285 Days to Go! - Dieting

Ah, we have reached that horrible "D" word. Like most women in the world, I too feel that I need to loose some poundage,  as I have for quite a while now, but with the wedding comming up and any future plans to have kids it seemed like a good place to start and stick to it. Since June 3rd Dusty and I have been on a Diet. We are using the MyFitnessPal app from the android market to set our weight goals, record our calories and our excercises. The app is pretty awesome as once you tell it your weight, what you want to accomplish, and how fast you want to accomplish it, it tells you how many calories you are allowed to eat each day. At the end of each day when you "complete your entry" it tells you what you could weigh if every day was like that day (which, on days where you gave up and ate a Baconator for dinner, can be very discouraging).  My goal is to have lost 64 lbs by December 15th (the day I have my first Bridal Gown fitting).

Now, when I first got engaged I was going to try to get in shape, then decided not to because by February (a couple months after my engagement) I had found and purchased my wedding gown which was already a size too big for me. I figured that my fiancee loves me like I am so who else am I trying to impress? On many occasions Dusty and I would have conversations about dieting and how we often fail at it but probably should do it and whatnot. We have access to a health coach at work who gives us advice, gives us someone to talk to and helps set attainable goals. I found that my motivations that were most...well.. motivating were not just the ones that included "because I want to NOT buy size 22 jeans," but rather, "I want to like my wedding pictures," "because being so much overweight will put any children I try to have at higher risk for defects," and "because I want to be able to run around with my kids and not be winded in two minutes." Apparently when you have good reasons to do it, you are more likely to succeed.

Committing to dieting was difficult for me, not just because I was lazy, but because I was scared (and still am). If/when I lose weight, my engagement and wedding rings may not fit me anymore (they are already getting loose). If/when I lose weight, my wedding dress may be more difficult to alter and may end up looking terrible. If/when I lose weight, I may have to use our savings to buy clothes that fit. These things scare me to death, but they are not good enough reasons NOT to do it. SO what if my gown is a little different than when I first tried it on, I am having professionals alter it and they should be able to make it work. My ring set, if it needs to be bought again, is not going to break our bank and clothes, a small price to pay for being healthy for yourself and your family.

We began using the app to record our food intake in May, not setting a goal, just recording to get into the habit. Since officially starting on June 3rd Dusty and I have lost about 10lbs each following MyFitnessPal, taking walks and just paying attention to what we were pumping into our bodies. Have we gone over calories? YES, sometimes by much more than I am willing to admit but it is ok. Dusty keeps reminding me that just paying closer attention to your calorie intake tends to make you make healthier choices, even if you are above your 'goal.'

Dieting is hard, especially when you only have x amount of calories to consume (and that number goes down with the numbers on the scale! 11.5 pounds lost lost me 40 calories every day! Having someone to do it with makes it a little easier, I would have never lost an ounce without Dusty.

DO you have any dieting tips? Any recipies that are low calorie? Any favorite low calorie meals or snacks? Share away!