How my week went...

I lost 4.4 lbs. this week!! I'm so glad the work pays off...it just confirms that if you truly do the work, it will show. I've been yo-yoing for 2 1/2 months because I keep interrupting my progress with overeating or binges here or there. This week I didn't allow that to happen and it's even more important to continue that next week because this is what I do...I gain, get mad, lose...relax a bit...gain again...and so on. And, it might even be considered "maintainence worthy" but I'm not in maintenance...I'm still in weight loss. I still have 43.4 lbs. to lose to make my Dec. 31, 2010 goal. I currently still weigh 204.2 lbs. I am no where near maintainence.

Losing 4.4 lbs. that you've already lost once before is not as sweet of a victory....

I am trying to figure out why I keep straying...what is making me overeat and I think generally it's boredom with my food and being hungry. I workout with weights so my appetite is higher than it use to be...I feel lethargic at times when I don't eat enough and if I get too hungry I'll overeat at my next meal. In particular the afternoon times. I need to make sure I eat a bigger meal at my mid afternoon times (2:30 and 5:30). I'll work on that this week.

And, I want to try some new recipes...incorporate more "fun" foods, still clean, still wholesome but a healthy treat here and there and not the same old same old. I'm going to try TrulyJess' 1 pt chocolate chip cookies. I normally can't have baked items in my house but I want to try this out as I think it could help me stay on plan better. We'll see...it's moving a bit out of my comfort level but I gotta shake things up a bit. I also want to do some new things with chicken and turkey. I have some ideas for some wraps this week and I'm going to try some new spices as well.

I'm very pleased with my loss this week, but feeling apprehensive nonetheless. In really trying to figure out what the main problem is (I mean besides stress and money issues which I mentioned earlier...) I think having more "fun" in my diet and less boredom will really help. The potential to lose well should be the same as the ingredients are the same...it's how I put it all together that will be different this next week. My only concern is containing my 1 pt. cookie consumption to 2-3 cookies at a time. I think it only bakes 12 anyway...so worse case scenario is I eat 12 pts. at one time...not the worst thing that could happen. I feel pretty good about trying this.

this is tough stuff. Losing weight, creating new ways to cope with stress, keeping up with workouts, trying new recipes...it's hard to live a lifestyle full of so much attention and focus on taking care of yourself. It's easier to sit around and let the laundry build up and let the dishes pile up...skip a shower, skip a workout...eat whatever takes the least effort. That's all so much easier when you're heavy and tired and sluggish and just want to sleep all the time.

But, the interesting thing is that doing all of those good for you things breeds pride and a better understanding of yourself. Helps lift your mood and feel accomplished, one task at a time. I don't exhaust myself anymore with doing the laundry and dishes....those have finally become the last thing on my list...now I just need to let go of the stress I feel in not doing them all the time and things will go alot smoother. It doesn't matter how many different ways I look at it....the dishes and the laundry are NOT more important than my nutrition and exercise. NOT more important than taking care of me. PERIOD. Not anymore....never again will be. And, thankfully I have a hubby who does his own laundry and doesn't mind washing a dirty dish when he needs one. He ROCKS in my book....and he's lost 17 pounds himself....and is gaining some impressive muscle to boot!