The tools of the trade

After yesterday's crazy weigh-in of 5 pounds in one week, I wrote this list of the tools that I need to use to actually lose weight.  

The tools I need for success:

1. Routine - This morning I got up early and went to the gym.  It was amazing and great.  I love being out as the world begins to wake up, and starting my morning off right.  I've somehow misplaced my iPod, but hope it turns up.  All the same, my morning work out routine begins my day right with focusing on being healthy.
• Daily weigh-ins
• Weekly blog weigh-ins
• Morning gym routine
2. Lose a pound a week  - This is tied with the next thing - small, achievable goals - but I need a realistic larger goal too.  I also need to feel like I'm a success
• If my weight really is 176.0, I want to be 170.0 by October 1
3. Small, achievable goals with a method - This is the only way I can loose weight.  I know that if I have a measurable goal, it makes slip-ups manageable and doesn't make me feel like a failure.  To lose a pound a week, I need to be at a 500 daily calorie deficit.  (A pound is 3,500 calories, divided by 7 days.)  I naturally burn 1,900 calories a day without exercise, so I need to eat 1,400 calories a day to create a 500 calorie deficit.  
• Lose a pound a week, 170.0 by October 1
• Maintain an average 500 calorie daily deficit
• Eat four 300-400 calorie meals a day
• Eat between 1,400 and 1,700 calories a day, depending on exercise
• Plan meals ahead
4. Make healthy choices - This is the hardest one by far.  There is no tool for this one, there's on my inner psyche.  I make healthy choices by prioritizing myself, which I do by sticking to everything I wrote above.

Eating in the living room

My new place is gorgeous and has a wonderful DVR player. I haven't had real TV in years, and I'm starting to enjoy lazing about and just watching The Biggest Loser, Glee, Dollhouse, or Grey's Anatomy. I have been enjoying the TV so much that I have started to watch every day, and eat dinner while sitting in front of the screen. With my attention elsewhere, I don't fully enjoy the food I'm eating and will eat more than what I should.

I realized that this was the reason for my weight holding steady this week, despite the 1,200 calorie burn yesterday. While I've had my slip ups (oh nachos, you were so delicious), I thought I should at least see a .2 pound drop somewhere in there. When I thought about it this morning, I realized I have no way of really knowing how many calories I had last night, because I wasn't paying attention to what I was eating.

I am going to try and implement Roni's Rule - no eating in the living room. I have a beautiful dining room table to eat at. I'm trying to adapt to living in a house with a TV and I need to create some boundaries. I am still trying to learn how much TV is appropriate, and what I can and should do while watching TV.

Success!

Yesterday was a complete success! I ate between 1,330 and 1,680 calories, ate when I was hungry, and didn't eat too much. Today is day two, and I'm looking forward to repeating my success.

A few things I do along the way to make sure I eat healthy:

• Water - I try to drink 8 8-ounce cups a day. I also count my other drinks (mainly coffee and tea) toward the end goal of 8, but I try make the majority of that water.
  
• Planning ahead - I try to plan out what I'm going to eat that day. When I make a switch during the day, I must first decide what I'm going to switch it out for.
• Count calories - As I've mentioned before, if I don't count it, I don't lose weight. It's really that simple (for me).
  
• Believing in myself - This is by far the hardest for me. Saying "I can" instead of "I will" or "I should" makes me more successful, but too often I don't trust in myself. When I lose that trust, I lose respect for my decisions and overeat. I try to counteract that by saying positive mantras to myself during my morning workout. They deal with weight (this week I will be 1.5 pounds lighter if I keep up the good work), they deal with being body positive (I love my hair and I look beautiful today), they deal with food (Today I can count all my calories), and they deal with my day (Today is going to be great; I'm going to make it great).
  

So far I'm off to a good start - I've even counted the cream in my coffee - and I know I can continue, if only I believe in myself. (I believe I can, I believe I can, I believe I can.)