Another principle that has become very clear to me on my weight loss journey is that I can’t out-exercise a bad diet. This became especially clear to me when I started tracking my food. As I entered everything that went into my mouth on fatsecret.com, I saw the calories add up from every little thing.

I also entered my exercise. I noticed a funny thing – the snacks and extra treats added up very quickly, but the calories burned exercising did not. It takes me approximately 30 minutes of jogging on the treadmill to burn 300 calories. Eating 300 calories worth of pizza takes about 30 seconds.

Unless you are some kind of intense athlete or a teenage boy, you cannot out-exercise a bad diet.

Another word about tracking: I find it useful for many reasons. Numbers don’t lie. If I write down everything, I can see if I should be losing weight and I understand if I am gaining. If I cheat on what I write down, I am only cheating myself. Sometimes, the very act of thinking, “Do I really want to write this down?” is enough to stop me from grabbing that cookie. Whether you use a website or a pencil and paper, tracking is an important tool for weight loss.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the extension of this though – it is time to move!