Assessing the damage

For the record, I did officially weigh-in on Friday. I apologize for not posting my weekly update. With traveling for the holidays, I didn't have time. Anyway, it was good news. My weight was 179.4 -- a loss of a pound from the previous Friday and a total loss of 92.4 pounds since January 2010.

After a successful weigh-in, I headed out of town to visit my family feeling pretty good. I opted not to take my scale with me and I knew going into the long weekend that I wouldn't be able to avoid a few indulgences. I made some good choices and some bad choices.

Four days later, I came back to Wilmington feeling as if I'd gained 10 pounds. I was trying not to panic, but I was worried that I'd completely erased all of the progress I'd made in the past two months. It's really been a struggle to get past that 90-pounds-lost mark this year.

Luckily, when I stepped on the scale this afternoon, the number wasn't as bad as I had expected. It said 181.2, which is a slight gain. But I think that's acceptable over the holidays. The real challenge is going to be curtailing the splurges now that I'm back home. I'm already feeling antsy because I want a snack -- chocolate, perhaps. I think I'm going through withdrawal. So far, though, I'm back to counting my Weight Watchers points and I haven't given in to temptation yet.

Of course, the real evidence of whether I succeeded will come on Friday. My goal for the past two months has been to end the year at less than 181.8 pounds. It's going to be close.