October 5, 226.2

After 2 days of rededicating myself to 100% adherence to the meal plan (ok, with a few variations, like substituting one fruit for another, overestimating portion sizes (there's no food scale at Harris Teeter) and skipping last night's serving of brown rice) - I am already dangerously close to 225! There was a definitive difference in the scale's stopping range this morning.

Come to think of it, there was a lot of peeing yesterday. I couldn't even make it through the movie without getting up to pee - this is very unusual for me.

My rededication has looks like this: When I go into a convenience store to get a drink or gasoline, I want to buy candy or snacks, but I do not. Not even the 10-cent little mini peanut butter cups at the register. I went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant with my family, and while they chowed down on cheesy delicious Mexican food, I sipped Diet Coke and noshed on cottage cheese with canteloupe and sliced almonds. No donuts, no beer, just every few hours another meal from the meal plan.

This week I'm spending more time working at home, so food preparation and packing shouldn't be an ordeal.

I hope to see 225 by the end of this week! In the mirror I can see that my upper belly is sloping in, rather than bulging out, even though the ultimate ridge over the belly button remains too much, I think it's a sign that I'm finally starting to lose fat from the front of my belly, the one place it matters most! Knock on wood.

The rest of this month I will be working in Asheville and then probably a trip to NYC. These might just be major hindrances to future progress, and I won't even be surprised if there is backsliding. After that, though, I will have to pull in and become a serious working girl and earn some money for a while, so hopefully, even through the holiday season, I'll be able to continue to lose weight.

Also during this week, I should add 10 more meals to the meal book, and 2 of them should be fast food meals. Due Saturday.