since Christmas Eve, I have lost 10 pounds.  To be honest, I haven't changed much of what I eat, but how much I eat.  I've been using a free calorie counter called My Fitness Pal on my iPad which has a bar code scanner and a very thorough food library, which makes tracking my caloric intake easy.  I can also record any workouts, which "earn" me more food calories.  The more I work out, the more sweets I can eat.  The calorie tracker is altering my diet; I found in the first few days that the number of calories I took in eating my black forest birthday cake for breakfast (hey, I said I had a sweet tooth) wasn't worth the calories.  The exercise I would have to do to work it off made it an unrealistic choice for breakfast (or snacks, really).  It also shows me what foods are more calorie-smart.  Who knew fruits and veggies were good for you?  I also eat smaller portions.  Less calories, and more meals when you save some for leftovers.

I feel a lot better.  I'm more comfortable in my clothes and and wearing more of my clothes I had been avoiding that were a little uncomfortable or unflattering.  The other day I put up one of my favorite sweaters because it was too baggy.  I'm not sure if anyone besides Rick has really noticed with all of the winter clothing, but I do feel a lot better.  I just need to keep it up, and I would like to lose another 5 pounds.

If you're looking to trim down and aren't into crazy diets or workout regimes, give a calorie tracker a try.  I have really liked My Fitness Pal; aside from tracking your food and exercise, you can also track your progress and you can link to other users to motivate each other.  You can set goals and every day you finish logging it tells you "if every day were like today, you would weigh __lbs in ___weeks", which for me is pretty motivating.  There are tons of calorie trackers out there (many free apps and websites) and for me, just being conscious of what I'm  eating has really helped me make a difference in my body and my confidence.  Give it a try--it can't hurt and might make a big difference!