What's Next

Today marks the end of my week-long self-challenge! The goal was to lose 10 pounds in a week – though, actually, the number goal was 277 which would make it 11 pounds. I started at 288.2 last Wednesday, and this morning weight's is 279.8, for a total of 8.4 pounds lost.

(Please note: This is not a normal weight loss and I don't suggest anyone plan to lose that much weight in a week. I did the challenge because I know my body well and it has been known to lose that much (and unfortunately gain that much!) in a week. It's happened several times before, after a period of eating like crap and then diving in to more mindful and higher-quality eating, more water drinking, and regular exercise. I don't expect this to happen again, trust me. Also – I did NOT starve myself or do anything extreme.)

Not too shabby! I am not disappointed by any means. I am so happy to have squeaked into the 270s on this momentous occasion. It's been a while, at least a couple months since I've been in the old 27.

So, what's next?

First of all, I am not going to do what I have often done in the past after a successful weekly weigh-in or a challenge like this, and that is, "reward" myself with junk food. Honestly, I don't even have the desire! The last thing I want to do at this delicate time is take a step back. At a time like this the thing that I MUST do is continue doing what I've been doing, and so I am.

To recap:

• Logging my food, water, and exercise every day

• Eating mindfully and staying within my self-imposed nutritional parameters

• Doing some form of exercise or activity every day (this has included gardening and yard work; running; walking; and tennis).

• Drinking a gallon of water every day (not hard in the warm weather!)

• Writing down my thoughts here at least a few times a week, if not every day

• Savoring every morsel that goes into my mouth

• Eating larger meals earlier in the day, and not eating in the evening (generally)

That's really about it! Simple things that make all the difference.

And my brain? I don't know, but that part of my brain that makes this all happen is suddenly back at full attention and doing its job. Seeing all the things I am doing as making deliberate and desired choices makes a big difference, too. Turning on the positive and avoiding the negative. Doing the best I can do and not beating myself up for what I can't.

Always, always, always getting back up after a fall. That's the main reason why I've managed to keep at this so long this time – 2+ years and no signs of stopping. This is my life now, even when I am not at my best. I will never, ever give up on this.

I don't have the luxury to give up anymore.

New goals:

• 276 pounds (the weight I was at the very beginning of the year), then...

• 272 pounds (100 pounds lost, again), then...

• sub-270 pounds, then...

• 264 pounds (the weight I was on Thanksgiving morning, which was the lowest weight on this journey so far), then...

• sub-260 pounds, then...

• 250 pounds

And that is what I will focus on for now. Once I get to 250, I will set new goals!

But you see what I did, right? I made tiny, bite-size goals to break up the bigger one. The bite-size ones are way more manageable and easier to envision happening.

I am so excited. I am so ready to meet my less-hefty self again.

Oh, but before I leave you again, I wanted to share another triumph: I went out for a run after I got home from work last night! It was the first day of a half marathon training app that I bought. I set it up rather on the fly, actually, and didn't realize that the first day was asking for 30 minutes of straight running with a 5-minute warm up and cool down. So, I was running running running and waiting for a prompt to tell me to walk for a few minutes, and it just didn't happen... at the 15-minute mark when it announced, "You're halfway there!" I got wise, and kind of groaned but also knew that I could do it, and so I did.



It's a good thing, too, because I have a 5K coming up on Saturday, and *gasp* I ended up signing up for that 10K I mentioned before, taking place a week later. Man, I know... but, I've done the distance before and I know I can do it again, even if I have to walk some of it (but you know I'll try not to).

So anyway, I'm still not in a super running groove, but I haven't abandoned it by any means. I've just been totally grooving on tennis lately, is all. We're testing out some demo racquets today after work, can't wait! It's always fun to try out new equipment.