Day Seven: To better habits

Well, I'm officially done with the first week. I've eaten my food for the day and logged it all. Tomorrow morning I'll go check in and get my first week's weight-loss totals. I'm thinking it will be in the 6-7 pound range, but we'll see.

One of the things I like about this plan is that it incorporates so much "real" food. I have some food provided by the company, but most of the food I have to buy and prepare myself -- fruits, veggies, meats, and starches. In order to stay on plan, I need to prepare those things with limited fat and sodium, which is far different from the way I'm used to preparing foods. I'm a big fan of salt and butter. Since I'm on plan for more than a year, that's ample time to make substantial changes in habits, and clearly that's a good thing. My former habits haven't gotten me to a great place.

One thing I'm realizing about my habits is that I've relied substantially on convenience. When I'm tired at the end of a long day, it's a lot easier to order a pizza than it is to put together a healthy meal with fresh ingredients. Or if I'm out running errands for the day, its WAY easier to stop at the Wendy's drive through than it is to pack a snack or a lunch. Now, I don't have that luxury. I have to plan, both in buying on-plan foods to have on hand, and in preparing meals and snacks so I can eat regularly and healthily through the day.

I like that I'm going to get used to eating a diet that's low on rich, high-calorie foods and high in fresh fruits and veggies. What I hope is that after a while on the plan, my body will be so used to this that it will feel weird if I eat badly, and that planning to eat like I'm eating now will become second-nature.

These new habits are important not only for my health, but also for my family's health. I think it's important to be setting a good example for my son, and to be supportive of my husband making similar healthy changes. Both my husband and I struggle with weight and bad habits, and that's not a legacy I want to pass on to our son.

Changing a lifetime of bad habits isn't easy, but I have lots of support and guidance in building new ones -- and lots of reasons to make those changes.