Weigh-in: Week 3

I made a little progress this week. I'm now down 2.6 pounds total. That's still shy of my goal of averaging a pound a week. But a loss is a loss and I'll take it.

I didn't have a good week when it comes to making smart choices. I ate a lot foods I shouldn't have and I didn't track my points a single day. I know that tracking is the No. 1 tool for success. Why can't I do it? Probably because I'm eating the wrong foods and I know the tracking won't look good. I was tempted by giant muffins, pizza, wine and cake this week and I gave in easily.

In hopes of jumpstarting my efforts for this coming week, my boyfriend and I started a 24-hour fast after dinner yesterday. Luckily, I'm working from home today so I'll be able to better handle any lightheadedness or fatigue. I'm allowing myself a little coffee this morning because I don't think giving up caffeine on the same day I don't eat would be a good idea. Beyond that, I'll be drinking lots of lemon water and green tea. I've not done this before, but I can see the benefits of flushing out the toxins and trying to reset my system.

We're planning a light dinner tonight and then tomorrow I'll be back to planning meals in advance. And tracking!!!!! My boyfriend and I are going to Charlotte for two days at the beginning of September. I'm really hoping to stay on track until then. That way I won't feel bad about splurging during our trip.

Weigh-in: Week 2

Bad news. I gained 0.4 pounds. That brings my total lost since I restarted my journey to 1.8 pounds.

The setback is disappointing. I let emotional eating get the better of me this past week. I've been under a lot of stress and I haven't made the best good choices.

There's no excuse ... but it didn't help that we had pizza in the office twice this week. And then there were treats from the new Publix. Today alone we've had chocolate chip cookies, cake and chips with queso dip. I resisted the sweets early on, but the cheese dip proved to be too much. I had just a few, but more than I should have.

I'm having dinner out tonight. I have a plan that includes healthy choices. I just need to stick to it.

I'm going to regroup tomorrow and plan meals for the coming week. My goal is an average of one pound a week. I'll have to make good progress this week to catch up and stay on track.

Wish me luck!

Weigh-in: Week 1

Weight lost: 2.2 pounds

While I'm not ready to publicly report my actual weight as I used to do, I do want to report on my progress each week. Friday's are my official weigh-in day. I'm happy I lost weight this week, especially since I had a few setbacks along the way.

I feel like I'm off to a good start, but this past week wasn't perfect. What I'm happy about is that even when "splurging" I still made better choices than I made a week ago. I also cooked a lot of healthy food.

One area where I wasn't successful is exercise. I walked only one day and didn't reach 10,000 any days. Sigh

That said, I'm already planning meals for this weekend and next week. Saturday will be a challenge since I'm going to Ribfest. But I think I should be able to continue my progress the rest of the week.

My ultimate goal is to lose an average of 1 pound a week. I think I can lose 1 pound this week.

Day 5: I slipped!

The day started off on the wrong foot. I was feeling rushed before work and I just couldn't ever get a handle on the day. I had a healthy breakfast and lunch, but by dinner time, I couldn't keep it up, I had a couple of drinks after work and then a turkey wrap and a few fries for dinner.

You're probably thinking that I didn't do so bad. You're right. But I didn't do so well either. I should have stopped at one glass of wine and I should have skipped the fries and eaten less of the wrap. I'm not beating myself up. I'm simply acknowledging that I didn't make the best choices today.

All in all, today was a good day. I often feel like I make poor choices when something bad happens. On good days, I need to make good choices.

That said, it was a good day. I had a great, spontaneous dinner out with my boyfriend. We talked about a million different topics and laughed a lot. We were silly and ridiculous. I'm so lucky to have someone who supports me and who's willing to change our plans on the spur of the moment because I decide I want to go out to dinner instead of eating at home.

So it was a good day.

So far, so good

As the end of day four approaches, I'm feeling pretty good about my progress. I slipped a little Sunday (the wine made me do it), but I've definitely been eating much better. And the scale has been very friendly.

Sunday was actually the hardest day so far. So the fact that I made it through and I went over my daily points allotment by just a little bit makes me happy. Today, at the office, I also had to resist the pile of Kit-Kits on the counter. It wasn't easy!

I've got a few more pitfalls facing me this week. I have a working lunch Tuesday (I've ordered a salad) and I'm going to the Sharks baseball game on Thursday. I haven't figured out how to approach the game. Hoping a good idea will strike before then.

The good news is that I'm thinking about what I will eat and really trying to plan ahead. Planning ahead is a major key to my success.

Two steps forward, one step back

It's day two. I woke up at 5:30 a.m. with a massive headache. Probably some sort of crazy withdrawal thing. So I'm already feeling like I've had a setback.

Day one, however, went extremely well. With the exception of a brief period in the late afternoon when I could tell my blood sugar was low and I was getting hangry, I managed to pace my eating out and come in slightly under my daily points allotment. My goal is to use all of my Weight Watchers points each day. Using the points means I'm eating enough to avoid blood sugar crashes and late-night binges.

Since I don't feel like doing much else yet today, I've spent the past 90 minutes planning meals for the next few days and making a lengthy grocery note. I know that planning ahead is a big key to my success. Cooking my own meals also makes a difference.

I've got dinner for the next three nights planned -- meat moussaka tonight, shrimp and grits Sunday and chicken and pasta salad Monday. All of the recipes fit nicely into my daily points allotment. And they includes lots of vegetables, which always makes me feel better.

Now I just need to muster up the energy to get to the grocery store so I can start cooking. With this raging headache, it's clear that today is going to be tougher than yesterday. But I'm trying to stay positive and focused. I know that if I can make it through the first few days, I'll be on the road to success.

It's a lifelong struggle

After a more than two-year hiatus from the blog and from faithful allegiance to Weight Watchers, I've made the decision to re-commit to a healthier lifestyle. I've had quite a few starts and stops in the past two years. While I'm frustrated (and embarrassed) by my failures, I've decided it's time to take control of my life again.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how my journey began. I had no expectation of success and no long-term goal. I was simply happy each week when I saw the number on the scale go down. Any movement downward equaled success. It's difficult not to focus on how much weight I've regained, but I'm really hoping I can focus on one pound at a time.

What I also know is that as I lost weight, I had more energy. And more energy meant I felt better. And feeling better meant I enjoyed more activities. That's the goal!

Today is the first day of my new journey. Here are five pieces of advice I have for myself:

1. Be accountable. Keep track of everything you eat and drink. Use all of your Weight Watchers points, but don't go over except on holidays.

2. Exercise. Get 30 minutes of dedicated exercise at least four times a week. It makes you feel better!

3. Think before you eat. If you're going to splurge, make sure it's on something you really want to eat.

4. Ask for help. You're lucky to have a boyfriend who wants to be supportive of your efforts. Use that to your advantage. Talk to him about your feelings and your food choices.

5. Money doesn't matter. You can afford to buy healthy ingredients and to order healthy options when eating out. Don't eat poorly simply because something is cheaper.