One of the most powerful things to do is to measure and monitor your calorie intake and expenditure each day. If you're not keeping track, you'll be more likely to slip back-into old habits.
When you keep track of your calories it's often quite an eye-opener. We really don't realize how many calories we are consuming until we write down everything we eat each day. The small snacks throughout the day and the second and third helpings at meal time can really add up quickly.
When you commit to tracking your calories, you become accountable to yourself. Be honest and always write down everything you eat. It is senseless to not be honest, because if you cheat on your calories you're only cheating yourself.
It's just as important to write down how much physical exercise you do each day. Weight loss is nothing more than a mathematical formula - we need to consume less calories than we expend each day to be able to lose weight.
I've started using a great free online tool at LoseIt.com. This is an amazing program which allows you to keep track of your daily calories and exercise with a complete database of thousands of foods including brand names and even popular restaurant chains. You can enter your own foods and even recipes.
I am using the free iPhone application which makes it even easier for me throughout the day. Click here to download the iPhone app for free! I created a free account which now allows me to sync my data from the iPhone app and the online site. This allows me to enter information, track my progress and generate reports from either my iPhone or the website.
I can do daily weekly and monthly reports and measure my progress based on the goals I have set. The program automatically takes your personal information including weight, height, age etc. along with your weekly weight loss goal and calculates a daily calorie budget for you to work with. As long as you stay within your daily calorie budget you should achieve great results.
My weekly weight loss goal is to lose 2 pounds per week. My starting weight is 347 and based on my height of 6 feet, I was given a daily calorie budget of 2571 calories. That is a higher calorie budget than most, but it's because of my level of obesity.
I have dared myself to keep track of my calories for 365 days in a row.
I realize that if I can do it for a day I can do it for a week. If I can do it for a week, I can do it for a month. And if I can do it for a month, I can do it for a year. It's all a matter of breaking down my Dream Dare goal of losing 60 pounds this year into smaller "doable dares."
I heard a powerful quote years ago, "Whatever you measure and monitor you improve."
I dare you to track your calories starting today!
It is a great time to renew and refocus on your health and fitness goals. I dare you to join a fitness center today. Make a committment - become accountable - make time for workout session in your weekly schedule.
