A Healthy Bug

A Healthy Bug

Indulging in a fat free diet is quite the challenge. There are fat free foods out there and incorporating them into one’s diet is a healthy step towards an overall, healthier lifestyle. Yet, it isn’t uncommon to incorporate some fat free options with low fat options, in an effort to keep our meals manageable and with variety.

I am not a diet guru…I have not tapped into every diet fad out there. I have tried some, none with too much enthusiasm, and have found for me, trying to eat healthier while tossing in some exercise is my best plan. The hardest part about my plan is ensuring that the calories I am taking in are less than the calories I am burning throughout the day. I suppose that is the most simplest formula to losing weight. Don’t eat more than your body can burn.

Have you ever went to your gym, jumped on the treadmill or elliptical machine, exercised for a period of time, sweat dripping off your head….pushed the button to show your “calories burned” and were amazed and proud of yourself for the progress you made? I did that all the time. Yet, I wasn’t seeing the results I was hoping to see…and I didn’t understand it.

For any of you who are TV junkies, the Biggest Loser, is probably at least a show you have heard of. I haven’t always watched it, but one day made it through an episode and wondered what those bands were around their arms. I assumed since they were all wearing them, it had to be exercise oriented. I did a little research and found out that they were all wearing the Bodybugg.

I’m not going to lie…I rushed right out and bought it. It’s not a cheap tool, but with time, I have found that it was my saving grace. The Bodybugg armband does exactly what I couldn’t do. It monitors the calories that you burn throughout the day. You enter your food intake into a system that tracks your calories, etc. and the Bodybugg (worn on your arm), monitors what you are putting out. At the end of the day, you upload the armbands information into the program and you are able to see how much you took in and how much you burned…which allows you to gauge whether you are eating/exercising in a way that allows you to lose weight…if that is your goal. You can set up goals to lose, maintain or gain weight, depending on the path you are wanting to choose.

It can be a slightly time consuming tool, however, it gave me the knowledge I had been lacking. I hopped onto the treadmill again and at the end….compared my Bodybugg to the results the treadmill had given me. WOW! Quite the difference. All along I was under the impression that I was burning a significant amount of calories on this thing…when the reality was, I was burning calories…but not at the level I had hoped. This taught me to be more aware of what I was eating, what I burned while at work, the gym, asleep, etc. It helped me shed pounds, while allowing me to eat and do what I wanted.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a challenge and we each have tools we use to aid in this process. For me, healthy foods, including fat free options and utilizing the Bodybugg have helped me tackle this challenge and come out ahead. This may not be the solution for everyone, but it may be worth checking out.