Love Food? It's Ok!

JOB for Losing Weight:

J – Journal the food you eat- this will keep you accountable
O – Obstacles will Occur Every Day- Don't give in- look for solutions
B – Be Patient and Kind to Yourself- It took time to put this weight on and takes time to get it off. (this is such good advice:)
*I saw this on another blog I follow, Get Up & Get Moving, you can see her blog here. 

When I look at the basics of weight loss it's really simple!  Burn more calories than I eat!  I've realized that weight loss can't be seen in black & white.  What I mean by that is if you have a not so healthy breakfast it doesn't have to mean that your whole day is shot.  Each meal I have the opportunity to make a food choice that will bring me closer to my goals.  Shay from the Biggest Loser wrote once that when she goes to eat something she asks herself the question "If I eat this will it bring me closer to my goal, or take me farther away from it".  It doesn't get much simpler than that!
Now, I'm not saying that I never eat something gooey, sweet, salty, crunchy, etc.  I do not live on apples & celery...not even close!  But I do plan my day so I can enjoy the foods I love.  I have a low fat ice cream bar every night as a treat...and I never feel a bit guilty about it either.  Nor should you!  Being a healthy person also means not being too restrictive.  I've seen too many people yep, that means me too go on strict diets where there are "forbidden foods" and "RED light foods", etc.  If you tell yourself while you are losing weight that you can't have the foods you love you WILL NEVER MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT LOSS.  Trust me on this!  I was that girl for so many years, trying every diet out there...I'd lose the weight and then return right back to my old weighs ways.  Include the foods you love in your meal plan, just use portion control and be sensible.  And if you happen to overinduldge don't beat yourself up about it!  Commit to another day on the treadmill, or pump up the intensity a bit, drink an extra glass of water. 
We are all human...we can't be perfect all the time.  And life is about LIVING...don't spend it obsessing over calories and depriving yourself.  We should enjoy the food (aka Fuel) we give our bodies!  There are so many yummy healthy choices out there for us to choose from, we shouldn't ever feel like we are "missing out" because we've decided to become healthy!  Plus when we eat right and exercise we feel better- so we can enjoy life more!

Hope everyone has an awesome Friday!  I'll be cheering on the KANSAS JAYHAWKS tonight!