Eating Healthy Is Harder Than I Thought

I have not lost any weight in three weeks.

What? I know. Again, I'm a weight loss blogger who isn't losing weight. Something sounds very wrong with that equation.

Because of my building frustration, I had to take a step back and ask myself – what am I doing wrong?

After receiving a follow-up email from nutritionist Keri Glassman, it is very evident what I'm doing wrong. I'm eating the same stuff and expecting different results. While I may not literally be eating fast food every day, I might as well be with the choices that I've been making.

A bagel sounds harmless, right? Doesn't a sandwich from home sounds like a great lunch? Isn't low-fat yogurt a good choice? If there's something I've learned recently, it's that looks really are deceiving. In reality, the bagel isn't providing me enough protein and fiber, my sandwich has too much fat and I might as well be having ice cream instead of my yogurt.

With this knowledge in mind, I was very label-savvy in my latest grocery trip. I was worried that restocking my kitchen with Keri's suggestions would be an expensive endeavor. To my surprise, I did not spend more money on healthier choices. Truthfully, I ended up spending less money this week on groceries! I loaded up on bagel thins, peanut butter, apples, carrots, green tea and other nutritional items that were previously missing from my pantry.

Also, I'm still slacking off on the weekends. I am very good about tracking my food during the week, but I have not been tracking on the weekends. That stops with this weekend. The food I consume on the weekend is not a "free pass" and must also be tracked.

I realize I am making poor food choices when I'm dining with friends and family. I need to learn how to find the better choices when I'm surrounded by unhealthy options and to indulge in moderation. Before going to a restaurant, I need to investigate its menu to find the best option for me to order.

Another problem that I'm having is finding time to exercise. Ideally, I'd like to work out before work in the mornings. Unfortunately, that would mean getting up at 5 a.m. and walking to the gym in my apartment complex in the dark.

By the time I get home from work, I'm tired and the last thing I want to do is workout. When the weekend rolls around, I am either tired from the week or have other activities planned, which makes it difficult to find time to exercise.

Now that I have all of my excuses out of the way, it's time to figure out what is going to work for my schedule. My goal for this week is manage my time better and go to the gym after work. A few weeks ago, I would change before leaving work so that I could head to the gym. This week I am going back to that plan.

For my weekend workout, I am going to get up early and head to the gym before I get too wrapped up in my plans for the day. Instead of hoping to find time to work out, I am going to make the time to exercise my body.

I have identified my problems and now it's time to work on figuring out the solutions. For this week, I commit to tracking all of my food –- even on the weekend -– and working out four times this week. Along with working out, I plan to see which times work best and which days are most manageable for a long-term, consistent plan.

More on Tipping the Scales:
Managing Stress Helped Bonnie Lose 30 Pounds
The Art of Self-Control
Losing Weight Under Stress

After decades of dieting only to gain it back, two That's Fit readers have decided to finally rethink their relationship with food and exercise over the next year to move toward a lifetime of fulfilling, healthy living. Come by every week as Ashley and Lee share their successes and challenges as they tip the scale.