Week 10 - Still going strong

Oh how I want this journey to be over.

This morning at my weigh-in, I had lost another 4 pounds. It seems so insignificant when you think about the overall goal of 100 (or 150 if we're talking eventual total goals). But when you take into consideration that my loss has been pretty steady, that's a very happy thing. It means I have lost about 31 pounds on the scale and almost 40 pounds of fat. Woo hoo!

To keep the loss going, we're dropping calories again this week. Dan says I might feel a little bit hungry, but I'm not too worried. We're still in veggie season so I can fill up on those. I think I eat at least one tomato a day (if not two or three), as well as a bunch of asparagus or broccoli or something. I do feel much healthier, despite some ongoing terrible back and neck pain. When I told Dan about the pain, he said not to do as much physically, but this is because of sleep, not exercise. I need someone who can trade massages for babysitting or something like that. Like on a regular basis. Maybe I'll ask at church...

Felix and I biked to the appointment this morning. If I go on State Street, it's exactly 3 miles from my house to his office. If I go on 8th East on the way back, that's 3.5 miles. I love having a cyclometer.

So this week, dropping calories, I'm cutting the yogurt and cottage cheese afternoon snack in favor of crackers and tuna. Dan says that will trick my body into thinking it's getting lots of calories when really it's super clean. Whatever that means. Maybe it's the lack of fat.

I've found that although at the beginning of this program I hated the idea of cutting out fat (I love butter!), it's getting easier as I go along. What once was really difficult to even contemplate has become super easy. I don't even have to think about it really. I think my tastes are changing because 1) it's gradual, and 2) results! I find myself a lot more willing to make concessions and be strict knowing that I'm making real and visible progress. I found my lost camera and on it is a picture of right before I started. I think it's a pretty good picture of me, but although my pictures this morning have me flushed (just in from my up-hill 3.5 mile bike ride with a 30-pound toddler on that back of my bike) and wearing grungies, I like the new ones better. What do you think?

Week 3 - another pound down

One lousy pound. Dan said not to be worried though because that shows him where my metabolism is. Now we drop 300 calories per day to start training my metabolism to be where we want it.

Apparently by raising and lowering the calories, that keeps me from hitting a plateau, and I'm totally okay with that.

Of course, I have to follow everything by the numbers this week. That means I have to get all 1300 of my calories as specified (I can still mix things up within though, like doing fish instead of chicken at dinner). And I have to keep walking/biking and I definitely need to do the weights that Dan has planned for me.

Dan said I could cheat at the bbq on the 4th, but otherwise I need to be good. I think I can do that as long as I do some shopping. I need the variety and I'm almost out of cheese sticks.

Interesting to note this week. Dan said that to maintain my current weight I'd need like 2700 calories a day. I'd like to think that's gross, but that's what I've been doing. I guess the Italians weren't kidding when they called me golosa (glutton). And I was even skinny (comparatively) back then. Crazy stuff.

I can't wait till my metabolism is back to healthy.

Week 2 - still losing

(I thought I was holding it in the same place, but maybe not)

You may look at that "still" and wonder how many diets I've tried in the past (seeing as how it's only been two weeks). Or you may wonder at my perseverance. Yeah, I don't have much. And this week has been tough.

There has been eating out and dinners in with lots of people. There has been very little sleep and lots of appointments out. There have been lots of people around and little money in the bank.

All of this combined means it's hard to stick to an eating schedule. The exercise is easier, not that I've done much of that. Gah. And I still lost 2 more pounds.

My calories have been bumped up to almost 1600 per day. For any of you who diet, you'll know that's a lot. How can someone lose significant weight while eating lots of calories?, you might ask. It's simpler than you might think.

Our bodies need calories for energy. In today's society, we often go long periods of time between meals and then eat till we are very full. That translates into our bodies not having the energy and then having too much (calories anyway). So basically, we need to eat only enough to sustain ourselves till the next meal. And eating every 2 to 3 hours teaches our bodies not to "save" the calories for later.

Dan has been teaching me the gospel of Elmo. Oh wait, that's E.L.M.O.

Eat Less, More Often. As much as I'm following it, I'm losing. I just need to do more ELMO. Right?