Good News for the week

• My ring is definitely loose - I shook my hand at work yesterday and it fell off. The bad side of that, of course, is I need to be careful (because it is VERY VERY precious to me), and I need to come up with a way to secure it. I have a couple if ideas...
• When I put on my jeans Saturday (fresh out of the wash), they weren't tight. At all. They fit perfectly. THAT hasn't happened in AGES! *does happy dance*
• And finally - scale read two pounds down this week! YAY! Finally!

Of course, I'd *love* to be at a nice even 230 lbs by November 1st, but I'm not expecting it.

Right now, I'm just happy I'm losing again, no matter how slowly. :D

*Deep Breath of Determination*

I am NOT going to let this get me down.
Okay, so other (cute...sigh) people can lose 70lbs in 6 months.
And I lost 60lbs between June and the end of September the first time around on Atkins.
So at this moment I've only lost 12 lbs since September 1st. Nothing in October at all.
But I've kept it off.
And losing slowly is healthy, right?
And it's not an impossible goal that will never ever happen.
It's just going to take more time for me.
And didn't 'Yote just tell me I was cute when he caught me reading (naked even!) in bed on Tuesday?
And didn't Kitminx tell me yesterday that I was beautiful?
*I* may not see it, but somehow they apparently do.
And they love me just the way I am.
And they're not going away. Right?
(So why are my eyes leaking?)

What Did I Tell You?

Yep.
Weight is actually 236 lbs.
Which is still only half a pound down from last week, but I'll take it. :)
Step by step, ya know?

Why I'm not counting tonight's "weigh in"

I was dubious when I stepped on the scale...

• My sleep schedule has been totally fubar'd all weekend, starting with a 27 hour day from Thursday night into Friday night, then being up all day getting ready for the Witches Ball on Saturday, and not getting to sleep until at least 4-5am Sunday morning, and then getting up at 1:30 PM...not really my normal time to weigh myself anyway.
• Food has been just as fubar'd - not that I've eaten bad things per se, just...well, Friday night we went to the LCF Meet Up at Golden Corral (yes Virginia, 'Yote went to a buffet), and I ate a huge salad and then ate much more than I usually do - nothing outside of what I could eat, but definitely bigger portions. And went right to bed once we got home after eating. Then on Saturday before the Ball (because we were too busy and didn't feel like cooking) we ordered LaRosa's for the first time since I started this low carb journey - I got a chicken hoagy which I took off the bun, and I also ate the top off a couple of pieces of pizza. Not bad, just not my normal stuff. And THEN of course, there was the booze at the ball. Not all that much (one long island and one soco & coke), but booze has carbs. And THEN we went to the Anchor Grill afterwards to hang out with Sabre, his cousin Tim, and eventually Bonnie and Cheryl. I ate my ribeye sandwich without the bun, but still - it was food at an unusual time, and that meant I had more "big meals" than I usually do in a day. So, it's been odd.
• Because of the weird schedule and eating, I didn't get in NEARLY enough water this weekend. Not remotely what I needed. When I look at my lady after a cup of coffee and say..."Uh oh...okay, I need to drink a bunch of water, because THAT just hit me..." I could practically feel my cells shriveling. It was kinda creepy, actually.

That being said, the scale said 237 lbs again. Which by rights should mean I've definitely stalled out, and I keep bouncing the same half pound up and down. Which would be frustrating and discouraging.

But I don't believe it.

Wanna know why?

When I went to shake up my slimfast at lunchtime tonight (I eat a salad, 2 mozerella sticks and a slimfast every night at work - makes work-meals REALLY easy)...my ring nearly slid off my finger. This is the ring 'Yote gave me last year on the Canton trip (when we went to see Ellery play, and met up with Sade). It was too big for my ring finger, but fit my middle finger perfectly. I've NEVER had that ring move if I didn't intentionally move it. It's never been tight, but it fit. Now...it's loose.

So SOMETHING is going on. Today I've eaten more normally, and I've drunk nearly twice my normal water (by this time of the night anyway). So, I'm going to weigh myself again after a full day's sleep (because I KNOW it throws things off when my sleep schedule has been wonky)...and we'll see if there's a difference.

Overdue for an update...

So I did my weekly weigh in Sunday night, and I'm back at 236.5 lbs. That's what I weighed on October 1st. Which means I lost about half a pound this week, after bouncing up half a pound last week...sigh. Bottom line, I've stalled out a bit. Not horrible, I would just like to have seen more downward progress this far into the month. I know pretty much why - between my period, not eating those 2 days and then eating too much after, and not recording things as consistently as I should, it makes sense. Disappointing, but not a major disaster by any means.

In the past I would have said "what's the point I'm not getting anywhere" and binged on something, or found something decadently carby to wallow in. But I know better - it's just my body adjusting to the fact that I'm trying to make changes. And honestly - even if I only ever lose one pound a MONTH, it's still weightloss. It may take longer to get to where I want to be, but I'll still get there. I don't have some goal to be a certain size or weight by a certain time...and I'm not aiming for "skinny" (I like my curves thank you). I'd just like to be able to buy clothes at regular stores - so a size 14 would make me happy. Eventually. Whenever I get there - my loves love me just as I am, so there's no pressure. :)

My goal this week - use the ball and start exercising. And I'm thinking about once a night doing a trip up and down the stairs in the garage at work. I seem to have the eating part pretty much in hand as long as I pay attention and record everything, so now to add exercise in the mix is the next step.

Reminders to Self...

• Log your food. Every day. Even if it's complicated (like when you've tried a new recipe that isn't in fitday yet and have to do the whole calculating thing). It helps you keep track and keeps you honest. So don't forget and don't put it off.
• The Zucchini Lasagna is more carby than you give it credit for. It's less than it would be with noodles, but it's still going to put you over on your intended daily carb count if you eat too much of it. Proof? You are *craving* it now. Don't cave - keep it for special occasions or when you are going to eat a lot earlier than you are going to bed. It is NOT an appropriate snack. Also, try to keep yourself to half a regular sized piece. Two pieces (like you had on Sunday when you made it) is a baaaaaaaaaaad idea. See previous comment about craving.
• Okay, you bought the exercise ball. Now USE it.
• D O N O T T O U C H T H E S C A L E M I D W E E K !!!!! You know better than that. *headdesk*
• Did I mention USE the damn exercise ball? I did? Good - now go do it!
• Oh - and take a minute to think about what you are making the next day or so before you go to work, and take the meat out of the freezer. Doh!

First October Post - I've been slacking!

Well, I weighed myself on Wednesday since it was the first of the month and I was curious what my "monthly total" was. As of October 1st, I weighed 236.5 lbs, a total loss on the month of 12 pounds!

Of course, today is my "normal" weigh in day. This week has been *anything* but normal, with 'Yote working on 2nd shift at his new job (which is supposed to be temporary...gods I hope so), totally weird sleep schedules...which of course means weird eating schedules. I've had a couple of "bad days", not in *what* I ate but the amounts. I knew it when I did it - that "overfull feeling" was rather uncomfortable. Last night 'Yote was eating before going to bed and asked if I was hungry, and my *head* wanted to snack, but I asked my body, and no - I wasn't hungry. As long as I can stay in tune with that, I should be okay.

Bottom line - I'm at 237.0 lbs today. Which to *me* is essentially not a gain but a "staying about the same" thing (Half a pound? In less than a week? Not a big deal).

Goal this week - start using the exercise ball and get the exercise piece going. And watching The Biggest Loser with my lady (who is now as hooked as I am). It's really inspirational for me to watch these people supporting each other through their weight loss (even if it IS a game and people have to go home, they aren't nearly as cut throat or mean about it as a lot of other "reality game shows" tend to be).