Progress and a huge Milestone

I have now officially lost 27 pounds. 27 pounds in 8 months.  That is almost 3.5 pounds per month. Of course my weight bobbed up and down for what seemed like weeks!  Now I've dipped below 27, and when it bobs up, it stops at 27.   27.2, thank you very much!  So, yay!!!!!!  And I've also passed a huge personal milestone.


I am focusing a bit on the idea of "Crowding out" which is basically eating so much good stuff that there isn't a lot of room or desire for the not-so-good.  It seems like a good philosophy for long-term maintenance.  I know for a fact that there are a lot of things that I haven't eaten lately because I have to chose between eating something and losing weight.  I don't like the idea of simply cutting things out of my diet.  You all know how rebellious I am when I am told not to eat something!  I just think that with the holidays in view, a plan of attack must be formulated or I will find myself in retreat and lose the progress I have fought so hard for.

Isn't it funny?

It is funny/sad/frightening to know that you do not lose weight evenly throughout your body.   And of course you know that you cannot target areas of your body to just lose weight there.  So, seems like I am at the mercy of I-don't-know-what when it comes to where the weight comes off.  

Here is what happens to me.  I lose weight in my face first.  That is OK.  Then it seems to start to creep from my head down, and from my feet up.  Right now, the line appears to be at my knees coming up, and my waist going down.    I have nice and thin ankles right now!

The awful part is that the spot which needs thinning the most will apparently be the last to go!

Progress and goals

I have been stuck on the same number for the past 4 days.  26.5 pounds lost.  First off, yay!  That is so great for me!  Second, I'm (temporarily) stuck. That is no fun.  It almost takes out the fun of 26.5.    So, I am going to take my very good advice that I always give everyone else, and look on the positive side of things.  Since February 1, I have lost over 26 pounds.  Since August 16, 1.2 pounds.  Not great, but definitely in the right direction.

I have developed a new goal for the rest of the year.  I would like to reach the 30 pound mark before my trip to Israel in November. That is not a new goal.  What is new is that I would like to maintain the 30 pound loss until the end of the year.  Why not try to lose more? Um, Christmas?   The first real challenge for the overweight person is to lose the weight.  This is hard.  The second challenge for that person is to keep off the weight that they lost.   This could be harder than the first.   Starting in November and all the way to New Year's is one big, happy, delicious social event, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Therefore, the challenge is to enjoy the holidays without going overboard.  The challenge is to practice moderation. The whole reason I gained the weight in the first place is because I did not practice moderation.   For those of you whose weight does not fluctuate, I envy you. For the rest of us, the ability to maintain our weight is vital.

How do I know that maintaining my weight will be hard?  Because I am already craving the chocolate mousse that I make for Thanksgiving.  Yikes!

It's been a long road

Weight loss has slowed and I guess I am OK with that.  Right now, it's as if I were losing as slowly as I had intended to in the beginning.  The problem is that it is not steady.  Its down two, up one, up one, down two, etc.  So I really have to gauge it over a month just to see what it really is.  This is bad because I get very little true sense of accomplishment. I don't get to say that I've lost 25 pounds until the scale says I've lost 27 for a few days.

I am on the brink of another Major Milestone.   Should have gotten there today, but that's OK.   I am 3.5 pounds away from 30 which is my goal before going to Israel.  At this rate, I should make it, but just barely.

I am still working out faithfully.  We get the most out of our gym membership, and I go to the weekly class with Sandra.  I am pretty sure that exercise has become a permanent habit.  I have to know that I will continue to move and exercise for the rest of my life. That is real accomplishment.