A New Way to Journal

I take lots of food pictures. Whether we're eating when we travel, visiting local restaurants or even cooking at home, I always have a camera within quick grabbing distance.

Couple that with the fact that I'm ready to start trying to get healthier again, and I had an idea: I'll journal, but in photographs only. So, yesterday at lunch, it began. I took a picture of everything that I ate yesterday and my photo food journal was up and running!

My goal is simple: to be honest with myself and more thoughtful about what I eat.

Our brains can do so odd things, like when we're driving late at night and your brain says, "Sure, rest your eyes for 10 seconds. It'll be fine." When it comes to food, my crazy brain often tells me, "If no one else sees you eat it, it doesn't count." Well, with this need photo food journal, it doesn't matter if anyone else sees me eat it. I'm taking a quick photo to force myself to see it.

It's about accountability and honesty. And if I can lose a pound or two along the way, I'll be thrilled!

Come on, Summer, FOCUS!

Yesterday was the last day of SXSW Interactive here in Austin. Lots of people, information and tweeting in the hallways. I attended panels and core conversations on such topics as company culture, managing online communities and politics. And yesterday, I was very happy to end my time at SXSW sitting in on a panel about food blogging!

The five folks on the panel had a wide range of backgrounds: a journalist, two homecooks, a fellow cupcake lover and a guy just looking for a place to eat lunch. They talked -- and invited the attendees to ask questions -- about such issues as placing ads on a food blog, getting book deals, how often they post and how much time they spend on each post.

One resounding piece of advice came when the conversation turned to what the panelists might say to someone starting a food blog. "Focus!" said Zach Brooks. Your readers come to expect certain things from you. He encouraged new food bloggers not to throw curve balls at their visitors and readers.

The panel also agreed that any food blog should be entertaining, useful or timely. Are you writing to break food-related news or introduce new restaurants? Do you want to share time-saving tips with readers? Do you just want to make readers laugh at your kitchen disasters? Do you want to let readers know that they're not alone in their struggles?

Focus!

My Group Therapy

A group of bloggers and food lovers got together last night for our second "let's read a good book, have some great food and get together to talk about it all" meeting last night. We had a blast!

For me, these get-togethers are sorta like therapy for me. From time to time, I worry that I've got such a scary love/hate relationship with food. (It's evil. It's necessity. It's delicious. It's fattening. It's fun. It's fuel. I want it all. I'll never eat again.) But getting to visit with people who love and respect food in a healthy way makes me feel good.

I Need to Blog

How long has it been?!

I'll be back soon. I'm just trying to figure out where to go from here with my food, my blogging.

I did blog (for work) recently about a food-related topic, so maybe that will hold you three sweet readers over for a little while longer while I try to find some direction for this thing.

Yikes

Well, so, Denise reminded me yesterday that I hadn't blogged in almost a month. Which means I haven't been journaling and tracking my food for much longer than that.

I'm trying to get going again. I'm trying to find the motivation. I know about being healthy and feeling good and looking better, but I'm at a brick wall right now. I hoping that once we get through Christmas, I can really get myself on track again.

So, I leave you today with a food/weight loss haiku:

Living on cupcakes
And a few cheeseburgers, too
There is tomorrow

Feeling Crafty???

You've probably seen it out there, folks who have decided to "pay it forward" with some handmade love in the form of something crafty. I dove in today after an open invite from Amy, and now I'm doing the same...

Here's the scoop:

If you've been lurking and have a blog and feel crafty, give me a quick comment. The first three people who comment will receive a handmade gift from me. I'm going to shoot for having them in the mail within a month. By participating, I hope that you'll then do the same from your blog...

I Don't Want to, But Here Goes

It's days like this that I don't want to blog. I don't want to look at the list of everything I ate, flashing at me in bright, red neon lights. Well, it's in black and white, but you know what I mean.

On the other hand, that's why I'm here: To keep track. To be accountable. To be mindful of what I'm eating in the course of a day.

I've made strides when I compare my menus lately to what I might have eaten just a few short years ago. But I still can't help but feel a little guilty when I have a day like this. A day with too few fruits, too few veggies and just too much food. I guess that means I'm learning the lessons. I'm learning how to control my portions and how to recognize when I've gone too far. Now if I can just keep from getting to the "too far" point, I'll be doing great!!!

Pre-breakfast: Nutrigrain bar: 3 points
(I was just famished after walking the dogs.)

Breakfast: oatmeal: 2 points

Mid-morning snack: fruit salad: 2 points

Lunch: taco: 4 points
chips and salsa: 3 points
two tortillas: 4 points
South Beach cookies: 2 points

Afternoon snack: mini fig newtons: 2 points

Dinner: pizza rolls: 12 points
brownie bites: 2 points

TOTAL: 36. Shameful.

Super Bowl Fun

While reading a small-business blog today, I found a great way to have a little fun with the Super Bowl...

BusinessPundit.com pointed to Charlie O'Donnell's wiki of a "buy a square" charity pool around the game. Join me and buy a square!!! Charlie explains everything here.

Since we brought Thunder home on the 13th, I took square #13. And in honor of the newest crazy addition to our zoo, I chose the Austin Humane Society as my charity of choice.

Good luck... and have fun!!!