October 31, 223.7

Sometimes it's a little hard to peer down at the scale and try to figure out what the reading is. I couldn't 100% tell for sure if I was 224.5 or 223 or exactly what. Not enough light in the bathroom, morning bleary-eyedness? I finally decided I was under 224 a little, but not so far as 223.5 - at least that would be safer - it let's me be happy with this week's result without sabotaging next week's result.

So for Saturday weigh-in, my first since before going to Asheville, I'm at 223.7 Which is actually barely over 2 pounds down from my last official weigh-in, but is still the lowest I've weighed, and I'm getting so so close to 220!!!

Measurements, however, bring me no particular joy. They seem to waver pretty much in the same place for weeks and weeks and for always... There has apparently been some change over the months, but it takes so long to make such a minimal change and there's variations in the accuracy of the measurements anyway... :-/ I'll keep doing them though, for the hoped-for eventual payoff. Possibly the greatest changes take place in places that aren't measured by the measuring tape, like the clavicle and shoulders, or the area just above the knees., or between the mid-thigh and hips, or the lower belly bulge...

So, yesterday I finished eating dinner and was still not satisfied. This doesn't typically happen. I don't know if it's because I started eating earlier. My allocated food wasn't enough for me and then we had a couple friends over and I had a beer, some chips, and 2 candy bars - not minis. So much for my no-sweets promise.

Anyway, I'd better go eat now before I get noshy.

bra shopping

I had a gift certificate to Lane Bryant and the day off so I went shopping. I figure I need to buy bras, and didn't know what my size might be now. Bra shopping sucks, nothing I tried on made my bosom look good, by the end of the day I was hating my midsection, too, or maybe that was just the lighting. I started out with a pretty good body image, came home flat. Is the fault with the bras or my boobs? Whatever.

I've been a 42DD for a long time. Well, now that I've lost 60 pounds, it seems my bra size is now about a 42DD. In fact, I wonder what kind of luck I'd have with a 44DDD. I bought a 44DD but by that point I wasn't even trying bras on anymore, I just figured I'd try it on at home and if it sucked, return it. Haven't tried any DDD yet.

Meanwhile, apparently Walmart's attitude to tall women is "Sorry, we don't serve your kind here." I have got to stop going to that particular Walmart hoping to find tall size jeans. All these flared jeans are killing me! Can I please just have the classic jeans, with the waistline up around the waist and the legs slighting tapered or even straight? Shopping for jeans and bras effing kills me. I did get a new blouse. But what I probably need are turtlenecks and sweaters.

Well, my Mom owes me a shopping trip for my birthday, too, so I'll get that taken care of anyway, though it does sound a little like torture right now.

October 29, 224.5!

Georgia Mist said that the weight gain from the past 2 weeks was water weight, and damned if she must not have been right. This morning I weighed only 224.5. I honestly couldn't believe it. Check out that graph down below if ya will, just check it out. I'm back on track. I did get back on plan yesterday. I did go and get a coffee and feel tempted by large scrumptious-looking rocky road bars on display and not get them.

I did not exercise.

In fact, according to my weight tracking at fitday.com (and I'm pretty religious there) 224.5 is the least I've weighed so far!! Unbelievable considering the past 2 weeks. And comforting about my chances of maintaining after reaching my goal. Over 60 pounds gone from 285.

At this rate I hopefully can get to 220 in a couple of weeks now instead of 5 weeks!

October 28, 227

Amazing! I haven't even started the meal plan yet and I'm already down to 227. The fact that I didn't gain 12 pounds over the past two weeks is amazing enough. Looking forward to 220. And to my food this week. :-)

October 27, 230

I'm back up to 230. Not just a horrible increase - only 3 pounds in 2 weeks. I have passed my original October goal date to reach 220. Now I hope to achieve 220 by my November 28 weigh-in. There will be no sweets at all now for 2 weeks - no cookies, cakes, candies, no refined sugar items at all. Diet-wise, just focus on sticking to the meal plan and watching the pounds drop off and look forward to that old long-term goal of 220. And do some cardio (even if just exercise biking) twice a week, and crunches twice a week, because it is time to start rebuilding body tone, stamina, and cardiovascular health.

Though I must say - I booked it up Looking Glass Rock the other day. I only had just enough time to make it up and down before dark, and that was if I was a "strong hiker" according to the guide. The guide said a "strong hiker" could make it up in 90 minutes and down in an hour. Well I made it up in about 90 minutes, and even though I was practically running down the hill it took me about 80 minutes to come back down. I felt pretty good about it, though the next day my ankles and thighs were sore, but not cripplingly so.

So, I'm excited! Between now and Thanksgiving I'm going to finally arrive at my weight loss goal! And then we'll see how long it could take to get me down to 195!!!

back to it

I'm back home.

It's been nearly 2 weeks without a regimen.

Tomorrow, I stand on the scale and take in the damage, then start back on ediets on the way to "Onederland" and beyond.

At least to under 220, which was my original long-term goal, and now it's my next short-term goal.

I feel like I'm going to have to maintain a withdrawn persona - not so much with the parties and socializing. If I were in a phase of trying to assimilate my diet into real life, this wouldn't be important. But "real life" isn't really as important to me now as it was earlier in my life. I'm more like doing "fat camp" - trying to lose weight, and learn how to keep it off, later.

Over the past few weeks in Asheville, I did more restaurant stuff and eventually gave up the "fight" to try to maintain healthy eating habits and choices. I wonder how much that backsliding would apply if I had tried it here at home during normal living. Nevertheless, I did backslide and need some regimenting now. I think I need to quit sweets totally again for a while, only this time I don't have the encouragement of my father quitting smoking - I just have to do it for myself.

So, anyway, that's the plan, now.

October 22

Well, the scale showed way up today. (Yesterday I went off again, in various ways. I'm sure when I get back home, my attitudes will restore. Besides, I think I'll be going back on ediets when I get back home, and try to get to Onederland.)

Anyway, I kinda just can't wait to get back to my own bathroom, place the scale in the same place it's been for the past 6 months and see where my weight has ended up. I'm just curious.