Tracking Food Calories

For me, tracking the food that I eat is the key to weight loss. My problems come when I forget to write down what I eat. When I have to write down everything I eat and keep track of how many calories are in each meal, it gives me a reality check. I will think twice about eating something that is high calorie, low nutrition if I know I have to be honest with myself and write it down.

Sparkpeople.com is especially helpful because everything there has the calories already programed into the system so as long as I have internet, I can track. If I am at work, and I eat a candy from the (damn) candy jar, I can go online and track it and the reality of having 1 or 2 bites account for 100 or 150 calories will keep me from eating another. The internet is everywhere and SparkPeople keeps me honest.

Pepsi Ad Reinterpreted

I thought this was pretty funny. I don't really drink Pepsi since I dislike colas in general, but if I did, this would help me remember how bad it is. I wish they would invent an anti-slogan/ad for PibbXtra.

www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters_bl
og/soft_drink_softer_belly.html

Day 2-- the First Blog Entry

I am really liking how SparkPeople.com works so far. I think maybe I won't lose my motivation this time, like I usually do. In general, when I decide to lose weight I will be really good about tracking my calories for about a week, and then forget what I was doing. Not only does this website make it so I can update from school or work (it is no Excel document where I have to guess at values), it also lets me track my exercise and provides motivational strategies. I don't generally take exercise into account.

I am really hoping to be a part of the SparkPeople community but how do I make friends? Is it too forward to just add someone who sounds interesting?

Day 2-- the First Blog Entry

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Major Choices

I have been a Political Science major for 3 years now. When I chose it, my mom told me that I was choosing the major because I didn't want to make a real decision about it. I think maybe she was right.

In my senior year of High School, I took a Law class and participated in Mock trial. I was good at it. I thought it was fun, and it made me want to think about people's rights. My senior year I wrote college entrance essays about how I wanted to change the world.

With college came humility. I went from being a straight A student, to struggling to make Cs. I have failed classes; I have struggled. There have been times when I didn't know if I was going to be allowed to return to Davis the next quarter. There is nothing like the fear of letting your dreams go and disappointing everyone who believed in you.

Each quarter, I am never quite sure if I will be on academic probation, or if I will squeak by. I hate the uncertainty. Maybe things would be better if I enjoyed my classes more, but I don't.

I dread my major classes. I wish I had chosen some other major, but I have come so far on this path. I feel trapped.


Image: http://www.everydaypeoplecartoons.com/cartoon/57

Happiness and Shoes

I cannot believe that I actually got this title/URL!!! Happiness and Shoes!

I am going to use this Blog to write about my life . I have been having a tough time lately, but I am so excited to start this blog. I love shoes. I have all my life. I dream about shoes. I honestly believe that there is nothing in life that can make you so sad that a fantastic pair of heels can't fix it, at least temporarily.

So, this blog will have little notes about shoes, fashion, make-up and beauty in general. I will probably throw in posts that include my art projects or photography just for good measure. It will be my place to be creative, and girly. If you have any ideas or requests of what you would like to see here just let me know!

I hope you all have a great day!

Nothing With a Heart Except Artichokes

So I have been vegetarian since I was in 7th grade. I am now a Junior in college so that comes out to around 8 or 9 years as a vegetarian. What I say is that "I don't eat anything with a heart...except artichokes." It generally works very well for me.

I have periodically tried veganism. That means along with no meat, fish or poultry, there are no dairy products such as milk, cheese, or eggs. For me, the problem with being vegan is that cereal, on of my favorite foods becomes a problem. I'm not really a substitute kind of girl, so soy milk, almond milk and rice milk do not trick my tastebuds. They can trick my eyes, but not the mouth.

People ask me, "How do you get enough protein!?"
The average American consumes 300x the recommended amount of protein. Protein is not like B12 where you need to TRY to get enough. You just will. I don't even think about it. There are plenty of plant based proteins. Beans are my favorite, and when they are combined with rice they make a whole protein. Quinoa (pronounced kEEn-wa) is a great source. So are nuts, seeds, and any grain. Also, most vegans/vegetarians have some source of soy in their diet, which is the only naturally occuring, non-meat whole protien. As long as you have a varied diet, you will be FINE!

My roommate thinks that making food takes too long and is too much of an effort, so she eats out a lot. I never eat out. Tonight I made myself thick, seasoned fries which were delicious. I cut up some potatoes, put them in a bag with some spices and olive oil and shook them up while the oven was heating, tossed them on a pan and put them in the oven. Half an hour later, I came back and they were DELICIOUS. It took maybe 5 minutes time, and they were really healthy. You would take the same amount of time waiting in line at McDonalds, for an inferior fry. Plus, I knew exactly what went into them; there were no trans fats, no lard, nothing that wasn't natural and healthy.

I have been putting more effort into eating healthy and I think after I finish my jug of milk in the fridge (along with my Cheerios) I am going to go vegan again. It only takes 3 weeks to overcome cravings, so if I cut out the milk and cheese for that long I will be home free. (I already don't eat eggs. I'm just not comfortable with it. I wouldn't want someone eating my eggs. That would just be weird).

Trying to Get to Healthy

Right now I am not at a healthy weight. I am in a BMI range that puts me at "overweight," so I am not being unreasonable. I am actually 15 lbs above the weight I was when I entered college... Thank you Freshman 15... I don't fit into clothes that were fine last year, which signals to me that changes need to be made. Taking this and how I feel, I am between 20 and 30lbs heavier that I want to be.

Where I am now doesn't feel healthy for me. I am winded going up stairs, I don't run anymore, I am almost so out of shape that backpacking is a problem. I used to be an extremely active person, and I am so sedentary that I scare myself sometimes.

I am serious about changing myself to be a healthier person, and make lasting habits that will last.

I tentatively started trying to be healthier in January. I have put some, but not much effort into changing my ways. However, I have lost 3 lbs and around 1.5 inches all around. If I did that without thinking too hard, imagine how healthy I will be with some effort! This has given me the motivation I needed to actually start changing my habits.

Wish me luck! and if you know me and want an exercise buddy... hit me up!