Little Lady's Black Book

    One of the secrets of my personal success with staying on track is my little black book.  Its black this year.  Last year's book was a little red book.  Color is not really important.  The important thing is I have used these little books to log diet and exercise much like a runner logs their miles.
     Much like any other repetitive activity, keeping track is difficult at first, but it becomes easier over time.  I began logging in April 2010.  At first, I did not log my walking or any other exercise for that matter.  I only logged what I drank, what I ate, my weight on occasion, and well...the days mother nature wrecked havoc on my life.  Recording mother nature explained fluctuations in weight, and onsets of "that time of the month" migraines.  Also, it helped my memory.  At the time, I was still going to the doctor for my preventative migraine medications.  Without fail, they asked the first day of my last period.  I could never remember.
    I have taken my little book everywhere.  I have taken it in the car.  I have taken it on vacations.  Its just the right size to fit in my pocketbook.  It has to be.  Otherwise, I know I would forget to keep track.
    Filling it in is quite simple.  Every morning, I write the numerical day and month, then the day of the week.
I always begin with water and coffee.  I will put a tick mark for each glass of water I drink.  I drink water all day.  For my protein drinks, I list all ingredients except the water (for my protein drinks, I add one cup water and one cup of crushed ice).
    I try to have a yogurt every day.  Several years ago, it seemed as if I was always going to the doctor.  I felt  plagued.  Some doctors blamed the fybromyalgia (I was diagnosed in 2002).  Some blamed perimenopause.  Then there was the antibiotics that also seemed to bring them on.  Ugh...Women out there know what I'm talking about.  Whatever it was that caused them, they were extremely disruptive to my life.  Well, I don't get them anymore.  To be honest, I can't remember the last one I had.  Its been years.  Even before I lost all the weight, they stopped when I decided to make a daily commitment to eating yogurt.  Greek or otherwise, it doesn't matter.  I don't know what ingredient in yogurt fixed my system and set me straight.  I don't really care.  All I know is yogurt has changed my life and I am devoted.  So, one thing you will always find in my little book...is my yogurt.  To the doctor that recommended it, thank you.  I wish I could remember your name.  Yogurt too bland for you?  I throw some granola on it...for a crunch.  It makes me smile.
    I do snack.  I love celery and crunchy peanut butter.  Sometimes I have an apple or a pear.  Sometimes its sliced green peppers and hummus.  Its okay to snack.  Just try to snack healthy.
    In the early evening, when my husband comes home, we have dinner.  Lately, we've been doing a lot of "Keep it light" nights, as my husband puts it.  I've even seen our son making better, healthier choices.  He is motivated, not only by us but, by the fact that he is working on his personal fitness merit badge in scouts.  It also helps that he is taking "health classes" in school.   He has become more conscious of the affects of good versus bad nutritional habits.  It gives me hope that someday I will be able to ween him off his beloved pop tarts.  By the way, we all have our "pop tarts".  With me, its the occasional glass of Cabernet with dinner or maybe a Kalua and coffee on a chilly evening.
   For dessert, I'm usually good.  How about a 10 calorie Jello topped with some 15 calorie whipped cream?  
    On the bottom of every page of my little book, I now log miles walked, weights lifted, sit ups completed, etc.  Really, whatever I do, I try to log it.  Maybe, one day, I'll even log hours slept.  Happy logging, friends.