Taking a Break for a Day

I've been consistently keeping a journal of everything I eat for the past 6 weeks. I make sure I'm not eating too much fat or cholesterol. I've been eating only whole grains and no trans fats. I've been diligently reading labels and buying only the things that fit within my guidelines.

Today I decided to give myself a break. That didn't mean I gobbled up deep fried foods, processed foods, white starches and trans fats. I made what I figured were good food choices. I just didn't write down anything I ate. The great thing about taking a break was that I realized I could enjoy what I was eating even when the food was "healthy".

I didn't look up all the foods I ate to see how much carbs, proteins, fats, fiber or cholesterol they had. I didn't worry if I had to have a white flour tortilla rather than whole wheat or corn because the restaurant only had white flour. I was just careful not to eat too much of the stuff on my "no" list.

I really didn't have a lot of choice. We went on a little trip today. We ate out for lunch and dinner. I didn't want to be overly picky about where we ate. I wanted someone else to get to eat where they wanted. Given what I've learned over the years about nutrition, I made the best food choices I could.

I just made a decision not to be anal about tracking it. I don't want to minutely track what I eat every day for the rest of my life. Once I reach my goals, I plan on using my own judgement to find the best foods at the right quantity.

Recording the nutritional information for every morsel that ends up in my mouth has been great for learning about quantities. I will continue to look up nutritional information and keep a food journal. Until I reach my goal, every once in a while, I'm going to have to take a day off to truly enjoy what I'm eating.