(Title is to be sung to the tune of “Changes”)
Want to hear something not at all surprising?
I gained back all but 4 pounds of the weight I lost on Weight Watchers 2 years ago. Sidenote: gah! how has it been 2 years since I graduated college!?
I have developed a solid fitness routine these days but my clothes just keep getting tighter and tighter. It’s gross. I feel lumpy, frumpy, and not at all pleased with myself. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate my body. Yes, I feel uncomfortable but I am healthy and active so there is something to be said for that. But I find myself hiding in pictures, looking at my wardrobe and choosing the outfit that makes me look “the least fat,” and coming home after work and eating until I am physically uncomfortable. This is not a good place to be.
I don’t even think I eat all that bad. It’s the same schtick in a new year: I have a portion control problem. I am pretty sure this is and will always be my number one issue with food. I just can’t seem to have a normal relationship with it and stop when I am full.
It has become very clear in recent days that I need to reign it in. I momentarily thought about rejoining Weight Watchers but then let that thought pass as I remembered all the times I just wanted to eat…not count my points. I thought about re-instating my food journal, but I never held myself accountable for my potions so that is a moot point. Finally I settled on the handy-dandy iPhone app MyFitnessPal to track everything.
I just started today, so forgive me if I don’t have enough user knowledge to point out the problems but it seems so easy. So far every food item I have entered is searchable which makes tallying my calories, fat, protein, and carbs so simple. I’m sure there will come a day (i.e tomorrow) when I have a homemade recipe and don’t have an accurate calorie count for and will be annoyed. But that is okay. I will do my best to honestly estimate the nutrition info and move on. No obsessing.
Hopefully this will help get me back in a healthy mindset when it comes to portion control. If I can keep this up while maintaining my exercise routine 2013 may just be the year of a half-marathon PR. Dare I dream it?
Questions: Do you track your food? What app do you use, if any?
I just recently (okay, this week…) started tracking what I eat. I started training for my first marathon, hoping that a side perk would be to lose a few lbs along the way, but so far I haven’t lost anything at all. Since I’m working out harder than ever, I know it has to be with my food. Like you, I’m just horrible with portion control. I figured actually starting to write down what I eat would be a good starting point and I can see where it goes from there. Good luck to you – keep us updated on how it’s going!
Logan @ Mountains and Miles recently posted..Trail Report: Seneca Creek Greenway Trail and Yoga Sculpt
Portion control issues…it runs in the family! For I too struggle sissy
I Love MFP!!!!! I am about to hit one year of tracking every day haha
We all have times that we ssssstruggle but only a few of us (including you) keep trying!
Mari recently posted..He Is So Good To Me…
Yep! Portion control has always been my problem. I count my calories every day and I do pretty good…but I know that I sometimes lie to myself on how many portions I actually ate…which does no one good! Those uncounted bites and nibbles and wrong portions definitely show up on the scale!
Lisa recently posted..The 3 Hour Tour…
If you go into “Recipes” in MFP, you can create your own recipes with the foods you put in and it calculates the nutritional info for you!
Just a warning – I’ve done myfitnesspal tracking on and off about as much as a food journal. It’s hard to keep up in the same way. BUT I’ve never used the community features. You can basically encourage friends and remind them personally to keep up their tracking through the app. If you want to give it a shot my username is LittleAllison89
good luck!
I actually have been thinking about this a lot lately. Since I can’t run right now, I’m worried about putting weight back on. I definitely need to work on portion control and am thinking about going back to calorie counting since that is the one thing that has really worked for me. Good luck!!
Amanda @ Running On Waffles recently posted..Walt Disney World Marathon
I used myfitnesspal for awhile. Portion control is such a struggle with me. I can measure out things but then I feel like I obsess over it. It’s obvious that everyone seems to struggle with it. One trick I still use to this day is always use a small salad plate. I never use big dinner plates. It sounds silly but it works!
Kristen@Change of Pace recently posted..Paleo Bacon Brussels Sprouts
I’m also a MFP user in DC! Let’s start a little group on there, it seems like it would be really useful! My username is sequinedpastie. Add me and we can track together!