So now that I am a little over a week into the SparkPeople system, I will share how I’m doing.
I’m doing fantasic, thank you for asking!
After the first week I have lost 3 lbs. I’m not measuring inches, just going by how my clothes fit, because I’ve learned that for me the measuring tape is more neurosis building than the scale.
Not only have I lost some weight but I feel fucking fabulous! I was confronted with a pot luck at the dojang this past Saturday (black belt presentations – one of my instructors is now Sah Bum Nim – 5th degree Black Belt), I had 1/2 piece a cake, a potsticker, some fruit and veggies and then I bolted. Talking with a fellow student I mentioned that I am pleasantly surprised with how much better I feel not just physically but mentally. He made the comment “Garbage in, garbage out” and until now I never realized how true that is.
One of the things I’ve always struggled with was eating right and not giving into every craving that came my way. After eating amazingly clean for a week, I now have a very clear reason to keep going – my mental health. I have struggled with depression and anxiety in the past, and the past few days I feel like I love everything, everywhere. Never before has any “diet” caused this great a positive shift in how I feel. On the Zone and BFL I was always cranky and sometimes headachy. On the SparkPeople plan I am actually enjoying my life and feel like I have the energy to do whatever I want.
Now, I’m not saying that this system is perfect, there are a few things I would change (like getting rid of any fat-free food items and just use real food in smaller quantities if possible). Not much irks me more than manufactured foods (think margarine, or fat-free cheese). That being said, there are more “reduced-fat” items than “fat-free” and to me that isn’t too bad.
I love how they have goals structured as well. You get a little check-box that you tick when you complete a goal. It sounds so basic, yet there is something satisfying about marking down that I remembered to take my vitamin, or do sit-ups, or drink water. I’m thinking of adding one for flossing my teeth, since I always seem to forget that.
Somehow, I’ve also gotten a lot more motivation to just add extra movement to my day as well. I try to park as far away from the entrance to the grocery store as I can. Instead of sitting and knitting during my daughter’s ballet and exercise class I go for a walk. This weekend my whole family went on a 2.5 hour bike ride then followed with a 1.5 hour walk in the evening, and it was enjoyable!
All in all I’m just going to roll with it. I don’t really care how I’m getting it work, it’s more important to me that it is working. We’re also planning a trip in the fall to Vegas and I want to feel as good about myself as I possibly can.
That and I want to look slammin’ in a new wardrobe.
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Minivan Ninja 
There is not better feeling than losing the first pounds and being like “YES I CAN DO THIS!”. Sparkpeople is great website. Good luck on your journey to your new wardrobe!
I was going back over the past week in my food analysis as noticed that my sodium intake had shot way up one day. It was the same day that I started eating cottage cheese. So I looked at the nutrition info and noticed that it had 450mg for a 1/2c. Isn’t that quite a bit. I thought that I was having a really healthy snack that was filling and nutritious when ever I was feeling a bit hungry at odd hours. What do most people try to stay under as far as sodium intake? Thanks all and sorry if this is super-newbish.