I'm At A Loss

Finally moving again! Seems like I sat at the same weight (only I WASN'T sittin') for quite some time. I do believe I have "the holidays" to blame for that. The good news is, I didn't gain over the holidays - although I did enjoy the many flavors of the season. I think it helps that, A) I've successfully raised my metabolism by adding more muscle, and 2) I made adjustments to my daily intake when I indulged in something that was less than healthy. For example - if I ate a gallon of homemade caramel corn for breakfast (milk optional) that should have been shipped in a gift... then I made sure I only had salad and fresh veggies for other meals that day. And C) I was a good girl at the gym in December. I logged 14 visits and they were only open 21 days. I never go on Sabbath - so that left 18 possible days. So 14 of 18 is pretty good for a busy month like December!

Yesterday I picked up a new scale at Costco with a $10 off coupon. It's a nice scale with big digital numbers and measures to the tenth of a pound. I like to jump on before I go to the bathroom and then again after - just to see... you know... Probably too much information there - but I bet you'd do it too...

I've finally lost about 5 more pounds and I'm just over 9 pounds to my first GOAL! (which is 51 pounds lost - or just over the half way mark...) Yeah - I probably should have set the first goal a little more in reach, but I didn't. Don't worry - I've been rewarding myself for a job well done all along...

People keep asking me how I'm doing this - telling me of their "juicing", "points" or "magic soup". I'm not doing anything like that. I firmly believe in the LIFESTYLE CHANGE. I'm not going to make any changes now that I'm not willing to maintain for the rest of my life. For example, I refuse to live a life without REAL chocolate, ice cream, cheesecake, and pizza! I just need to control my portions and frequency.

Here's what I believe:

• It's OK to have a big 'ol piece of cheesecake - but not more than once a month or so
• Dessert isn't necessary every day
• Chocolate isn't a dessert
• It's OK to not clean your plate (but don't take so much next time)
• Restaurants serve portions that are way too large - that's two meals, not one
• Turns out there really are 4 servings in a pint of B&J ice cream...
• Diet foods are a rip off - the real thing is better for you
• You can lower your cholesterol without drugs - mine dropped 81 points in 4 months
• Oatmeal (when properly prepared) is yummy
• God knew what He was doing when He gave us taste buds
• Keep your "lite" stuff - I prefer flavor over portion size
• "Low Fat" means "more carbs" which equals more fat in the long run anyway
• Regular salad dressing is fine - just measure it
• Water is a lifesaver - you probably aren't hungry - you're thirsty!
• The elliptical machine can be overcome!!!
• 1 pound of fat = 3,500 calories - that's not so much really (coming or going...)
• Cottage cheese was never meant to actually be consumed
• Bread is good for you - Whole grains really taste better
• "no carbs" is crap... and bad nutrition
• It's more fun to chew calories rather than drink them
• Exercise isn't all bad (especially if your gym doesn't allow children)
• No pain - no pain
• Working hard feels good - but sweat still suques
• Moderation in all things - yes, including chocolate
• Prayer is probably the least utilized weight loss tool - and it WORKS the best!

One last thing - I've moved my weight loss "ticker" up where it can be a better motivation to any of you that want to join me on my last 59 pounds. (See right...)

It's not too late to start for this year... Who's with me???