Didn't realize that this site, which I've been using since December, had a blog feature until someone mentioned it in the message boards. I'm hoping it will be a good place for me to record the ups and downs of my struggle so that in the future I can read back over older entries and see whether certain patterns (either positive or negative) emerge.

My primary goal is cholesterol reduction through a three-pronged strategy: increased exercise (haven't been doing so well on that one), decreased saturated fat intake (maximum of 14 grams per day), and increased fiber intake (at least 40 g per day). Along the way, with the help of my fabulous nutritionist, I also began monitoring my sugar intake (maximum 90 g per day) and trying to keep my overall fat intake under 30% of my total calories.

Along the way I've learned to combine protein, carbs, and a little bit of fat in my snacks (so pretzels and Greek yogurt are a better snack than just pretzels; blueberries and almonds are better than just blueberries, etc.). I've learned that a higher protein intake keeps me full longer, and I've learned that I am most successful (here's a real shocker for all you CK oldies) when I plan and log ahead. When I know I'll be going out to eat, I look up the restaurant online and know what I'm going to order before I walk in the door. I plan an entire week's worth of snacks and meals in advance before doing my weekly grocery shopping, and then spend at least an hour prepping my food (washing, cutting up, and putting into containers my fruit and veggies snacks, portioning out little baggies of 14 almonds, etc.) for the week so that in the morning all I have to do is sweep the relevant items off the shelf and into my portable cooler bag.

When I don't plan ahead, many things can go wrong. Sometimes I order something I think will be a good choice at a resto, only to get home and log it, discovering that in fact it sent me WAY over my 500-calorie-maximum meal target. Sometimes I get too hungry because I didn't take healthy snacks with me when I'm on the run, leading me to make poor choices. I also still struggle with overeating when I'm upset about something -- nothing extreme like binge eating, but definitely not taking care of myself in the best way possible.

I've also noticed that I exert much less control when I have not slept enough. When I have an extra long day, it's MUCH harder to stay within my allotted calories because I've simply been up too long. Yesterday (Friday night), for example, I had been up since 4 and was stressed and worried about something that evening. I met some friends for happy hour and stuck to my pre-planned two glasses of white wine, but we didn't order dinner until close to 8, by which point I was almost blind with hunger and couldn't think straight (nor did I really care by that point). It didn't help that my friends had chosen a place with extremely limited healthy options. The result? A cheeseburger (mega yum), some mediocre mac and cheese (so not worth it, but ate it anyway), and some incredibly delicious onion rings.

Waking up the next morning and reviewing the situation, I see that of course I could have handled it differently. I could have eaten just the meat, I could have cut the burger in half and taken the rest home, I could have stopped eating the mac and cheese once I realized it didn't meet my standards, I could have ordered a side salad (dressing on the side, of course), I could have ordered whatever the veggie of the day was, I could have ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and skipped the bread/bun...you get the picture.

PLEASE tell me this gets easier over time!!!