justWEIGHT – Jan. 30 - Week #5 – Day #2 (Day 30 of 365 - lost.2) Total loss 6.8, 45.2 to go!

Be Positive – I kept this thought all day and felt great. We are travelling for a couple of days on a business trip and get to spend time (and meals) with some of our favorite “life-long” friends we have made through the years. Breakfast with the girls, lunch with the girls, dinner with the group. One friend commented, “You’re certainly eating healthy.” That was it! No inquiry. No interrogation. Just a comment and it truly did make me “feel positive.” How did I conquer over indulging? Simply stated: I planned ahead. I took along my justWeight plan and studied each meal before eating. I did a lot of legal substituting and kept concentrating on being positive rather than pouting about passing on that bread pudding with coconut ice cream. Oh yes. I also lost .2! Slept like a baby rather than a stuffed pig. Feels really good.

justWEIGHT – Jan. 29 - Week #5, Day #1 (Day 29 of 365 – weighed the same) Total loss 6.6 lbs, 45.4 to go!

Appreciate Your Family … the perfect thought for the day for me. Not weighing every day is not going to work for me. I practically broke out in a sweat and my heart was racing as I approached the scale this morning. My anxiety was unbelievable! The relief I felt when realizing I was exactly the same as last Friday morning was so comforting until I realized I only lost .4 during week #3 of the justWeight plan and nothing at all this week. I am still a little over two pounds ahead of my “lose a pound a week” goal for this year, but that lead is rapidly diminishing. And, it’s not about last week or the week before that. It’s about today and about tomorrow and about the rest of my life. Feeling very disappointed in myself I trudged into the bedroom and made a bold statement to my husband that I was failing miserably! Very cautiously, he said, “Must have been the Chinese and Mexican food…or could have been the chocolate cake and ice cream. You did have a lot of uncontrollable meals…seemed like we ate out all week. This week will be better.” Sweet? Yes. But, not only had I been making excuses for myself all week, but now he was making excuses for me as well. “Don’t make excuses for me. I need a coach!” was my response. I’m sure he left for work shaking his head and wondering how this somehow ended up being his fault. I’m right, I do need a coach, but that coach has to be me. I do appreciate my family. It’s that wonderful, unconditional love.

justWEIGHT – Jan. 28 - Week #4, Day #7 (Day 28 of 365 – did not weigh) Total loss 6.6 lbs, 45.4 to go!

Looking back over the week, I think I have to admit failure. Rationalization tricks us into thinking something is okay when in actuality we know it is not. I let myself slide almost every day over one excuse or another. I’m struggling here. If you are reading this you understand. If you are a “dieter”, you understand. Having company, social events, don’t want to make people uncomfortable, don’t want to be a party pooper, don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. All those excuses are valid, but the truth is, you c-a-n at least maintain your weight in all these situations. Do you honestly think everyone in the room is looking at your plate and how much you are eating? That might be true if you put one dab on your plate or if you fill it to the point it is falling over the edge, but small amounts of several food items draw no attention. And, if you leave a few bites of each food on your plate, no one will think a thing about it. Throwing caution to the wind will land you in the middle of a tornado! I can feel it. I fear tomorrow morning will not be pleasant. Love Yourself sounds pretty simple. Today I had to really work on it, but decided I do love myself enough to get real and stop making these rationalizations. Healthy eating is just that…..healthy eating. My lesson at the end of this first four weeks is that I must learn that I can conquer anything one day at a time.

justWEIGHT – Jan. 27 - Week #4, Day #6 (Day 27 of 365 – did not weigh) Total loss 6.6 lbs, 45.4 to go!

Lay Your Fork Down Between Bites – Perhaps the wording should have read “Lay Your Fork Down!” My husband and I have been in a Supper Club group for the past 18 years or so. In fact, we often spend time at this monthly gathering of scrumptious feasting trying to remember exactly how long we have been doing this. Several years ago we took a Supper Club group trip to Santa Fe and attended a cooking class with Chef Johnny Vee and learned the art of cooking Santa Fe Mexican food. Last night, the hosts for this month decided to duplicate that dinner which included cheese queso, guacamole, chips, margaritas, chicken enchiladas, rice, beans and ice cream tacos for dessert. Did I think one time about the justWeight plan? No! Did I think for a second about laying my fork down between bites? No! In fact, I am quite sure I left tongue prints on my plate. It was fun, delicious, social and a big part of our lives. I gave myself a break. I will have to pay for it. I did backslide, but that’s okay. I face the scale Friday morning and plan to follow the justWeight plan exactly. In fact, I think tomorrow will undo whatever damage I did today…..and it was worth it. Adios amigos.

justWEIGHT – Jan. 26 - Week #4, Day #5 (Day 26 of 365 – did not weigh) Total loss 6.6 lbs, 45.4 to go!

Caesar salad in a bag. Don’t you just love it? Each bag has three servings, but I usually eat half a bag which contains only 135 calories including the dressing. I also cut calories and fats by using only half the dressing that comes with the bag, which is plenty. I prepared a wonderful spaghetti dinner with Caesar salad in about 20 minutes. Happy family, happy me. I stuck to the program completely today and feel much better. We have friends coming in today for a couple of days. I am trying to get ahead of the game by checking the menu plan and planning ahead. Social eating (or not eating) is the hardest! Have Realistic Expectations.

justWEIGHT – Jan. 25 - Week #4, Day #4 (Day 25 of 365 – did not weigh) Total loss 6.6 lbs, 45.4 to go!

Listen to Your Instincts Good advice, I am sure, but my instincts this morning were telling me “more sleep” rather than “get up and walk”. The pull to get on the scale is very strong, but I have made this commitment to not weigh until Friday morning (the day I have chosen as the beginning of each justWEIGHT plan week). The not knowing drives me crazy, but I will be true to my promise. Ate all meals at home today, followed plan exactly and the steak, baked potato and salad were yummy. What a treat. Although I am ahead of my loss of “one pound a week” goal, I am getting close to even, so now is no time to get sloppy. Perhaps I have been Listening to My Instincts today. Good job!

justWEIGHT – Jan. 24 - Week #4, Day #3 (Day 24 of 365 – did not weigh) Total loss 6.6 lbs, 45.4 to go!

I left off the piece of bacon this morning since yesterday I weighed the same as the day before. I intentionally did not weigh today, nor will I for the next four days, concentrating on what I eat rather than what I weigh. Drank all my water and as I was working on the justWEIGHT plan all day while sitting at the computer, I tried to get up and move around as much as possible. Park at the End of the Row and Walk! No doubt this is excellent advice, but since I did not leave the office today, I will commit it to memory. Walking at least three times a week for 20 minutes would improve anyone’s health, not to mention weight loss. I will incorporate that into my week starting tomorrow. For now, it’s off to bed.