Shelley: Day 1, All these women weigh the same? AND Know before you go!

Fact, all these women weigh 154lbs – but it shows up differently based on shapes & heights. (I found this photo on facebook)  Sorry, I don't know who to give credit to for the photos, let me know if it's yours!  But I thought is was so interesting.  It's a shame I'm not 6ft tall, that would solve a lot of my issues;).

I thought these images were fascinating.  I believe my body fat is somewhere in the 40s.  So, yeah, there's some work to do.

I wanted to lay out how I lose weight.  I am a calorie counter because there are no gimmicks, just good old fashioned, eat less do more.  Additionally, calorie counting requires no weird sacrifices or impossible lifestyle changes.  Counting just makes you more aware and teaches you what exactly you're consuming so you can make better decisions.  As Cindy says, "It's a lifestyle change".

PS> CINDY, WELL DONE ON THE POST!!! YOU EVEN INCLUDED A PHOTO!!!

My goal is simply to eat less than my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate).  I use a calculator to figure out what that is. . .Here's the link:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Then I just eat less than that and try to add in some exercise.  There are 3,800 calories in one pound so every 3,800 calories under my BMR; I should lose one pound.

My BMR as of today is:  1,729 Calories

I'm using Lose It to track my intake and output.  I LOVE that app.  Below is my intake for the day.  Admittedly, I was a little too generous with myself today but I do tend to estimate high if I've snacked or am unsure.  I'm going to try to keep my cals around 1700 moving forward so I can shed these pounds!

Budget 1,455 Food 2,423 Exercise -1,057 Net 1,366 Under 89

Breakfast: 268 Breakfast Sandwich, Sausage, Egg & Cheese Flatbread 1 Each 240 Orange Juice, No Pulp 1/4 Serving 28

Lunch: 860 Subway Turkey/Ham 12" Lt Mayo/mustard American Cheese 1 Serving 860

Dinner: 799 Gnocchi 1 Serving 170 Everyday Pad Thai 1 1/2 Servings 473 Chicken, Breast, Grilled 4 Ounces 157

Snacks: 495 Random Food 100cals/Serving 2 Servings 200 Random Snitching 1 Serving 50 Banana, Small, 6" to 6 7/8" Long 1 Each 90 Skinny Pop 4 Cups 155

Exercise: 1057 Steps Bonus Bonus Achieved! 148 Elliptical Moderate 20 Min 230 Weight Lifting Vigorous 1 Hour 25 Min 679

I'm always a little aggressive when I record my calories so I'm guessing my dinner estimate was a bit high.  Anyway, here's my BMR CALC for the day:

BMR CALC:  (1,729+1,057)-2,423= -1,420 Calorie Deficit for Today (3,800 Cals= 1 Lb)

TODAY'S TIP:  KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!!

Doesn't that sound like a PSA?  I moved to Utah a little over a year ago and the thing I miss most is the nutritional information that is EVERYWHERE thanks to CA law.  As soon as my kids get old enough I'm going to make it my mission in life to make nutritional information available in Utah as well.  The tip for today is to eat where you can actually figure out your intake.  Subway is always a pretty safe choice.  There are subway calculators which will help you figure out just how many calories are in your personalized sub.  

When I was working, I would exclusively eat at Noah's Bagels (a place in CA) because they posted their nutritional information online and I could figure out what to eat.  I ate A LOT of chicken noodle soup in those days (this is almost always right around 100 cals/serving and therefore a safe guess if you don't have info). I have found that when I make a plan I do so much better.  

I would look at the menu online and do the math to figure out what I wanted to spend calorie-wise and order that.  If I waited to decide what to order until I got there, invariably, I would end up with a cream cheese slathered sami.  My best defense against my worst compulsions is a good offense so KNOW BEFORE YOU GO.  Knowledge truly is power.

Until Tomorrow. . . 

Annie, Cindy, I can't wait to hear how your day went!