Success!

I weighed in today. Decided I am going to weigh in once per week (on Sundays) instead of once per month. I have felt really energetic and positive about this lifestyle change and want to track my progress!

I lost 8 lbs overall so far! It's working!

I did some more research about the whole calorie thing. It turns out, that 3,500 calories = 1 lb. This is simple math! It's a good thing I'm a math teacher! LOL

All I need to do is create a 3,500 calorie "deficit" throughout my week and I will lose 1 lb for every 3500 calorie deficit I create. Also, calories are made up of fat, carbs, and calories. So, it's not JUST calories that matter on the nutrition label. It's the fat and carbs too. Not to mention the nutrients. In order to make sure I'm creating - and continuously building - this calorie deficit, the rule of thumb is to eat as much fresh food as possible - veggies, fruits, whole grains, etc.

Okay, okay, some of you are probably saying, "DUH!" But, this makes sense to me now and it never did before. Nutritionists would just show me the food pyramid and say, "doesn't it make sense?" No! It did NOT! THIS makes sense to me!

I read an article in Reader's Digest (Jan 09 issue) about a man who lost 50 pounds simply by replacing his breakfast and lunches with natural foods such as fruits and veggies. He became a "vegetarian" in a small sense of the word for the day, and then would eat normal dinners at night with his family. That's pretty much what I've been doing ... and it's working! I'm so elated!