This is a wonderful challenge… I love keeping track of everything and holding myself accountable for my choices. It make it so much easier to pick healthy things-- who really wants to admit in their journal or online diary that they had a big bag of M&Ms;??

So, since I started living healthy (2/19), I have been keeping track of all my foods and beverages on Fitday. The program is wonderful… I’m working on making “custom foods” for all the things I snack on that aren’t specifically in there, as well as some healthy frozen dinners.

Awesome food challenge, just have to stick with it.

I also use Fitday. I love it, it really make me think about what I am eating each day. I do cheat a little bit some day, I’m a chocoholic....but,, I eat the dark chocolate now (which I don’t like as much), and I limit myself to 1-2 squares at the most for the day. I try to make myself reach a goal for the week and then treat myself. Although, somedays if I am carving too bad then I have a square. I know that if I deprive myself too much when this happens that I could end up eating a whole candy bar. That is usually my worst craving. Other candy just doesn’t have the same attraction for me. I have been buying Ghiraardelli Intense Dark Toffee Interlude, they are awesome and satisfy my sweet tooth. They are large bars and so that is why I limit myself to 1-2 squares. Mostly 1, but sometimes can’t resist the 2nd. After that I yell at myself and won’t allow the 3rd or more

TomCarlsbad - 27 November 2006 11:04 PM

the food journal i use is http://www.fitday.com

It’s free and easy and you can use it on the web anywhere!

MTM forums are chock full of amazing information - thanks Tom!

Keeping track is really easy when you’re doing weight watchers.  I only have so many points and for some unfortunate reason all the really good stuff has a lot of points.  I’ve just finished reading the book, You, the Owner’s Manual and it talks a lot about all the different foods we should eat for our heart, blood, lungs, thyroid, etc. etc.  By the time I get done eating all these foods for each different body part, there’s not enough points left for any junk food.  And I’m finding that I’m really not craving it.  I am usually satisifed after my meals.

There is so much great insight in this thread. I love it! The program that I have been using to track my calorie and nutrition intake is a program that you can download into your Palm Pilot, if you have one. It is called Balance Log and you can buy it at http://www.healthetech.com. I got this a long time ago so I don’t know if it’s even available anymore, but there has to be similar ones like it if it is gone. I like the fact that Balance Log has many of the foods that we see everyday at the store by brand names or general categories, many of the popular restaraunts food items, beverages of all kind and you can even add to the database by entering in specific nutrition info from the product into the program and you can also create menus. It also logs your exercises and your weight and can keep track of how your doing in reaching your goal that you set up in the very beginning of the set up process. It’s a really great program.

Something that I do to help me get my fruit and veggies in is that I take 2 pieces of fruit or 1 fruit and 1 veggie, like carrot sticks, with me to work everyday. When I get that 10AM hunger pang or the 3PM one I have a healthy choice in front of me. I avoid the breakroom if someone brings in a snack to share, or God forbid - doughnuts. Thankfully I feel ill if I eat a greasy doughnut. Also, I get to go home for lunch everyday so in the beginning of the week I make 1 really big salad filled with veggies and I store it in the fridge. When I come home I put some in a bowl, slice some tomato and maybe some turkey in it, add some lowfat dressing and voila, I am good to go. When I take the time to prepare before hand I save time later and I have no reason to not get my daily servings of fruits and veggies and no reason to get Fast Food. BTW: it’s been 7 years since I have had any fast food! Yuck