A-Z Fitness - Tracking

It might not seem like it, but tracking is on of the most important things you can do. Why is this? Tracking does just as it suggests, helps keep track of what you are eating. Most people when they are watching what they eat, try to maintain a certain amount of calories for the day. Generally, that's a good idea to do no matter where you are in your fitness quest, losing weight or maintaining. Have you tried tracking? You'd be surprised how quickly the calories can add up. 1 Tbsp of Ketchup can have 20 calories; 1 Tbsp. of light mayonnaise can have 35 calories; 1 Tbsp of regular mayonnaise can have 90 calories and 8 oz. of orange juice can have 110 calories. If you are not tracking, you may not even be aware of what you are putting into your body. Track can help make you more aware.

Tips: You can find small, convenient journal books in most book stores. There are also many online programs to help with tracking. Some you have to pay for, but I've found several free ones. If you attend Weight Watchers or some other type of program, they generally have free weekly trackers available for use. If you own a Droid phone or one of those apple devices, you can find apps to use as well, again some you pay a one time fee for, others are free. Find out what works best for you.

Remember: If you are going to track, don't kid yourself. Make sure to track everything you eat. This includes condiments, juice, coffee sweetener and all BLT's (Bites, Licks & Tastes). If you don't keep track of those, the tracking will be ineffective because they can add up fast.

Goal: Make it your goal to write down everything you eat. Try to do it for a full week. Not only will you be more aware of what you are eating, you can do a review at the end of the week and see what exactly you have been eating. It might help you figure out where you are going wrong, if losing weight is a problem for you. If you find it too difficult to continue for a full week, give it a try for at least a day.

Last Weeks Goal: Last week you were to find and give new support. What did you come up with? Were you given support at all, and more importantly did you try to support someone else's fitness?

What fitness words starting with the letter "T" inspire you?