Excel Logs

Excel is your friend. It sure is mine! I hit 170lbs late last year and my LDL cholesterol also spiked. I knew I had to make some changes. Since Dec last year, I've been keeping an Excel log of what I eat and the associated calories. I've given up sugary drinks / snacks a long long time ago but my weakness is still fried foods & bread. I don't believe in drastic diets like Atkins anymore. I'm trying to take the approach of controlled / smaller portions of the junk foods I like while augmenting my intake of fruits and vegetables...a more gradual and -sustainable- change. It is said that 3500 excess calories = 1 lb weight gain. I'm trying to keep under 1800 calories a day. This is where the log comes in handy ..to help me track what I eat and influence my food choices throughout the day and week. I've been slowly working my way up to 1 hour on the treadmill (thank you Armin for your ASOT sets to help motivate me) and also trying to do more weights. It gets tricky whenever I go back to the Bay Area. Going out to eat with friends & family I tend to eat more calorie dense foods and not workout. I've only seen modest results so far but I hope my efforts will pay off in the long run.