It's all about the dress

The past few days have been quite busy and were a good test of what I will face during the holidays. Overall, I did OK with my eating (a few splurges, but nothing outlandish) and I'm back on track with exercising. What I'm most proud of is that after indulging at a social function this afternoon, I walked three miles. And that's on top of the four miles I'd already done on my exercise bike this morning.

The scale isn't exactly cooperating this weekend, but I feel good about knowing that I ate a little too much so I needed to exercise more. It's a good place to be mentally ... instead of feeling guilty and then just eating more.

Anyway, I had other successes this weekend. I resisted the buttery movie popcorn twice and I had a major craving for pizza Saturday, but I had a healthy bowl of light chicken noodle soup instead. I was also reminded in a strange way that a lot of people struggle with weight issues ... even skinny people. I won't go into details, but somehow it made me feel better hearing this.

Of course, it also didn't hurt that I saw a few people this weekend that I don't see on a regular basis and everyone commented on my weight loss. I feel kind of vain admitting it, but it makes me feel good when people notice.

Finally, I had somewhat of a breakthrough when it comes to what I see in the mirror. About a month ago, I bought a size large dress for Christmas party. I tried it on at the store and it looked great, but I felt like it was a little snug in the wrong places (basically, my hips and stomach). But I loved it and it was pretty cheap. So I bought it anyway. I told a friend about it and vowed to wear it to the Christmas party even if I didn't lose another pound before then. Well, I have lost a few pounds since then and I've been riding my exercise bike regularly. When I tried it on today, I couldn't believe what I saw in the mirror. For one brief moment, I felt like I looked good. The feeling didn't last because I quickly started feeling self-conscious and wondering if I could actually wear it in public. There's nothing revealing about the dress, but it is eye-catching. For now, I'm just glad the dress fits and I hope it's the motivation I need to stay on track for the next few weeks.