Mission Accomplished

I did it! I lost 17 pounds! My goal was actually 15, and after last week’s weigh-in, I only had a pound to lose. I went a little overboard last week, because I was so close that I almost just didn’t care if I made that last pound or not. “Why not have three slices of pizza for lunch today?” “Why not eat an extra half-portion of barbecue tonight?” “I want popcorn. I’ve almost met my goal. I’m eating popcorn.”

Needless to say, I was pleasantly shocked when I stepped on the scale yesterday and had lost three pounds! I’ll take it. Now, I’ve moved on to the maintenance phase. The calorie counting program I’ve been using tells me I can now have twice as many calories in a day as I was eating…and I can’t do it. I split the difference and fell about 500 shy yesterday, and I felt like I was grossly overeating all day.

All I really changed was that I added healthy snacks between meals – almonds, low fat string cheese, Kashi fruit bar. I’ll get used to it soon, I’m sure. I just want to be sure that I’m not adding unhealthy foods back in to fill that calorie quota. And I’m going to keep up my exercise routine so everything doesn’t turn back to fat this time around. I’ve still got a ways to go as far as toning, anyway. I’ll be switching my focus from that all-important number to what my body looks like.

I know I’ve still got work to do to make sure that all of these changes become habits. In the past, when circumstances change, I quit exercising, make excuses and give up my diet. I think the biggest transition – even though it’s still two months away – will be when the kids go back to school. Hopefully by then, it will be so ingrained in me to go to the gym in the morning that I won’t choose running errands and grocery shopping over working out.


Until then, I'm excited that I've met my goal. Five years later, I'm finally back where I was before I got pregnant with Aidan. I think I'll reward myself with a pair of jeans that actually fit...once I've saved up for them. :)