By now you should have your water consumption down pat. You should be reaching for that water bottle unconsciously if you took my challenge from the last article. This time we are going to talk about weight. Actually we are going to talk about being AWARE. I have a real hard time figuring out how many calories were in those yummy chips and salsa. Especially after a margarita or two with the girls! So please do join me on my quest to journal my food intake and be the svelte girl I know is under there! I have attempted to do this thousands of times, but if I say this in print I�ll be forced to keep my word...

Let�s lay the ground work. Where are you going to write your information down? Well, you can do it on line, in a cheap notebook or in a nice journal. Really think about how you want to do this, as you will be doing it EVERYDAY. Take some time to pick out the perfect journal for you. Find the time and place that you will be able to enjoy this new habit. Try different times of the day: when you first wake up, before going to sleep, at lunch, find that place that is most comfortable for you. Give yourself time to reflect on past entries. Reflecting gives you a sense of where you have been and where you are going. Personally, I am going to record all that I ingest online every evening and I am going to keep a 3x5 card on me at all times so I can record as I go. Sometimes my days are long and I tend to forget what I actually have eaten. I�ll be in for a rude awakening when I realize how many "Cream Savers" I eat. Yikes! Try these online sources: www.fitday.com or www.calorieking.com. They compute everything for you and they are free. For food diaries that are all set up for you go to www.bodyforlife.com and click on downloads. Follow the information. As well, there is a great little book called The Workout Notebook by Karen Madrid (www.barclaybooks.com, click under "health") that can take the guesswork out of your process.

Ready? Begin by tracking everything you eat for a week. Note the amounts. I thought I was eating one cup of cereal. Seems my favorite bowl holds 3 cups. Oops. So this will be discovery week. You�ll be amazed at what 3 ounces of meat really is. Education and research is what this first week is about. The next week is about getting control. You will begin to say, " If I eat this pint of Ben and Jerry�s, I�ll have to record it." We all know we DON�T really want to know how many calories or fat grams are in a pint of my good friends� B & J�s products. By using the online services, you can cut time in adding up, but should you do it with the help of a calorie counter, it won�t take too long. You can find these books at any book store. The "Workout Notebook" does have some calorie counts in the back. Eat it, write it down. Be Aware. Everything is a conscious decision once you are aware. Ask yourself are you eating for hunger, fun, entertainment or emotional reasons? Some doctors ask you to record your feelings when you eat. If you feel you are an emotional response eater, this can be helpful when reflecting back. Now that you have the hang of it, let�s talk about those fitness goals.

Really and truly do not try to lose more than a pound a week. Your goals should be realistic and achievable. There is enough failure set up in a normal day, that a realistic attainable goal is the way to go. There are many, many, many diets and programs out there. Do your research and find the one that is good for you. Ask your doctor. My personal favorites are Body for Life and the Metabolic Typing Diet. These are not fads, and pretty sound. Log on to www.hussman.org to find you base metabolic rate (BMR) This number will help you figure out how many calories you personally should consume to lose weight or to stay the same weight but build muscle. BMR is the number of calories you will typically burn just by breathing or lying in bed. You will need these numbers in order to tailor a plan for you, not the mass public. I�ll be embarking on this with you, so let�s get started!