I have to tell you all something about the power of writing down what you eat:

I am on my feet all the time since I am a chef and I cycle a lot. I thought those two would help me burn the cals to create a deficit and help lose weight. So I thought I could eat whatever I wanted and basically I was right but to be honest, I was really wrong.

Last Friday, I hopped on the scale and it read 339...... up from when I first moved out to new jersey and weighed 324. I was shocked at first but then reality set in.... I must have been eating ****ty which was the truth. So Monday I started logging my food and watching what I eat. I come around to about 3000-3200 cals a day. I hit the gym Monday-Thursday and cycled 3 times this week (50 miles total). I also tracked all my food, set some goals as well. With cycling, gym work, and being on my feet a lot I burned around 6000 cals a day. Hopped on the scale on yesterday and was at 331.6

The moral of the story is that it just with excersise, it wont help. I have found for myself that I need to watch what I eat, journal it, and excersise. I have found that I cant stop eating things like cookies and other sweets but that I need portion control and learn that, which is tough. I have come to the conclusion and understanding that I will always be fighting being fat, eating, and balancing out excersise and weight loss.

I have been working with a dietican in California for the last month. She played an important roll while when I was out in Seattle to help me lose weight and she continues to keep me on track. I talk with her once a week or once every two weeks. She is hard on me which I need and like and I always get a great education talking with her..... plus she is cheap as heck. (if you want her info, let me know.... she is great to work with and cheap)

I am a believer that you need to have tools in your tool box to help you through your journey and I have found that each persons tool box is different and there is no tool box alike. When I was in Seattle, I worked with a dietician over the phone, had a trainer at the gym, eating plan (not restricting), gym membership, etc. I also used something called the Bodybugg. It is a device that fits on your arm and gives you a lot of information when you upload it about cals burned, nutrition, etc. (if you want to look at one, let me know and I can post a link). Having that information as been key for me because it is somewhat easy to journal your food but hard ot know how many calories you burn but with bodybugg, it is easy because it tracks that part of it for you. I enter my food on their database and see what the calorie balance is. I can also see cholestrol, carb intake, protein intake, etc. Just another tool in my box to help me out.

I know that excersise wont do it alone. You need to have a well balanced eating plan, eat fruits and veggies, lean protein, etc but never deny yourself they things you love because if you do, you will beng eat. With excersise, good eating plan, and journaling your food, I think its a great recipe for success.

Lets face it, we all strugle with our weight at some point in our journey and it is what it is. I have come to the idea that I might always be a big guy and, well, I continue to fight that. My personal goal would be down to 300 and then maybe to 240. If I get to 240, great. If I dont, well whatever. But to see me in the 200's again would be awesome.