I Love MyFitnessPal And Athletic Tape!

So yeah, there is this thing called MyFitnessPal and its an app you can download on your phone (but you can also use the website on your computer, both of which I like to do).   You can record your weight, your inches, your weight loss goals..   And it will calculate how many calories you can have.

Then it gives you a food diary and it knows all the nutrition information of any food (popular fast food, or ingredients you cook with at home, etc.).   You can also scan the bar code of packaged foods, and it will tell you the nutritional value of everything.  

So that way you know how many calories you ate vs. how many you should be eating.  You can even make friends there and get support, if you want to.   Its just a wonderful tool and its been invaluable in helping me keep track of what I eat. 

I also recently discovered the amazing and useful qualities of Athletic taping!  Many people use athletic tape for extra support in their feet, hands, wrists, etc.   I have this issue with my feet where I have pronated ankles (that's when your inner ankles lean in, causing your arches to go flat against the floor).   I also have flat feet.  And as if that weren't bad enough, I have "plantar fasciitis" too-- which is over-stretching and irritation of the plantar tendon on the bottom of the feet (especially in the heels).

All three of these problems can cause A LOT of foot pain, and by association-- back pain, due to bad posture.

So I went on YouTube and watched some videos on how to do athlettic taping on the feet to offer better support against flat feet, pronated ankles and plantar fasciitis, to help correct these problems. 

I also bought some Dr. Scholls shoes, and some orthotic inserts for plantar fasciitis.  and this helps the taping do its job better.

There are pros and cons to using athletic tape on your feet.   It certainly does provide excellent custom support!  But sometimes if you didn't do the best job on your taping, it can irritate a little.  And of course you are constantly buying more tape!  lol.   But the way it helps kind of makes it all worth it.

So yeah, those are my 2 tips for the day-- check out MyFitnessPal, and if you have foot problems, watch videos on how to do athletic taping on them.   

Balancing Work And Healthy Eating

So I'm still trying to adjust to exactly how I can keep myself properly fed in a healthy way, while on this weight loss plan and WORKING.

My biggest problem is that after work, and on my days off, I am sooooooooo sore and tired.   Too much so to stand in the kitchen cooking or doing dishes!  And of course I don't wanna spend all my money buying quick stuff at the store (which isn't nearly as healthy as home cooked food anyway). 

Not to mention, my kitchen is a mess, because me and hubby are both too darn tired to clean it, lol.

The best I have been able to manage is when I finally DO talk myself into getting up and cooking a healthy dinner, that I make enough to save some for lunch tomorrow. 

Breakfast is my biggest challenge.   Like I dunno, should I make enough at dinner to have some for breakfast AND lunch the next day?  lol.  

See I usually get home and then rest a couple hours.  At that point I have built up enough energy to make dinner.   So...   I guess I figure kill 2 (or 3?) birds with one stone.   I won't have time to cook in the morning and I can't cook at work (other than the microwave).

Of course, I realize that 95% of my problem with being so sore and tired is directly related to my weight problem.  Which is why I am so determined to lose weight.    I know that the more I lose, the easier my job will be, so the less pain and soreness I will suffer and the more energy I will have to do things AFTER work.

But getting there is the tough part.