One month review...

As I am sure you all know by now, Brian and I have started a weight loss challenge in our house.  We are trying to make it a "lifestyle change" (cliche I know but, hey, whatever works).  In leu of paying an organized company (i.e. WeightWatchers etc) we settled on goals and rewards of our own.  It worked.

I was very very skeptical in the beginning, thinking that if I didn't have the constant EXTERNAL accountability I wouldn't follow through.  To that end I begged family members to keep me on track.  (I think my sister was looking forward to keeping me in a line I little too much - I am happy to say she hasn't even had the need to speak to me once except for encouragement!)  I even bribed, cajoled, asked a cousin (whom will remain anonymous on here until they inform me that it is ok to use their name :-D) to join MFP with me and that helps even more.  I opened up my food diary so my "MFP friends" (Brian and said cousin) can see what I am eating and keep me accountable that way - because seriously who would eat a half a batch of cookie dough knowing that people would see it?

In addition to counting our calories, Brian and I have started a semi exercise routine.  We walk.  Which I am sure some of you will be laughing at but let's put this into perspective:  we might have run around the house like crazies with Linc, but when he went to bed we would normally sit on the couch and watch a movie - consuming a giant bowl of popcorn.  Now we walk on the treadmill while watching said movie - at least we are moving!  We both do at least a mile a day (normally more like 3-4).  We aren't "power walking", but we try to keep it in the 3-4 mph range.  It is working!  My feet don't hurt nearly as much anymore (just the occasional plantar fascia issue) and I have noticed that I am craving that time on the treadmill.  Take for instance this past weekend - we had spent the entire day walking around Storyland - granted it had been a leisurely pace of probably about 2 mph but we calculated that we had done at least 3 miles up and down hills.  When we got back to the condo that night I surprised everyone by saying I was off to the gym.  I craved the feeling you get from knowing that you worked up a sweat (reminds me of high school sports - hell week was just that HELL, but boy did it feel good at the end of a practice knowing you gave it your all.)  A quick jog on the treadmill that night and I was content.

Onto the progress:  I joined MFP and started seriously tracking my calories/exercise one month ago - August 19th.  MFP allows you to track calories, carbs/sugars, protein, fat, sodium, the list goes on and on.  Though I hate to admit it, I normally only look at the calories, fat, sugar and sodium.  I have found that I have no problem keeping the calories, sodium and fat under goal, but I regularly overshoot the sugars by about 10 - probably not the best thing with my genes but I will worry about that when I am told to worry about it.  I am proud to say that Brian and I have both lost over 5% of our body weight!  OK so 5% might not seem like a big deal, but I am super proud of us!  In the month since starting this journey I am down 16.2 lbs.  I know it is unrealistic to think that it will continue in this vein, but I am happy with where I/we am/are going and the route taken to get there.

Side note:  I am truly enjoying MFP - and do recommend it to anyone out there that is looking to count calories.  The database is huge, it allows you to input recipes (big in my book), the tickers are neat, and it gives you a community to remind yourself that you are not the only one doing this.