Financial Commitment Equals Value

Day 2
Date:  Wednesday August 8, 2013
Weigh in:  Don’t know yet.
Exercise Report:  Walked up and down every aisle at Wal-Mart, and it’s a really big Wal-Mart.  Does that count?  Not really?  Shit.  Gary and I are going for a walk after this blog post.
Pounds lost: 0 (No Weigh in yet.)
Healthy food decisions: Supper:  Whole Grain Pasta with Homemade Pesto Sauce
Not so healthy food decisions:  Again, my lunch.  Broccoli Alfredo, which doesn’t sound terrible except when you consider that it all came from one packet and the broccoli was practically a seasoning instead of a vegetable.  

I am still very much in the transitioning stage to this whole lifestyle change.  My mind belongs to the new, determined me, but my cabinets belong to the old “eat whatever the fuck I want” me.  Hence the peanut butter pop tart I ate yesterday.  It tasted like shaaaaaaame.  But I can’t make every single change in one day.  Today progress was made in the “laying groundwork” department.

I went shopping for healthy stuff today.  I feel like this is a good time to explain my weight loss strategy.  I’m not following any diet or specific plan.  It’s all pretty haphazard.  I am just simply changing my lifestyle to make weight loss a priority.  Here is a basic list of strategies I am using.

- Be conscious of what I am putting into my body.  That’s the top, most basic, overriding principle of the “diet” side of my weight loss.

- Drink at least 120 ounces of water per day (5 fillings of my water bottle)  Make at least one of these green tea.

- Double my current distance per day walked.  Long term, I would like to more than double this distance.

- Work out in a gym 3 days per week.  On the remaining 4 days, walk an extra X amount.  (More information after the pedometer dry run tomorrow)

- Make healthier decisions regarding food.  This is really vague, but I think it will help me to keep it vague in the long run.  Basically, I will try to find healthy substitutes for things.  By healthy, I mean lower my salt intake, try to lower calories, cook using less fatty ingredients (I am so guilty of slathering everything in sour cream, cream cheese, normal cheese, ranch dressing, and butter.) and cut down on sugars and carbohydrates.

- Be transparent about my exercise and eating habits.

So here was my shopping trip to that end.
- Baby Powder (So that my thighs don’t rub when I work out.  Gross.  I know.  But necessary.)
- A good water bottle with ounce and milliliter measurement markings.  Bonus: Also has a compartment for a credit card or a key or something.
- A pedometer.  I really want to try to gamify my general movements.  Like try to beat my previous best every day.  Also, I have no idea how much I am walking right now.
- Handweights.  (3 lbs each) to enhance my workouts.

Healthy Food
- Mrs. Dash Seasoning.  My sister recommended this.  She cooks using a salt free diet because of her kidney failure a few years ago.  Even now, after transplant, she still cooks low sodium.
- Agave Nectar.  To replace sugar.  I also use honey.
- Applesauce, no sugar added.  Because it is yummy and isn’t shitty to my body)
- Tuna.  High protein, low cost, I could eat it by the gallon, except… portion control.
- Whole Grain Pasta.  Because I love carbs so hard, I just don’t think removing pasta from my diet is feasible.  So I’m gonna at least try to make it somewhat healthier.
- Popcorn.  As snacks go, not awful.
- Green Tea with Blueberry.  Hopefully the blueberry will make it taste less nastissimo.  If not… HONEY!… or agave?
- Quinoa.  I’m cautiously optimistic.  We’ll see how the quinoa thing goes.
- Feta cheese.  Adds lots of flavor with very little.  And I love it.

So my cabinet is looking like a person with some health consciousness lives here.  Still can’t bring myself to throw out my fatty food.  But I have a non-dieting fiance for that!

Goals for tomorrow:

-Get the gym membership that has been evading me all week.
-Drink my 5 refills of water.
-Get a baseline reading on my pedometer so I know what goals to set.