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Dana's Diary: Small Victories

by Dana Tjosvold

Wow! What a first couple of weeks! They were successful, but not without some very hard work. I started reading all food labels to determine portion size and fat content. I write down exactly what I eat (including things like the French vanilla creamerin my coffee) and I am more aware of what I put in to my body and why. First, the good news. I have lost 9.5 lbs. since beginning my new eating plan.

For the bad news, well, read on.

Week 1: I have never been as hungry as I was that first seven days in a long time. Not five minutes went by when I didn't think about food. It seemed most of my thoughts revolved around my next meal. The weekend was the most difficult. At least at work I had something to occupy my time. At home, I was too idle, and food was always on my mind.

At the end of the week, I saw that 5.5-lb. loss on the scale, but I certainly couldn't see it anywhere else. I wondered if things would always be this difficult. Lessons learned: (1) Busy bodies have less time to think about food, and (2) Drinking lots of water means many trips to the bathroom.

Week 2: The hunger was much more manageable. Although I still looked at the clock to see if it is time to eat, I didn't look at it every five minutes. This week's challenge was a trip to McDonald's on Friday night (a special weekly event my son looks forward to). I did a little research on the McDonald's web site, and then proudly ordered a grilled McChicken sandwich (no mayo added BBQ sauce instead), a small order of fries and a Diet Coke. The best part was I didn't eat many calories or fat grams and still felt almost naughty for eating at McDonald's. By weeks end, I was down another four lbs.

Lessons learned: (1) I can still eat at McDonald's without falling into a self-destruct mode and (2) a serving of cereal is not filling the bowl to the brim.

At a 9.5 lb. loss, I certainly feel more comfortable in my clothes, but am nowhere near dropping down a size. No one has noticed that I am any thinner, and my pride in my accomplishment has to come from within. These are the frustrations would have once send me back to eating oblivion, but not this time! I have far more respect for my body, my health, and I know that I am the path to success.

Useful websites:

The USDA Food Guide has links to all of the food pyramid information, including an interactive food pyramid and portion size information.

The Calorie Calculator allows you to calculate how many calories are required to maintain your current weight, as well as how many calories are required to maintain your ideal weight.

Another version of the Calorie Calculator estimates your ideal weight and calorie requirements automatically.

Dana Tjosvold is the single mother of Cameron. A technologist by profession, she is always creative and searching for "new and improved" ways of living life to its fullest on a budget!