Counting Calories the Bodybugg Way

Calories can be burned by the hundreds 

by engaging in strenuous activities

that do not require physical exercise.

Beating around the bush.................75
Jumping to conclusions.................100
Climbing the walls.....................150
Swallowing your pride...................50
Passing the buck........................25
Throwing your weight around (depending on your weight)...50-300
Dragging your heels....................100
Pushing your luck......................250
Making mountains out of molehills......500
Hitting the nail on the head............50
Wading through paperwork...............300
Bending over backwards..................75
Jumping on the bandwagon...............200
Balancing the books.....................25
Running around in circles..............350
Eating crow............................225
Tooting your own horn...................25
Climbing the ladder of success.........750
Pulling out the stops...................75
Adding fuel to the fire................160
Wrapping it up at the day's end.........12

Opening a can of worms .................50
Putting your foot in your mouth........300
Starting the ball rolling...............90
Going over the edge.....................25
Picking up the pieces after............350

 {Source}

Funny how topics seem to naturally circulate in the blog world...lately I've been seeing a lot about the value VS. the insanity of being a calorie counter as a means to lose and maintain weight. Turns out I've got a little something to add to the chatter.

I'm a proud owner and wearer of the Bodybugg, the armband device that got its fame from the very popular reality TV show, The Biggest Loser. The thing is, I never used to count calories before the year 2010....NEVER. For periods of time I counted points through Weight Watchers, I counted fat grams through Susan Powter's program, and also counted carbs through programs such as Atkins and South Beach. But, never calories.

So, why did I spend the money on a Bodybugg?

Here's why. This year I slammed up against a very big wall when my stubborn body refused to do what it had always done when I attempted weight loss. . . lose weight! For 8 months I was patient and consistent, but I got the feeling that I just didn't have the data I needed to make wise choices with my food. How many calories was I really burning?  It doesn't really matter what diet you follow or how intuitively you eat, calories in and calories out need to be understood and respected so that wise choices can be made.

So, I invested in a Bodybugg, and as soon as it came, I programmed it, got my account set up, and strapped it on my left arm.

And, something seemed to magically happen. No, I didn't lose 10 pounds in a week or anything crazy like that. But, I now had an awareness, the feeling that a set of objective, nonjudgmental eyes were watching me, what I ate, how much I ate, and how much I moved my booty. Not like in a food nazi sort of way....just this keen awareness, ever present reminder of the goals I put in front of me on 1/1/10. From the first day, I LOVED it!

Since that first day on August 15, I have lost a total 19.1#, which is an average of about 2.5# a week! It works, and I happily recommend it to you guys. 

To be clear . . . I am NOT recommending obsessive calorie counting or addictive scale dependence. If you are tied to a number on the scale or constantly thinking about calories all day long, well, that's like trading one addiction (food) for another.

I don't know about you, but I want to be free of all that, live my life pursuing my goals, living my dreams and not take up brain space or spend valuable energy being anally retentive over a measurement of energy!

I don't mean to offend anyone who is being successful losing weight counting calories. Yes, counting those little buggers and controlling how many you put in your body may help you lose. But, eventually, I think we all want to just be free, to have the knowledge and tools we need internalized, and get on with our lives.

Losing weight is about

MANAGING OURSELVES, 

not our food.

We can't make the food behave, 

but we can change the way 

we behave around it.

And, it's work! It takes courage to face why we behave so badly! But, if you are ready to:

1. Do the work;
2. Journey through the ebb and flow of motivation and discouragement;
3. Learn how to plow through plateaus;
4. And know all the while & BE HAPPY with the fact that you are being good to yourself & kind to your body;

 ...and you need access to the hard data like I did, the Bodybugg might just be for you.

If you wanna learn more about the Bodybugg, just click on the link. Warning: its a bit pricey, going for $175 which includes the armband and a 6 month subscription to the web-based program that you need to use it. But, the device is state-of-the-art and considered to be THE most accurate calorie management technology available other than what you'd get from a medical facility.

That's it for this week...and, oh, I wasn't paid nor did I receive any other kind of compensation for this review. I don't work for Apex Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness. I just own a Bodybugg, use it, and want to pass on what I've learned. The views expressed here are my own, and cannot be bought or sold.

love you guys,
Cheryl

Morning Pages

Dreams. Goals. Plans. I sat on my couch this morning, holding my coffee cup, thinking about my life and how utterly happy I am right now. Ever have those moments of reflection when it seems that everything is just as it should be....and even get a little misty eyed as the thoughts pervade?  That was me this morning.

I've also experienced just the opposite sort of days...clutching my coffee cup, feeling like I cannot muddle my way out of my own head enough to make any progress toward my goals. Confusion leads to frustration which leads to fragmented thinking until a good ole' dose of overwhelm begins to set in. And, I don't know about you, but I don't do too well when the overwhelm switch is thrown...I tend to just shut down, withdraw, freeze. And, horrors, sometimes eat.

I want more of the first kind of day, don't you?

A few years ago I did find something that helps every single time when the ugly scenario above begins to play out. It's called "Morning Pages," the brainchild of Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, The Right to Write and many, many more excellent books.

Julia Cameron knows what she's talking about. She's been helping creative types discover and sometimes rediscover their creativity through her classes, and one of the primary tools that she employs is morning pages.

So, what's morning pages? Here's the jist: every morning write three pages long-hand. Just write. No form required, punctuation is optional, spelling never an issue. No outlines, paragraphs, Strunk & White not welcome at this early morning party. Stream of consciousness if you will. And, nobody has to see it but you.

Write what you're thinking, feeling, struggling with, what you want to do, what you have to do, how you feel about it, your weight loss journey, your progress, lack of progress. It could be a prayer to God, words you wanna say to your SO, words you wanna have with your DH. Point is, you write....anything in the world. Just write. Three. Pages.

That shouldn't be hard for us bloggers. Seriously. So easy. But, I warn you...it requires a brutal honesty with yourself if you want it to work.

I learned of this beautiful practice a few years ago in a creative writing class, and in a very Cherylish sort of way (I didn't say childish), questioned the how of it. With all due respect, I told the instructor that I simply could NOT do this long hand, would have to be on the 'puter. She just smiled. I was looking for a debate, wanted her to defend this archaic notion of long-handedness. What I got, tho was just a gentle nudge, suggesting I should just try it. So Julia Cameronish. Sigh.

Anyway, I picked back up my Morning Pages a few days ago. Gotta say . . . it works. Every. Time. No. Kidding.

After writing my three pages, I somehow could think more clearly to make my to-do list. My mind was naturally able to prioritize my day. Ideas started popping like popcorn, confusion faded into clarity, dreams sparkled in the morning light, and plans on how to realize those dreams came floating right on into my brain. Was I ready for the day? You bet I was. And this only took like 20 minutes.

Is there anything else you can do for 20 minutes that offers you that? I can't tell you the science behind why it works. I just know that it does.

I encourage you to try Morning Pages for yourself. If you wanna learn more about it, check out Julia Cameron's website The Artist's Way. I promise you will not be sorry. Because, face it, the weight loss journey can be really really tough and overwhelming sometimes. I think this little, simple tool will help a lot of us keep on keeping on.

Are you familiar with morning pages? If not, are you willing to give it a try, say for a week? If you are familiar, have you practiced it and what were your personal results?

Keep moving forward,
Cheryl

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons