Week 4 - Day 1

First goal: lose 5% of my current body weight
Overall goal: lose 40 pounds
Current status: lost 7 pounds total so far

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Well, this morning was my weigh in. After the free-for-all of food that was my weekend (wedding reception, rehearsal dinner, Anthony's birthday and ensuing cake and Halloween), I figured I'd be toting around a couple extra pounds.

Getting on the scale this morning involved me closing my eyes and thinking skinny thoughts. Guess that worked because I lost another 1.3 pounds this week for a total so far of 7 pounds lost!

HOLY COW!

How could that be? I didn't feel like I denied myself much at the wedding reception. I was the designated driver, so I didn't drink (and slightly wished I had so I could avoid the family's incessant questions of when we'd be the next to marry) but other than that, I ate what I wanted and stopped when I started to feel full.

Maybe that was the key - I started to feel full and didn't keep eating. I then proceeded to record as much as I could remember and overestimated the rest that I couldn't in points. But in the end, my stomach said "enough" and I said "ok" while the rest of my wedding-goer-compadrés continued to gorge on the goodies flowing freely from the kitchen to the reception room.

Either way, whatever I did this week worked....and I survived!

This newest revelation has given me hope. No....motivation.

There are only 3 weeks until Thanksgiving and I WILL hit my first 10 pounds lost before then (or by then at the latest).

Each tenth of a pound I loose makes me wonder what else I can do differently this coming week to add another tenth and another half pound and another pound lost to next week's scale. What can I eat less of? What can I eat differently? What can I do this week to make myself even better next week??

Its almost becoming a game. Is weight loss fun? Not so much my friend....but its a puzzle that I'm slowly putting together, and the more I get into it, the more I HAVE to reach my goal....and the farther I get, the more I KNOW I WILL REACH IT!

Last Day - Week 3

First goal: lose 5% of my current body weight
Overall goal: lose 40 pounds
Current status: unknown

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This past weekend was a perfect storm of food for me. It was Anthony's birthday (which required dinner and a cake of course), we had a wedding to go to (waaaay too much food), a rehearsal dinner, and Halloween.

REALLY?

So I really don't know what my weigh-in tomorrow will bring. I'm bracing myself for little to NO loss this week, but I tried to be good over the weekend, so I'm hoping for no gain.

We'll see tomorrow.

The one GOOD thing (great even) is that last week, I under-grew my old belt. I say "under-grew" because I don't fit it anymore, but that's because its too big.

So I got the same exact belt one size smaller (I really really like the belt).

Today I put it on for the first time, and guess what?

IT BUCKLES ON THE SECOND NOTCH!!!!!

WOO HOO!!!

Talk about great news!!

So really for ME, that's progress....no matter what the scale says tomorrow!!

Though, I'll be happy if it goes down! :)

Week 3 (lost count of the days...)

First goal: lose 5% of my current body weight
Overall goal: lose 40 pounds
Current status: lost 5.7 pounds

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Well, weigh-in #3 was this morning....and I've realized eating (for me) is a little like shopping.

Back in the day, if I went shopping and wanted something, I'd get it. Didn't matter if I had the money or how much it was. Now, true, I never just went and spent willy-nilly on a pair of Manolo's or anything (yes, I saw SATC2 last night), but a little spent often enough adds up. And all that adding resulted in me having credit card issues. Well, basically I owed. A lot.

Over time, I realized that I was just buying to make myself happy. I wasn't happy with a lot of what was going on in my life, and maybe subconsciously, I thought that a new pair of shoes or a new shirt would make me happy. And they did - but only temporarily... Then I'd want to shop some more.

But when I realized I CAN be happy and have it NOTHING to do with shopping, I started shopping in a more discriminate fashion. Did I really NEED that rainbow scarf or those green Crocs? NO. Did I want them? YES. BUT instead of just BUYING them right then, I learned to wait. If I was still thinking about them tomorrow or next week, then I really DID want them and would choose to spend my money on them.

That has lead me to be able pay down a lot of my debt and to really truly enjoy when I DO actually spend money on myself...

I'm learning the same can be said for food.

In the past 3 weeks, I've gone from being anxious about every meal to realizing that I have options. I've stopped to think about what I really want to eat, and made healthier choices.

The other night, I went out to the diner and was faced with getting something fun like chicken fingers and fries or even a veggie burger and fries. That's what my first instinct told me to get... But I stopped and thought about my options. An egg white omelet with spinach, tomatoes and feta cheese is just as filling but A) way healthier and B) waaaay less points. And who doesn't love breakfast for dinner?? I LOVE BREAKFAST FOR DINNER!!

Point is, I was able to realize that the fun and happiness I'd get from bad food would last only a short while but the fat and badness I get from it would last way longer on my arse and anywhere else it landed - sort of like my credit card bills!! So, if I'm going to "charge" the points, why not owe less?? It turns out I was JUST as happy and didn't "pay" as much!!

WIN WIN!

I love shopping and eating. And I admit there ARE still times I want to both spend money and eat willy-nilly, but will it make me happy long run? No.

Besides, I love loosing weight even more! WOOT!