By Belinda

My average weight for this week was 156.3--down from 156.9 last week. Slow but sure.

I have been cutting back portion sizes, basically just eating healthily and avoiding the really sweet or fatty stuff that I don't need anyway. There is still a stash of Hallowe'en candy in the cupboard and I have not had one or even wanted one. One wouldn't do it for me--I know that--so it's best not to go there! :)

I have been abysmal at exercise of any sort and I rationalize that I am busy! But really in my heart of hearts that is an excuse. I will set a fitness goal for the next week of a minimum of 10 minutes a day of some sort of exercise. Let's see if that helps with boosting the weight loss.

Renewed Efforts

By Belinda
157 1b

Last Sunday Susan emailed me to ask if I'd like to join her in a one week pact to only eat food that was good for us. I told her I was in and that I thought I could do it for one week, one minute at a time!

I forgot that it was Hallowe'en the very next day! Actually though, the pact saved me from gorging on the left over candies of which we had a lot since not one child called at our house this year.

The week went well. I attended a couple of celebratory work functions that involved food and made good choices and it wasn't until Saturday evening when I went to a 50th birthday party that I had birthday cake and several things that tasted good but wouldn't qualify as "good for me."

I found my weight records in a computer folder. I was in the habit of charting my average weight for the week on an Excel spreadsheet. I recorded each week from 1998 to 2006, when for some reason I stopped doing it, although I still kept track daily in note books.

Yesterday I averaged the last three weeks weights and started recording again. For me this is more encouraging than just doing it daily. The ups and downs don't matter as much as the total average. As long as that goes down I'm happy. Last week I went down .9 of a pound, which I am so grateful for.

Today I asked Susan if she was up for another week. She was. We term "good for us" loosely. We can always decide that a dessert is good for us. It is up to us to decide.

I went for a 3 km walk with Molson this afternoon. The weather is still mild; the sun was shining and the air crisp. Underfoot the leaves were crispy crunchy. It felt good to fill my lungs with fresh air and be out moving around!

Getting Back on the Horse

By Belinda
157.2

I just inspired myself by rereading some  old posts here. I realize how much I have drifted in focus and drifted up in weight.

I feel so much better when I'm even 5 pounds less than I am now. Truly, nearly everything in my closet is too tight to wear and I refuse to buy a size bigger.

Seeing that I started where I am now, last year, and I did slowly but surely lose weight, is so encouraging. I did it then and can do it again. It just means caring for my body enough to nourish it with good things rather than junk, and reminding myself of both my addictions and what starts the cycle of craving and the connection between the kind of food eaten and how full I feel.

I don't want to be a frumpy old lady. I want to be my best me, no matter how old I am.

155.4 Saturday

By Belinda

155.4:

On the scale I made last week, any weight between 155.5 and 154 is a 2 on a scale of 1-10--10 being my ideal weight.

It has been an up and down week but it ended well. I went back up to just over 158 mid week and it was my birthday week so there was cake!!

But towards to the end of the week I started making lunches of salad and cottage cheese and having cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast. I do like cottage cheese (not the low fat variety) and find it filling.

It's Saturday--I'm off the the hair salon and into a new week. :)

156.2 Still a (1)

By Belinda

Update:
It was a good weekend. I walked each day with Molson our family dog--3.5 km each day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday after church I went for lunch at The Cedar Kitchen, but had a Greek salad--not the breakfast they are famous for.

156.8 On a Scale of 1-10

By Belinda

I made a scale of 1-10 which motivates me to work towards being a 10. I'm a 1 right now at 156.8. But I'm working on the 10!

1.  157-155.5
2.  154
3.  152.5
4.  151
5.  149.5
6.  148
7.  146.5
8   145
9.  143.5
10.142

158 Yikes!

By Belinda

I am returning to my confessional post.

I got on the scales this morning at a new high of 158 lb and I knew I needed help. I know that it helps to confide here.

What got me here? Sad to say it is pathetic but true--I used stuffing myself as a coping mechanism during four stressful months at work. Ridiculous to deal with a difficult time by creating another problem, but somehow I thought that rewarding and comforting myself with food was "helpful." Go figure.

Add to this the fact that I have been baking pies on an ongoing basis as a fundraiser and you get the picture. Pie is never far away--and pastry--flaky, tender pastry--is a weakness.

Anyway, friends, I feel like I've zipped myself into a fat suit. I am wearing flowing tops to cover my expanding middle and hips and my face is looking paunchy. I don't like it.

I will be 61 in a very few days, but I don't like helping along the ageing process.

So I plan to check in regularly and share the journey back to sanity and fitness.