New Year Blog Post #2
So here we are almost two months into the New Year. To those of you who have stuck with your resolutions - congratulations - you rock! To all the rest who have slipped or have right out given up - you can still get back on track!
So here are a few questions you might be asking yourself:
- Why is the scale not moving?
- Why are my clothes still feeling very tight?
- Why am I not losing any weight - I know I've been trying so hard to eat well and exercise?
And believe me you are not alone. So how do you get a handle on what you are doing wrong or right for that matter? When I initially talk to patients I very often hear "but I do eat healthy!" and I am sure they believe it to be true. But what exactly is healthy eating and how do you know unless you monitor what you are doing. How much protein, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber are you getting on a daily basis? How many calories are you getting versus how many are you burning? Are you eating small frequent nutritious meals or are grabbing quick snacks from a convenience store or a drive through? What and how much do you drink throughout the day? Do you get daily purposeful physical activity - and I'm sorry but cleaning your bathroom does not count!
How do you start getting control of your life? - The answer is by tracking your food intake and your daily exercise. Here are a couple ways to do this. You can keep a food journal on paper or even better yet use one of the many tracking apps available for download on your smart phone, tablet, laptop, or home PC. MyFitnessPal is probably one of the more popular but you can also use one of the other ones such as Lose it!, My Plate Calorie Tracker, etc. which you can get the from the play or the app store. The app will calculate the amount of calories you will need daily to lose about 1-2 lbs per week, and as you log in every bite of food you put in your mouth, it will also calculate your daily calories, amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate and other nutrients you ingest. By tracking your intake, the app will teach you how to make the right choices in order to get the right nutrition and be able to lose weight without starving yourself. The more dedicated you are the better results you will see. It is all about being consistent. Some of us may need a little help and guidance getting motivated to stay on track. Make it a game and see how close you can get to your daily nutrition goals or pair up with a friend for extra support. You can also give us a call at the office and make an appointment and let us be your support. Happy Tracking and keep moving!