Enough is enough!!!

I am still working on my last 10 pounds post-baby and my youngest is 3 years old! (insert laughter here) Don't get me wrong, I am very happy about the 55 pounds that I was able to lose and keep off in this same time frame... but enough is enough! I am not wanting to lose this weight for vanity purposes, though buying something smaller than my current size 6 would make me shout "Hallelujah!" from the second level of any shopping mall. I am working to be within my BMI (Body Mass Index) and keeping certain medical conditions that plague my family tree at bay. You are probably wondering what I plan to do in order to lose these nagging pounds? Well, I am not using any newfangled pills, potions or lotions. Just simple mathematics... Eat less and move more. 

I found a calorie counting app for my phone called My Diet Diary. I have been using it for the last 2 weeks and so far so good. This application is really keeping me honest. The cool thing about this app is that I can enter my weight, height, desired weight and the time frame in which I want to achieve this goal and I will be able to see how many calories I need to consume each day to lose the weight. Each day has a section where I can enter what I have eaten plus the caloric value, how much water I have consumed and how many calories I have left for the day. My caloric intake is roughly 1100 calories. This may seem extremely low but I want to reach my goal by the time I pull out my spring and summer clothes, which should be around April 1st.

The average American consumes roughly 4000 calories a day! Is that a shocker? Well actually, I am not surprised at all. It is so easy to consume 1000 calories in one meal these days. I did the calorie count for my free short stack from IHOP during National Pancake Day. So I ordered a short stack, which consists of 3 buttermilk pancakes and added on 2 turkey sausage links and water (drum roll, please)... that was a whopping 478 calories. Imagine what it would have been if I ordered the standard pancake breakfast that includes everything I ordered plus hash browns and 2 scrambled eggs plus some sort of drink. Another feature cool feature is entering how many calories I have burned while exercising or doing housework. Who knew that you could burn 131 calories while cleaning your house for 45 minutes or 100 calories by using a jump rope for 8 minutes?

I am sure that I am raining on the parade of several of my friends when I tell then how many calories are in the meal they are currently eating... :| Oh well, they will thank me later. Good friends are hard to come by so I want them be healthy too!

Update:
I have lost, as of 4/4/12, 7 pounds and lost 2 inches around my waist. I notice the most difference around my "mommy" tummy, so I have decided to extend my goal from losing 10 pounds to 15 pounds. I have 8 more pounds to go!! I will be ready for the Bahamas in June!!!!