Ups and Downs

I made macaroni and cheese yesterday for lunch with a friend - kept my portion small, but I also had bread and butter and a skinny piece of cheesecake.

That wasn't too bad. But I had more macaroni and cheese last night with Charlie.

Charlie and I went to the Olive Garden today. I had soup and salad - skipped the breadsticks.

The ups are that I'm eating moderately and getting a lot of exercise through dancing, walking, and swimming. I'm active every day.

The downs are that the scale doesn't move.

I look better, and today I noticed that the waistband around my shorts was loose. But please, please - I want the number on the scale to move!

Making Choices

I was really impressed with a recent magazine article about a research study focusing on maintaining  weight loss. People who had lost weight in a medically supervised program were divided into three groups and monitored to see if they regained the weight they had lost. Two groups regained the weight; one didn't. The difference? The successful group had been taken to a grocery store and shown how to make choices that prevent weight gain.

I have been thinking about that article and those people a lot. This week I have been grappling with two problems. On Tuesday I went to lunch with friends AND went for my weekly pizza outing with Charlie.

My original plan was to eat half my sandwich with my friends. I had to abandon that idea when I bit into the sandwich - it was just too good. The solution was to skip the pasta salad that came with it and the hot garlic bread (sob) that the server brought to our table.

The other problem this week has been fatigue and hunger - along with, perhaps, a silver lining: I've been swimming, walking, and dancing, so maybe there's a reason I've been tired.

Bottom line: I made some choices. I even skipped PB&J a couple of times in favor of a slice of cheese on a whole-wheat roll.

Progress!

A Good Day

Yesterday morning a 90-minute dance lesson had me covered with sweat, and last night I had an hourlong ballet class that was fun to do and very active.
Negatives (sort of): Charlie and I didn't get to do our daily walk yesterday. (The dancing more than made up for it). We went to the Olive Garden, which turned out to be not-so-bad: I skipped the wine, had a small portion of ziti (the Olive Garden is having a Pronto Lunch promotion with downsized servings), and brought half of it home to eat later.
One-and-a-half cookies yesterday. I wrote "alas" and then deleted it. Cookies are one of the joys of my life.
Last week I read Helen Gurley Brown's book Wild Again (a book reflecting on her life and an assortment of topics). We are sisters in our attitudes towards candy (not at all important) and cookies (central to our happiness and well-being).
I think I can eat a cookie or two every day and do fine as long as I'm vigilant in other ways.

Starting Up Again

I've taken seven trips already this year - four for pleasure, and three for a consulting job - and my weight has crept up again.
The good news is that I weighed myself at the gym this morning, and I'm down a pound-and-a-half from last Sunday.
Today I walked with Charlie, swam most of my laps (thunder got me out of the pool early), went to the gym, and did my workout at home.
I'm looking forward to progress - and a pound less next Sunday.

Progress!

I am one pound away from my First Magic Number.
I am seeing signs of progress in addition to the almost-lovely number on the scale. (First Magic Number is my first mini-goal.)
I ran into a former student who noticed that I'd lost weight.
I look better when I look at myself in the mirror.
And the pictures from the December competition came back, and I look great in my dance dresses. So even back then I was making progress.
The extra walk is a big help. I am also allowing myself to be a little bit hungry once in a while - putting off a snack until later, for example.
I am eating foods I enjoy. Today I had a generous piece of crumb cake. I do not feel guilty - I also took two good walks, did a tap class, and did a private ballroom lesson.
Often I spread a treat over two eating sessions. I'll have half a cookie or pastry at a time. (Well, I didn't do that today with the crumb cake - but I didn't have any other treats either.)
I am putting walnuts into my yogurt and salad. It's a wonderful treat, it's healthful, and it's satisfying. (I leave some of the strawberry jelly at the bottom of the yogurt container - Charlie likes to eat it later, and it saves me a few calories.)
I'm still measuring my salad dressing and coffee creamer.
I am thrilled that I can enjoy life, eat foods I like, and lose weight. I can do this.

Day 28

It's hard to write when nothing noteworthy is happening!
I weighed myself at the gym today and had moderately good news: I weigh three pounds less than last time I weighed myself, and I'm down from my high point last year.
I worked out at the gym and at home and did a walk. I had one and a half cookies at the donut shop (I was hungry).
It's been a good day.

Day 25

Three good days.
Busy days.
I did ballet, zumba, a double dance lesson, and a walk on Monday.
Tuesday I did tap and my home workout. (I realized I can't do zumba anymore: It's too exhausting.) I also did my walk.
Today (Wednesday) I did a walk, my home workout, and a dance lesson.
Eating has been good. We had pizza Monday - I took it easy and ate lightly the rest of the day.
No problems today and yesterday.
Tomorrow: dance lesson.