Chatting Over Chocolate: 35 by 35! #12

Happy Thursday, friends! Time to check in with you all, and share a FREE must-see app. Let's get right to it...

Progress:

My weight loss seems to be stalling at the moment. Ever since hitting my goal of dropping 10% of my total body weight (about a week and a half ago), my weight has fluctuated back and forth about a pound and a half. I'm so ready to see that pesky number on the scale minimize consistently again! Rather than allowing myself to become discouraged though, I've continued doing the things that I know are key to shedding this unwanted weight and living a healthier lifestyle. I'm eating right, drinking at least 2-Liters of water, and exercising daily. I can feel the changes in my body. I am getting more fit, flexible, and gaining endurance each day. Although I don't know when the scale will reflect that, I rest in my Sovereign God knowing that He works all things together towards my good and His glory. My hope remains in Him and rather than becoming upset, I choose to give thanks for this body of mine and the ability to get up each morning and move!

Food Find:

I loooove cheese! Kraft's Fat Free shredded cheddar has a fraction of the calories that their regular shredded cheddar does, and has 0 fat. I've been enjoying it in salads and grilled chicken wraps this week. It's a wonderful way to add some cheesy goodness to your meals now and then, guilt-free!

Tip of the Week:

Always measure your food! Never guess on portion size. An easy way to do this is to have your measuring cups and spoons easily accessible. A simple trick I use to make sure I never sprinkle too much of the food find mentioned above is to tuck a 1-TBSP measuring spoon inside the package. I also do this with cereal. I've found that sticking a 1/2 cup measuring cup in our cereal box helps keep our portion sizes in check ...even for our girlies. ;)

I'd also recommend investing in a good food scale. I use mine pretty much daily for measuring how many ounces of grilled chicken, beef, ect. I'm about to use on everything from quick salads I throw together for my lunch to dishes I'm cooking and preparing for our family.

Measuring what you're about to eat takes minimal effort and can actually greatly impact your efforts in your journey towards losing (or maintaining) weight.

App Love:

Check out "Lose It!", a FREE app that will aid in you keeping track of how many calories you consume and how much calories you burn with exercise, all on a daily log right there on your phone! Another cool thing about this app, you can actually use the camera on your smart phone to "scan" the bar code on food packaging. Once scanned you can select your portion size and add it to your daily food log. You can also search for food's nutritional info and even view nutritional facts from several restaurant menus! I've found it to be such a handy tool! I'd highly recommend checking it out. ;)

*"Lose It!" also offers a Premium membership at an annual cost. I only use their FREE app and don't know anything about the benefits or pros/cons of their paid membership.

Have a fabulous upcoming weekend, friends!

REMINDER: My comments section is officially a CHEERING SECTION on Thursdays! Let's cheer each other on, friends! I'd love to hear how you're doing too! Struggles, triumphs, things you've found helpful...feel free to share! The interactions I've had with each of you who've sent me comments/messages have served as an incredible inspiration and encouragement! THANK YOU!!!

Need some new light and delicious recipes?

Check out my Pinboard: Delicious Ways to Shrink.