Motivation Session #4-“You Bite It, You Write It!”

How is your YW Winter Challenge card coming along?  We are past the half way point.  Have you filled your first card yet?  Let us know about your progress-we would love to hear it!  This week’s session is nutrition focused, specifically about greater success using a food journal.  Enjoy…and keep moving as we head in to the second month of 2011! 

YWCA Winter Challenge 2011

Session 4

You Bite It, You Write It!!!

This week’s information speaks to the importance of nutrition.  So often, people think that they can eat what they want, and then work it off at the gym.  It simply doesn’t work that way.  If you have a few handfuls of nuts, there are 500 calories consumed.  That would take you about an hour’s hard RUN on the treadmill to burn off.  It is not only calories, but the quality of what you are putting in your body that counts.  Choosing a Big Mac not only brings a ton of calories, but also deadly fats and a whack of sodium.  Proper nutrition is equally, if not more important than the exercises we choose.  One can’t be maximally successful without the other. So, this week’s strategy is to keep a food journal.  Journaling has been well documented in making better choices, losing more weight and keeping it off!  So, incorporate the ideas below to start your own food log.

1)      Write down EVERYTHING you eat and drink each day.  Include the amount, time of day and reason you ate (i.e. were you really hungry or were you tired, bored or upset?)

2)      Take a good, honest look at your log.  We know what we should and should not include.  Do you have at least 7 servings of fruits/veggies, more whole food than processed, are you including extras like alcohol, sweets or chips and candy?  These are areas where you can start making changes immediately.

3)      Set nutrition goals using the SMART principle reviewed in week 1.  Using your food log, pick one goal per week that you will change.

4)      Focus on adding healthy foods.  The more we exercise and make healthy food choices, we realise that making poor food choices just isn’t worth it. 

Nutrition and exercise must work together to give you the best results.  Keep in mind how you feel when you are being active and eating well.  Know that it is just not worth ruining that great energetic feeling for that “Big Mac”!

Today’s Quote that I have heard from numerous sources:

“Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels”.

Questions? Email me at lawsonlangfordywca@hotmail.com

Deanna