Monday

Still plugging along, one week down and I'm guessing at least ten to go till goal, assuming I'm a rock star dieter from here on out. Which, duh, I will be. 

Obviously. ;-)

Yesterday was Sunday and I'd planned on Sunday cheat days again, but I actually did better than that and stayed within the calorie allowance (which is 1200-1550 as dictated by Sparkpeople) although it was the high end instead of the low end where I usually try to land.

Side note: I can NOT recommend Sparkpeople for weight loss enough. I log my food and exercise and it helps keep me accountable and focused on what I'm supposed to be doing. The idea of inputting a ton of calories from a cupcake into that daily food log is enough to keep me from eating the cupcake, most of the time! ;-) 

I'm still snacking too much, but trying to choose better snacks. Boom Chicka Pop is sooooo good, it's a lightly sweetened popcorn and only 35 calories per cup. Yogurt, baby carrots with laughing cow cheese, and Dove dark chocolate singles are my other go-to choices. I'm still depending on microwave meals for lunches which is horribly bad for me nutritionally but it is just so easy to pop one in and know the calorie counts quickly, and right now convenience wins over health. 

Yesterday I tried Chipotle for lunch, which I've not cared for much in the past but it was really good! I had a burrito bowl with rice, chicken, fajita veggies, and tomato salsa for only around 400 calories and it was HUGE! That'll be a Sunday lunch favorite for the time being, replacing Chinese food which is my usual Sunday lunch. Even though I always get what I consider to be a healthy choice there, our favorite Chinese place doesn't provide calorie counts and I'm not taking chances that the meal I assume is close to 500 calories is closer to 1500!

So anyway, like I said. Plugging along. Trying to focus on TODAY, THIS snack, THIS meal, THIS craving. Chewing a LOT of gum. Staying positive and hopeful. Spring is right around the corner and I want to fit in last years clothes! :)

Long overdue update

 So the holidays and LOOOOOOOONG winter have resulted in me gaining back every single bit of the weight I'd lost in the fall, and then some. I ended up almost hitting 150 so I freaked out a bit and started trying again a week ago. I've already lost a bit over four pounds and I'm feeling a bit of momentum, but I'm also seriously kicking myself for letting it get so out of control again! 

One step forward, two steps back. BUT. I'm not giving up. Hopefully I'll be checking in here again and making good progress, but there's a pathetic part of me who remains skeptical that I'll stick to it any more than I have the last several times I've tried. I need to lose the 'all or nothing' attitude that makes me give up completely everytime I mess up. If I'd learn to jump back into the dieting game after a couple of bad days instead of using it as an excuse to eat whatever junk food meets my fancy for months on end, I'd finally get back where I want to be! 

Maybe this will be the time I succeed at this. It's happened once before, it could happen again. At any rate, here I am, trying AGAIN.

Saturday morning weigh in

I almost didn't post this at all, but then decided I should if for no other reason than to 'keep it real' and let you know I haven't quite given up on this endeavor.  My weight this week is only down like .2 lbs so I'm not considering it a loss at all, at best I just maintained this week. 

Which is no surprise really, I didn't work all that hard this week, but I did feel like I stepped up my game a little over the previous two weeks so I am slightly disappointed, but yeah, totally my fault. I ate too many steak subs (which we had twice this week...hey, we had BOGO coupons!) and even added potato chips on the side. I only worked out once all week. I ate breadsticks with my pizza, which adds way more calories than you'd think. Had three peices of cornbread with my chili. Had a couple of cupcakes and a Reese Cup. There's probably more that I can't think of right now, but you get the idea. Just letting the little things add up to be enough to prevent any weight lost this week.

So I know I need to step it up, plain and simple. If I want to lose ten more pounds by Christmas (which I now officially doubt I can pull off, to be honest, maybe I should aim for getting in the 120's?) I've got to start being ruthless with my efforts! Less junk and cheating, way more getting my butt moving. So easy to say, why is it so hard to implement!?!

FINALLY a Saturday morning weigh in!

Weight three weeks ago: 137.4
Weight this morning: 135.2
Loss of: 2.2  lbs.

I can NOT tell you what a relief it was this morning to get on the scales after three weeks of cheating (and totally avoiding the scale altogether out of fear) to see a loss. I was chanting in my head on my way across the room to the scales, "Please don't be back in the 140's again!" because I honestly believed I gained every single pound back! So yay for momentum that kept me somehow safe the past three weeks, and hopefully today can mark a comeback of real effort again. Imagine how far along I'd be right now if I'd kept working hard and eating right. Instead of two pounds I'd probably be down six more by today. Reminder to myself: You could be back in the 120's right now if you'd have done what you know you should be doing. Stop being such a slacker!! :-)

That being said, I'm making pink cupcakes today for my daughter to take to her Sunday evening small groups tomorrow and, let's face it, pink cupcakes rock. So yeah. Totally going to have one. Or two. Just being real. ;-)

Not going great...

I can't seem to get my mojo back after I went off the rails a week and a half ago. It is so frustrating that I was in such a zone that it was actually easy to stay under my calorie allowance, and now it feels impossible to even come close...to even TRY to come close. I am not making any excuses, although I do have PMS which I use as an excuse in the moment I'm about to eat Dorito's or what-have-you. I am just feeling so hungry all of the time, and giving in to muchies is so satisfying, isn't it?

The workouts have also stopped completely. I am sooooo exhausted so I don't workout, yet I'm probably exhausted because I'm not working out. The cycle of lazy is a tough one to break out of for me! Honestly though, my insomnia has been brutal lately and I also use that as an excuse when I'm sitting on the sofa instead of walking on the treadmill. Yesterday I rationalized that going up and down stairs for laundry all day was enough of a workout. The day before I rationalized my workout was rearranging the furniture. I mean honestly, I could rationalize anything at this point. 

I hate when I'm being weak and I know I'm being weak but I don't really do anything to stop it. Being weak is easier, to be honest. 

But I so want to be looking and feeling better by Christmas this year so if that has any chance of happening I have to get a serious grip on myself, and soon. Today CAN be better, if I'd only try a bit harder. I'll let you know how that goes. ;-)

This week never happened...

I'm taking the cowards way out and NOT weighing in tomorrow. This entire week has been a diet disaster and I have most likely gained a couple of pounds, so instead of weighing in and getting discouraged, I'm calling it a week off and hopefully getting back into the game next week. Yes, I'm horrible and this sucks, but whatever. I'm owning the colossal slip up, just not enough to face the consequences just yet! 

And truth be told I'm going to a college football game tomorrow and between that and the six hours I'll be in the car, I'm already acknowledging the cheat is going to continue. I so totally suck. :)

Argh

Feeling so defeated today. I had one cheat day on Saturday -- no, it was actually just one cheat MEAL on Saturday night -- and now I'm up half a pound. Sigh. This seemed so much easier five years ago. I am just really frustrated today and wanted to vent for a quick sec. Moving on...

Saturday weigh-in

Weight last week: 138.8
Weight this morning: 137.4
Loss of 1.4 pounds
Total weight loss of 6.6 pounds

Honestly, this is disappointing. I know that everyone will say that it's still a loss and I should be happy with it, but I feel like I earned more than a 1.4 pound loss this week! I worked out very hard three times, I was under my calorie limit every single day, I basically did everything I was supposed to do, and it's a small loss. If the weight loss slows down this early in the process, this is going to take a VERY long time. Not sure what I can do differently this week, other than add in more workouts and possibly drink more water. 

And onward I go...
 

Saturday weigh in

Weight last week: 141
Weight today: 138.8 
Loss of: 2.2 pounds

I did exactly *one* workout since the last weigh in, so I have to be happy to have lost anything at all! The truth is, even though small numbers were how I lost last time (sometimes even less than a half pound a week!) it feels slightly frustrating. It is getting harder to squash cravings and stick to this (and obviously sticking to an exercise plan is eluding me, as well!) and the thought of several more weeks to go is daunting. 

However, my mantra has always been one meal at a time, so onward I go, holding onto that thought. Just the next meal. Perhaps adding in: just the next workout!  :-P

So around five pounds lost so far, around fifteen to go. Today is college football watching day, pizza on the menu, and I'm ever so slightly considering a *cheat* day. (sigh) We'll see. ;-)

It is Wednesday and I'm still here...

Midweek update: Diet going well, except that I'm running a bit on the low side of calories some days and I'm worried about the effects on my metabolism. Exercise has been non-existent this week, mainly due to raging PMS. :P

I'm finding the eating part so easy right now, which is so nice. I'm holding my breath for the inevitable bottomless pit hunger that will come back eventually, but for now I'm riding the 'easy' for all it's worth. I'm frustrated in my laziness this week, I mean, I could at least be walking a mile a day to get something accomplished! Maybe I'll motivate in the morning to drag hubby on a walk before work. We had been doing those 3 or 4 days a week for most of late August and the first three weeks of September and although we didn't go far (about a mile and a half) it was nice being out in the sun and spending time in the quiet mornings together. However, I'm a wimp and when the mornings started being cold (40s and 50s, nothing frigid, mind you) I wanted to stay in my warm house instead! :)

Mood wise I'm doing pretty well, even considering the PMS. I'm wondering if the lack of junk food contributes to that? Or maybe the anxiety is fed by the extra calories I was consuming? ;-)  At any rate, I'll take it. Last month was REALLY bad from day 8 to 14 of my cycle (ovulation has become way worse than menstruating for me in my 40's) so I'm bracing myself for that. Hoping mother nature is kinder to me this month! 

Well, that's where I'm at right now. Both holding steady and slacking off but still here checking in so I'm still in the 'losing' state of mind!