justWEIGHT – Feb. 4 - Week #5 – Day #7 (Day 35 of 365 – same weight today) Total loss 8.0, 44.0 to go!

Give Yourself Permission was, once again, the perfect statement for me today as that is exactly what I had done. I did eat the recommended sausage and biscuit for breakfast, had a meeting at lunch and kept it light. I am beginning to see a theme here. It seems that almost any thought for the day with a positive message fits perfectly somehow into any day, whether the day is routine or completely out of whack. I think this is very important to realize because each day is what we choose to make of it. It’s cold and raining today, my husband has a terrible cold, and nothing would do for dinner other than a spicy bowl of chili. By giving myself permission today, it was a warm, comfortable evening at home.

justWEIGHT – Feb. 3 - Week #5 – Day #6 (Day 34 of 365 – lost .4) Total loss 8.0, 44.0 to go!

Some days everything just seems to go right. I ate a Cobb salad for lunch (ate about half) rather than soup and sandwich, had my salmon croquette at dinner and everything else except for the popcorn which I did not eat simply because I was not hungry. Got on the scale this morning and had dropped another .4 pounds. That is huge! What a great week I am going to have. What did I do differently? I’m not sure, except that I just tried very hard to remember and live by each daily quote, follow the menu plan for the justWeight plan the best I could, and drink plenty of water. I did walk twice this week for 20 minutes and spent one morning in the yard, so I am sure the exercise helped. For those of you that have “dieted” in the past, you know that often when you do your very best, the weight just seems to sit still, then you get up one day and there it is…a significant drop. This was one of those days for me which leaves me at a loss of 15% of my weight loss goal. Today’s wisdom….Easy Choices.

justWEIGHT – Feb. 2 - Week #5 – Day #5 (Day 33 of 365 – lost .2) Total loss 7.6, 44.4 to go!

Do Your Best Today – Reading today’s reminder early this morning was the perfect thing for me to do today. I had a luncheon today with a catered meal which consisted of a Caesar chicken wrap, a side that I think may have been rice, mixed fruit and for dessert, one small piece of chocolate candy. I just happened to be sitting between two friends I have identified as “skinny eaters” and noticed both had unwrapped their wrap and were eating the chicken, lettuce and other ingredients from the inside. I acted as if that had been my original idea and followed suit, ate the fruit and also the candy. Around 2:00 this afternoon I felt my stomach was caving in against my backbone and that I surely would starve to death before reaching the kitchen. I grabbed my afternoon snack of pudding, drank 16 ounces of water, breathed deeply, and was satisfied until dinner. I did do my best today, all day long. Not the greatest day food wise, but did I mention I lost .2 pounds? Yes!

justWEIGHT – Feb. 1 - Week #5 – Day #4 (Day 32 of 365 – same weight) Total loss 7.4, 44.6 to go!

New month, new beginning. It’s easy to start Month #2 with enthusiasm since the first month went so well. I did not gain or lose any weight today, spent 7 hours in the car, unpacked, took a long bath and early to bed, but my spirits are high and I am enjoying this feeling of Control I have grasped for the moment. My weight loss of 7.4 pounds from last month has me confident that the justWeight plan will work for me if I simply follow that roadmap. I popped Stouffer’s stuffed bell peppers in the oven, boiled noodles, made a quick fruit salad and dinner was done. I did take control of this day rather than letting it take of control of me. A rare occurrence, indeed.

justWEIGHT – Jan. 31 - Week #5 – Day #3 (Day 31 of 365 - lost.6) Total loss 7.4, 44.6 to go! Month #1 = (7.4)

WINNER!!! It has been a one month journey today and I am turning cartwheels and feeling so “right” about the justWeight plan. Thinking about doing something a whole year seems like a very long time, but this month has flown by. I have now made 12% of the journey and have lost 14% of my weight loss goal. Although many days have been difficult and even lost, looking back over this past month has made me realize it is really not so bad. It’s all about not giving up. It’s all about messing up one day and eating right the next. I have not been hungry. I feel good about myself although not one single person has looked at me and said, “Have you lost weight?” When you have 52 pounds to lose, it takes more than the 7.4 pounds I have lost over the past 31 days to make enough of a difference that people would notice. But, I notice. My clothes notice. I have just a teensy bit more energy, clothes fit just a little better, and for some reason I smile more. Yes, today I am VERY proud of me. I only have 44.6 pounds to go. I am going to Buy Myself a Prize.

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.