Milestones...postponed?

Why is it that every time I am close to reaching a new milestone, I find someway to ruin it? This week I had the potential to cross over into the teens, weight-wise, to reach 65 lbs lost and to drop into the 30% range on BMI. I am doubting that any of those things will happen this week. I don't feel like I got in any quality work outs. I mean I am sore from lifting, but as far as true aerobic workouts...I just don't feel that I had a good week. I know it is ok to have a low impact week, but I didn't really want it to happen this week. My leg still hurts (though I discovered that an elliptical doesn't bother it ((too Little too late on that discovery)) and I told Matthew that I would put i the effort to take it easy and let it heal before I threw myself back into serious workouts. Of course, I forgot about the importance of this week when I made that agreement.

Today I Looked in the Mirror...

...and HONESTLY thought I looked thin(ner). It wasn't a positive thought I was just telling myself because I WANTED to believe it. I saw my reflection and I saw the miles that I have walked, the weights I have lifted, the good fuel I have eaten, the cookies I have passed up... I was a good start to the day.

Fight of the Fat Girl

It seems that my longest and hardest battle of this journey is not going to be with food, or with exercise, but with the Fat Girl. When I look in the mirror, she is all I can see. I don't see this new person unless it is a picture that was taken. It is the opposite of what it used to be when I was big. I would look at myself and not see that Fat Girl, unless it was in a picture. Irony at its best, right? For a long time, I couldn't see where I had let myself go, but now it is all I CAN see. I wish I could see through her and see where I have come. Sometimes, I can see it. Like when I put on a tee shirt that used to be too small, and now fits. Or my over sized sweatshirts are actually oversized and comfy, instead of just 'fits'.

It is the battle inside my head that seems to be the hardest part for me. I don't have a problem with the working out anymore, because now I enjoy it, and I feel like I am missing something when I don't work out. The food is easier now, yes, I slip up, but its easier to not hold it against myself like I did. I can accept that I will slip up and I can just resolve to do better, and I do because I WANT to. When it comes to the Fat Girl Brain Battle...I seem to be struggling. Sometimes she comes back out and I cant control it. She makes me revert back to those feelings of being not good enough. She convinces me that I don't deserve this, and that I can't be loved at any size. I know that she has been in control for awhile now, because it has been having an effect on my relationship with Matthew again. I just have had such a hard time lately believing that he isn't just biding his time with me until he finds something better. You would think that 10 years together would convince me otherwise, but I don't think there is much logic in the Fat Girl's Battle tactics. I need better Battle Tactics. I am fighting to believe that I do deserve my life. I deserve to be happy in my life. I have a wonderful life. I have a wonderful husband who loves me. Why doesn't she want me to be happy with that? Why cant she just realize that all of the doubt and fear and negative feelings are her own doing? Why can't I just realize that it is my own doing? And why cant I realize that if I can do that damage, i can also fix it?

Why, yes, I am a chicken...

Ok, so I didn't go to swim class again last night. I tried. i had my bag with my suit. I brought clothes and underwear to change into afterwards. I had every intention of going. I stood in the changing room, frozen for about 20 minutes. Trying desperately to make myself go. To make myself change into my suit and just GO! 20 minutes and a few almost tears later, i chickened out and put on my gym clothes and hit the treadmills instead. I don't know what I am afraid of. The unknown I guess. i don't want to look foolish because I don't know where to go, or what to do. So I chickened out and walked instead. But as punishment for skipping yet another class, i made myself run. And would you believe it? I LIKED it. I have had the urge to run for awhile now, but I didn't think I could do it. I thought it would be hard, but it wasn't. I did 2 miles. i was feeling pretty good. I am a little sore today, which i don't mind, I just cant get over the fact that I actually LIKED running. I used to wonder why on earth you would run for fun, but I can see why now. i have known for awhile now that there was a runner buried deep down in me, under all this extra weight, and she is finally starting to break free. I will start slow. But I really want to do the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February, but I don't know if I will be ready for it by 2011, so I want to definitely do it in 2012. I just kind of hope I am not knocked up by then, which is a possibility... anyway, I just I am transitioning myself into becoming a runner. i am kind of excited about that idea. I would have NEVER thought of myself as a runner. I need to get a good brace for my knee cuz that is the only thing I can see standing between me and 16 miles. I am not afraid of the work it will take cuz it will help me on my fitness journey. I don't want my physical limitations keep me from doing everything I want to do! Anyway, the DPHM benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and I can think of no better way to give my support to my Mom and Uncle Dan, and honor my Grandpa than by completing this challenge. By improving my life, my health, it is like I respect their lives enough not to continue wasting my own, which is what I have been doing. So in chickening out, I have found something so much more than I even knew to look for. WHO SAYS THINGS DON'T HAPPEN FOR A REASON?

It has been awhile...

...Since my last post. I have had a major milestone since then. Last Sunday I hit 60 pounds lost. For some reason, unknown to me, this resonates more deeply with me then the 50 pound mark did. I don't know why, but I am not going to argue either. I took Amanda's advice, when I felt like I had hit the wall, and changed things up. She told me the most important thing you can do when you feel stuck is to change up your routine, cuz it has, in fact, become routine. So that is what I have done. I have started lifting more, not as much as I probably should, but it is a start. Matthew and I have joined the Y because they have some great weight machines, and some classes that I would like to take like water aerobics and Zumba. I have yet to bring myself to go to the water aerobics class because I have 'first day of school' jitters. So hopefully, today, I will get past that and go to class. I just feel like the new kid, going into an established class... in a swimming suit.... Its like a bad dream. BUT the point is that EVERYONE is in a swimming suit and we are all there to exercise.



I am still not keeping track of my food like I should be. I want to put a bit more effort into doing that again. That is my new goal. Again. :) I still have yet to take my bike out cuz it has been so effing hot. I am a bit disappointed with that, but since I cant control the weather, I will wait until it cools off a bit. Until then, I need to come up with some sort of Y schedule. I don't like pawning Hayden off on Mom and Dad all the time, but I am not ready to leave him at the Y Play center. I know that I will have to eventually because Mom will not always be available to watch him, but I hate leaving him with strangers. I feel like I am abandoning him to be selfish, and while that may not be the truth, it is the truth in my head and that is all that matters.

Other than those things, nothing is really different. I have been pretty bummed about it being too hot to walk, lately. This heat is just annoying me! I have been tossing around the idea of walking the Eager Beaver in a couple weeks. Of course I am going to have to wak up early and that doesnt really appeal to me so much, but I thought it might be something I could do. Vickie says its only like 3 miles or something like that and we regularly do that distance anyway so I have been thinking about that. i supopose I need to make a decision rather quickly on that front.

I went to the doctor yesterday cuz I havent beenable to get over this sinus crap, and I didnt dread getting weighed in! That was, I believe, was a first! My BP was 116/70 which was VERY exciting! I don't remeber the last time my BP was 'normal.' So it was actually a good trip to the doctor. I dont have those very often. Mom was very excited for me. She told me that I probably saved myself from diabetes, and I know that she is right. I know that, and probably much worse, was in my near future. I dont have to fear going to the doctor anymore cuz I am too embarassed of my health.

So i guess I will try to be a little better about my updates, but until next time, here's to steps forward, major milestones, and (hopefully) overcoming fears.

Motivation

"Sometimes, though, you ask, "Why? Why try my hardest when it ends in disappointment? Why go through something when it's going to hurt? Why?"

Because it's going to be different this time! Because you can't accomplish anything that you give up on. Disappointments and failures happen to everyone. The difference between those who reach their goals and those who don't is staying motivated. If you're motivated, you'll keep going. If you keep going, eventually you'll reach your goal."

New Milestone

My 3.6 lb lost this week has pushed me past 50 lbs lost. I made a few changes this week that seemed to really help with my wall. I made more of an effort to eat breakfast, which I have not been doing the last couple of months. I know its important, but I am not hungry and I usually don't have time. This week I have just been throwing a bagel flat and my white chocolate peanut butter in my purse and toasting it at work, and eating on my first break. It seems to really be making a difference because by noon I am not famished and snacking on the candy! Vickie and I are also consistently doing at least 3 miles a night, sometimes four. I want to add in some serious strength training too. I know I have been saying that for awhile now, but I know it is something that I need to be doing! It may be this week, or next week, but i will be starting that soon too. This week I will add bike riding to the equation also so hopefully I will have another good week.

I do feel good. Its hard to really revel in my 50 lbs (which seems silly because its 50 POUNDS!!!!) because I have so far yet to go, but come on, its 50 pounds! And right before my birthday... Its bitter sweet, I guess. Why can't I feel better about this? I will. I know why, because I haven't gotten to really appreciate what I have accomplished. I still see that other person when I look in the mirror. The fact that this new person is still wearing, and hiding in, the clothes of that other person doesn't help. But right now I still have the need to hide. I am starting to want to be more... visible, I guess, but I am still hiding, and I know it.

Mom and I went shopping today for my birthday. It was a bit disappointing. I needed denim capris (my first mistake) and I couldn't find any in my new size anywhere. I guess when you are suddenly the same size as a lot of other people, your clothes selection becomes smaller. I did find a pair at Dress Barn (sz 16!) and a REALLY cute top that I will probably wear on my birthday. And I found a couple tops at Old Navy that really were cute, cuz they make my waist look small and my boobs look big so that is a bonus! LOL. I got a couple pairs of new walking pants since Vickie informed me that I REALLY needed to invest in some smaller pants, so I did. There was a REALLY cute pair at JC Penny's that I wanted but they were just a bit too small. I could have gotten them, but they wouldn't have fit for another month or so (maybe less depending on how the changes pay off.) So I guess it wasn't all that disappointing overall, more targeted towards Kohls. Last time we went there I ound all kinds of stuff. It IS the end of the season though, so I shouldn't be all that surprised. I suppose that is how it goes though, sometimes you hit big and sometime you don't find anything. The important thing is that I had a fun day with Mom and Hayden, I have lost 50 pounds, Saturday is my birthday, and I feel really good.

Fat Girl

I still feel like that fat girl. I have been focusing so much on the issues that got me to where I was, but I have given no thought to where I am trying to go. No thought to how I move past seeing that fat girl in my mirror. I know she is gone, she is disappearing from my body, but not from my eyes. I don't know how to dress this new person. I am still buying baggy clothes, only in smaller sizes. I am pretty sure I could have gone a size smaller than I did, but its like I am scared to. I still have to hide. I am still afraid. Afraid of failing. Its starting to get to me. I think its the reason (or one of the reasons) behind my plateau. I am tiny steps away from a major milestone and its like I am trying to keep myself from reaching it, and that makes me mad at myself for doing it.


I am hoping that getting this bike will be the push I need to get over this hurdle. It is so much more than a bike right now. I know it probably sounds silly to you. Here is why:

I have had so many things taken from me that I had no control over and for a very long time I thought that riding a bike was one of them. To someone who doesn't, and hopefully will never, have to involuntarily give something like that up, it may seem like such a small, silly thing, but to me it is not. It is representative of the things that I will never be able to do again. Things I enjoyed doing, like rolling blading, for example. I don't have a sense of balance. I guess more accurately a very poor sense of balance. I struggle everyday to keep my own body under control. I have troubles with my right leg when I get tired. It is very apparent when I am out walking and we are getting towards the end of the three miles. My right leg... I have to concentrate to lift it up high enough that I don't trip. So these small things are not all that small to me, but they are things that a 'normal' person doesn't have to think twice about because they don't have trouble making sure their foot leaves the ground enough that they don't trip, and I am glad that people don't have to deal with it. So still being able to ride a bike...it means that I still have some control over my body. I can still do the things I like to do. I do have control over my body, even when I feel like I don't, and I think this extends beyond my MS into my weight loss efforts too. I do have control over my body, my choices and my weight. I have to stop being afraid of it. Stop being afraid of failure. Stop being afraid of losing things that I cant control and start owning the things I CAN control.

I looked in the mirror today...

and thought "I look pretty today."

I have past 40 pounds since February. I am at 41.4 I believe, or it could be .6 I don't really remember as it was the 40 lbs that caught my eye. It seems like a large number. And I am really starting to be able to see it in myself. Like I said in a past post, I hadn't really been able to see what people were complimenting me on, but I graciously accepted the compliments (a large achievement for me!) because if people were noticing then I must be doing something right! But I can see it now. I can see it in my face. I can see it in my arms, my hips... If I flex, you can see my muscles. Matthew says that he can see a difference. I think that when my arms get smaller, they will be impressive! I feel so much better about me. I am really starting to feel a pride in what I am doing. But I am still having trouble getting back on my food log wagon. I need to start logging what I eat again! I know that I do, but its like I am trying to find a reason, an excuse, for failing. Again. If I have something to blame my failure on, other than myself, then I have a scapegoat. But I don't want to have a a scapegoat. I don't want to fail! There is just a mental block in the way that I cant break down. I have to stop saying "can't", I CAN break it down but I have to figure out why I WON'T break through it. Because its easier not to. I'm tired of easy. I want to put in the work, because it is more likely to stick, and last because I worked so hard to achieve it!

I have fallen off the food log wagon, and it is showing. I lost only a pound last week and I know it is because I am not drinking enough water and because I am not tracking what I eat. I haven't been walking as much so I am not hitting my burn. I am messing up. I know that the important part is not that I have slacked off, its that I get back on track. I haven't jumped back on yet. I don't know what is stopping me. I guess I have been going through a lot of emotional stuff with Matthew and it is hard to deal with both. I know that's a cop out. And its a weak, stupid reason for slacking, but its the one I seem to be using. I don't want to make excuses anymore. I want to admit that yeah I'm going through some shit, but that doesn't mean that I cant deal with my problems and take care of myself! I should be strong enough to be able to do that! I AM strong enough to do that. I owe it to myself to take care of me. I owe it to myself. I should respect myself at least that much. So then why is it so hard? Why do I always try to give up? I don't want to. I don't want to give up. I am so afraid to fail. And there's the truth rearing its ugly head. I am afraid to fail, so if I quit before I can fail, then I have the power. But quitting is the only true way to fail in this journey. As long as I keep going forward, yes there will be setbacks, like this week, but as long as I push on how can I see that as a failure?

Milestones

So I got my 30 pounds last week. We were away from home for the weekend but we brought the scale along. I lost 3 pounds last week and got my 30 lbs lost. This week I lost 5 lbs. and that took me under 250. I debated on whether or not to proclaim that cuz I know y'all can do math and figure my starting weight, which I am pretty ashamed of, but I am not ashamed of my progress, so I dont want to hide how far I have come, and since my plans do not involve ever seeing that numer again, I think its ok. And given the emotional weeks I have been having lately, 8 pounds in two weeks is pretty awesome. I love walking, and it is making a huge difference in making my calorie burn. I can definately tell the days I do not walk, and I get kind of bummed when I dont get to go. It has become my "Me Time". I am doing this for me, otherwise I would have quit by now. That’s the difference this time, I think. When I work out its my time, its for me. Its when I can leave everything else for an hour, or whatever, and its just for me. That’s why I like walking cuz I can get out and I have my iPod on and its just me, for me, about me. Not Matthew, or Hayden, because for every other waking moment I am doing everything for them, because they are my family and that’s what I want to do. But for that hour I get to be selfish, and you know what, I like it! So here is to another new week. A new milestone to reach. And maybe, just maybe, some new pants, too.

Walking

I have started walking in the evenings. I really like it and it is an easy way to burn calories. We'll see how it goes when it gets hot out, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Thanks to walking I am hitting my calorie burn basically everyday. And I am getting my step target in too, shockingly. I have come a long way. Today, for example, Matthew had class stuff to do at the college so he wasn't here, and Hayden was tired and whiney. So I laid him down and let him chill for a bit, which seemed to help his mood immensely, but instead of using Hayden as an excuse to NOT go walking, we went together. We saw lots of cars and every truck we saw was "Daddy's Truck" The Old Emily would have used that excuse to not do it, but today I was truly disappointed when I thought Hayden's mood would prevent me from going for my walk. This week has been very emotional and stressful so I dont have real high hopes for the scale, but I think that decision makes up for any possible lack in my goal or the scale this week. Which as I previously mentioned I have retracted as an official goal and downgraded it to an added bonus.

Week 11

I lost another 2.8 pounds this week. I guess I didn't realize that it had been only 11 weeks. I mean that's not even three months yet! So I am pretty happy about the 27 pounds I have lost. I mean I guess its in perspective now. I thought it was going so slow, but I am really proud of myself right now! I have learned a lot this last 11 weeks. One of the big ones is that it is ok to eat. I can have cake and I can have pizza, but that doesn't mean that I have to eat 5 slices of pizza or 3 pieces of cake. I understand the role of food a lot more. I mean, I always knew that my relationship with food was super screwed up, but now I understand a little better. That stuffing my face full of food isn't going to make me feel better about myself. I know that if I want to spend my calories on a food then I want that food to be worth the calories I spend on it. It makes me appreciate good food that much more. I want to eat the things that are good for my body and not just eat it because I want to stuff my stomach full. I can enjoy eating for the joy of eating good food rather than just hiding behind sub par food. Hiding. I don't want to hide anymore. I want to be proud of myself, of what I am doing. For myself, but also for my family. I want Hayden to appreciate good food, healthy food, not just easy food. It is taking a lot of work with him...but I know it will come. He will eat his veggies, he already loves fruit and chicken. We are working on the veggies. And I am also learning that I can be proud of myself. I can accept compliments (though that is still VERY difficult). And there isn't anything wrong with that. I will be a better mommy, I will be a better wife, but first and foremost, I will be a better Me. 11 weeks is not a very long time, but it feels like forever since I started because of everything that I have already accomplished.

Weird Week

I guess this is a testament to how much food matters. I lost 4 pounds last week. 4 POUNDS! I couldn't even move last week and i lost 4 pounds. Do I find this a bit frustrating? Yes, I do. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic about my 4 pounds, but it is a bit frustrating. I mean I work my ass off and I lose 2 pounds. I watch watch I eat, because I know that I won't be able to work out, again I can barely breathe w/o hurting, and I lose 4 pounds. So this week is bit of an experiment. I am going to do the same insane tracking of my food and add in working out (except for tonight) and see what happens. It is that time of the month so that will factor in, but we will see what Sunday brings. Friday and Saturday will be difficult with Hayden's birthday celebrations and the storm that is coming so that will destroy my walking time. Oh well, I will figure it out. One step at a time and I am thriving off of my 4 pounds. It will keep me going for awhile. For now, I am taking tonight off to watch Julie & Julia and having a night to myself. I made a grilled cheese with wheat bread, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms and ham and it was delicious! Yes, food matters.

True setback

Welp, Sunday should be interesting. I had a true roadblock this week. I hurt my tailbone and I couldn't move for two days. Literally. Couldn't. Move. I am still VERY sore but I tried to be more active today. I can move a bit better, a lot better. The only problem is that I didn't really adjust my intake to accommodate the that that I wasn't moving at all. So it should be interesting. I am trying to make up for it today and I will be pretty busy tomorrow. I have LOTS of cleaning to do so that will burn some calories and I would like to go for a walk since it is supposed to be nice tomorrow. I just have to eat really well tomorrow too and hopefully my deficit will be enough that I drop a couple lbs this week. If not, I cant beat myself up too much cuz really it was just yesterday that was the problem with eating. Wednesday I was in so much pain the thought of food made me ill. Another aspect (TMI ALERT) that I must consider is that I haven't gone #2 since I got hurt. The very thought makes me cringe. I know the situation is similar to right after I had Hayden and I was afraid to go because of the pain, so I didn't. The lesson I learned from that was that the anticipation and the dread leading up to the "event" was much worse then the "event" itself, but that doesn't seem to matter. My brain is afraid so it wont let my body do it. Its frustrating. I could probably drop a couple pounds that way! LOL. So there is a glimmer (glimmer may not be an appropriate description in this case) of hope, but I am holding out for a maintain rather than a gain. If there is a loss I will be surprised and VERY happy. But I am not holding my breath. Stay tuned.

Obsess much?

Ok, I have been thinking about it, and thinking about it and thinking about it. What, you ask, am I dedicating all this brain energy to? That stupid little pound! And Why? because it was a +1 and not a -1? Who cares? My body fat percentage went down! Why am I obsessing about gaining one little pound? It could have been water, it is that time of the month. It could have been muscle gain. I did A LOT of walking this week which is working different muscles than my bike. It could have been bone density. I started taking my vitamins to supplement my calcium. It could have been any number of good reasons! But I have to worry about it, and worrying about it isn't going to change it. Its not going to turn back the clock and prevent that +1 from being there. It isn't going to take back Sunday or my Sugar Hangover yesterday. All I can do is turn around, see what I did wrong, and then move forward from there. Each day is a new day and a new opportunity to do things better and as long as I do that then I will keep moving forward. No matter what the scale tells me. I know this is a journey. I know it is a LONG journey. I know I am changing along the way. The way I think about my health, and the way I feel about food...those are changing too. And those are the things I should obsess about. The good things, the steps forward, those are the important things, the things that deserve my energy. I need to learn to embrace those positive steps and not scrutinize the small setbacks. Those are the things that would discourage me in the past. The things that would whisper in my ear that I would fail so I might as well give up. I don't want to give up. I don't want to give up on myself. I want to believe that I can be better, that I can live better. That I deserve better than I have been giving to myself. It is ok to put me first sometimes. I was proud of myself last night cuz I didn't cook supper. I told Matthew that I couldn't cut his hair, make supper, and work out so he needed to decide if he wanted a haircut or me to make supper. Not like he was FORCING me to make supper or anything, but I needed to know which was more important cuz I wasn't going to not work out. (He chose the haircut) But the point of that story is to demonstrate how far I have come in such a short amount of time. The old me would have forgone working out in order to make supper and take care of Matthew. Last night I was able to make me the priority. Not that Matthew cares, I mean he wants me to be healthy more than anyone else, for him and for Hayden. It is that kind of growth that I am talking about though. Those kinds of positive changes that should overshadow the +/- of the scale. I knew going into this the first couple of months would be more of a mental battle than I physical one. Sure, eventually, the physical battle will become more important and will take over center stage, but until then, until I get my head in the right spot, the mental challenges of weight loss are the stars of this show.

Bad Week

I had the wee I have been expecting the past couple weeks. The sucky part is that I thought I was having a good week this week. So this one really stings. I gained a pound, but I lost another % of Body Fat, which is a hallow victory. I know I have to just buckle down and do better this week, but I am so bummed. I really thought I was doing good. I was feeling good. I have at least two pairs of pants that I can take off without unbuttoning them. These things should MEAN something to m, but they don't. Not right now. I wanted the scale to should the results that reflect the way I feel. I got lots of complements this week. People are starting to notice, but it doesn't really mean a whole lot when I gained a pound. I am disappointed in myself, I guess. BUT I am NOT going to let this defeat me! I can't. I have made such progress in the way I think about myself, and the way I think about food... I don't want to slide backwards. I don't. And I know that the only thing that can stop me from doing that is my own desire to keep going forward. This isn't a short term, instant results kind of situation, Emily. It is going to take time and effort and hard work. If it were easy then everyone would be healthy, but it's not, its hard. But everyday is a day to start over. So this week is all about portion sizes, and getting back on track with making my own food and making better food choices. No skipping meals only to overeat later. I will make all my food this week. I will weigh and measure and keep track of EVERYTHING that I put in my mouth. I am going to kick ass next week. I don't care if I hit my burn everyday by just walking, I am still going to work out. I am going to do better this week. I am going to remember that there will always be a stumbling block trying to keep me from my path. I may trip on it, but I will climb over it! Nothing tastes better than a compliment.

Feeling Good

I started doing a cleanse this week. It is only Tuesday and I am already feeling good. I forgot what a difference it makes! Maybe its because I am closing in a 20 lbs lost, or because the weather is nice...I don't know, but I am feeling good. Energized. That is a good word to describe it. I feel energized. Basically the complete opposite from how I was feeling last week. I count that a notch in the win column. Anything that is an improvement from last week is a welcome change. I was VERY tempted to walk to work today, but I didn't since then I would have to walk home to get my car so I could go pick up Hayden. Maybe tomorrow, though. It is supposed to be nice tomorrow. I can just wear my tennis shoes and then change when I get to work... It is probably something I am going to do this week since it is supposed to be so nice. I wish it weren't supposed to rain on Saturday cuz I wanted to take Hayden to the Egg "Hunt" at the park. I think he would have fun and I thought I would support my old 4-H Alma Mater. Does that term apply in this situation? Now I just want to walk home. HA! See, what I mean? I'm kinda giddy. All because I feel good. Ok, back to the cleanse. I think I may do it for 2 weeks instead of 1 since it has been SO LONG since the last time I did it. I am having to leave the room a lot more since it is making me a tad gassy (unlike one of my coworkers who will pass gas no matter where she is and no matter who is around her!). But I remember that is part of the cleanse process and soon I will be getting rid of more waste, so to say. But I can feel the difference already. I feel lighter. I just keep in mind that it is all to keep me on the path to my goals!

So I have totally NOT lived up to my goal of weighing and measuring everything I ate this week. That was my goal, but it didn't happen. I just couldn't motivate myself to do much of anything this week. A lot of that has to do with it being my Woman's Week. So Sunday is REALLY NOT going to go well. As long as I didn't gain anything I will be ok. We went to HuHot for supper last night. I did really good. I stuck to LOTS of veggies and tofu with some Krab mixed in and a little rice. I LOVE their Jasmine Rice. I should have just had one plate but I went up for more which I hardly even had any of so I felt guilty for wasting. I wish they let you have to go boxes but I can understand why they don't. So I tried to eat most of the vegetables off that plate and left the rest. I took a cue from Amanda and had a separate bowl for my spinach. I never feel like I get enough spinach cuz it shrinks down so dramatically. It was nice to have a whole bowl full. I think that is my favorite place to go and eat cuz I control exactly what is in my food and I do love my veggies! I am hoping that I will be pleasantly surprised at my weigh in on Sunday, but a part of me thinks that it wouldn't be the best if I do lose some cuz I wouldn't really deserve it. I didn't work for it. I am seriously considering doing a cleanse. I think it would help. I remember when I did it in AK, I felt really good fterwards. There is a good possibility that I will do that in the near future. I want to do a bit of research to see if I want to use the same product I used before or if there is a better one out there. I know Jillian Micheals has a Cleanse product. I think I would trust her to have a good product. We'll see where that decision leads.