My nutritionist told me that if I wanted to make a change and be healthier with my food, I needed to know what I currently was doing. She suggested just writing down what I ate for about 10 days. Everything.

Then, and only after the 10 days was up, figure out the balance between calories, fat-carb-protein, and stack it up against your exercise schedule to check consumed v spent. But DO NOT DO THIS PART UNTIL AFTER YOUR 10 DAYS.

When you take that step back, look at it, analyse it – only then can you tweak things. Only then. Not before.

And my coach told me to weigh myself every day – but never pay attention to the number. Pay attention to the trend of the week or two weeks, and use it as a guide, combined with the way my clothes fit.

Hope these help. If you do the food counting, I used fitday.com for mine and found it useful.

While I definitely don’t agree with their suggestions for your diet, I honestly doubt they don’t accept you for who you are! No way! Being “fit” doesn’t necessarily mean “Fitting” into a certain mold or stereotype of a big, muscle head! However, since you sat down with a trainer and said “I think I gained weight” that to them may have been a signal that you wanted help losing it! If you’re happy with how you look/eat/etc that’s ALL that matters- but make sure they know that!

You are fit and beautiful and STRONG! Keep doing what you are doing and don’t let trainers at your gym define your body image. You are the only ne who gets to do that Keep it up girl! We’re all rooting for you!
ms mindless´s last blog ..what book should i read next?

I have come to the following conclusions…
a) im in love with food, period. I like to eat, cook and bake (a lot)
b) im never going to be as skinny as I am in my minds eye
c) Im okay with all of that.

If you can run 4 miles and be happy with who you are, how you eat and how you feel after all of that, then really you only need to keep on top of what i like to call ‘maintenance”. that means going to a doctor on an annual basis to make sure that all your vital vitals are in check, and more importantly that you feel good about you, mentally and phsyically. I speak from experience, for the past 15 years I have been doing battle with my weight. I’ve come to the conclusion that life is much easier when I am happy with who I am.

Don’t let the meatheads at the gym discourage you from working out if that is what you want to do. Also listening to your body and giving in to some, not all, of your cravings is actually quite smart. Your body craves what it needs (most of the time).
Sarah´s last blog ..baking fail

PS I never never weigh myself in the middle of the afternoon, it’s too depressing

I know how you feel though when people try to tell to you something this ridicoulous. I am a big girl, always have been a bit fuller than most, and a close family friend went on a radical diet plan for Food Addicts Annoymous. In short, it cuts out sugar and a lot of heavy carbs from your diet all together and you lose massive amounts of weight. I remember one night at her house we were complementing her on her weight loss when she looked at my middle (the then only big part of my body-the rest I was beyond confident in my curves-like spokeswoman for curvy girls confident) and said, “Yeah you need to go on it. You need to lose that fat middle…and well you would look good thin.” What? Who says something so rude to someone? Karma has a way of catching up to people as she now is 70 pounds heavier than she was pre diet.

So keep up your hard work and don’t let anyone judge you or make you feel less than you are. Be confident!
Start of Something Beautiful (Emily)´s last blog ..Story time with Em..

Burn some calories and smack those guys in the face. I hate when people don’t understand the emotional side to eating/working out.