Hmm....Something's different...Have you lost weight?

Ever heard this one?

Ever been able to say "Why, yes! Yes I have!"

Well, until recently...neither had I. It was certainly nice to hear that something was different about me, but it was even more frustrating to say "No, I haven't lost any weight...In fact I've probably gained some...but, well, I guess maybe I don't wear this color that often..." or whatever came to mind at the time.

For the first time in a long - I mean, L O N G - time, coworkers and friends are starting to say "Wow...you're losing weight, aren't you..." And for the first time, I'm able to say "Yes, I've lost 20 pounds." Its so amazing, I almost feel like I'm lying sometimes. But then I look at the label on my new size of pants, or at my gym bag that always packed and ready in my car, or at my healthy snacks of fruit or veggies, and I know I'm not...I'm on my weigh...and on my way! (Had to play on some words here...this post is far to "serious" in tone at this point...)

Today at the gym, I stepped on the scale in the locker room. This is something I would have NEVER done before unless I was 100% sure that NO ONE else was in the locker room, and that there was NO CHANCE of anyone entering the locker room for the duration of the time it took me to gently tap that annoying little slider to the proper weight. In fact, the very sound of that antique doctor's office-style scale often reminded me of the "clink CLANK" noise of jail cell bars slamming shut...I assume the terror of knowing my weight was only slightly less severe than the thought of being locked in an 8x8 cell. (Drama, anyone?)

However, today, there was sufficiently less "clink" than there was "CLANK", as I had moved down an entire increment (you know how those types of scales require you to move the blocks in 50 pound sections). The humility of moving it UP from the previous skinny-mini that stepped on it was not unlike the sinking feeling you have when you realize you've had an 8 inch trail of toilet paper stuck to the back of your shoe. Today...Pay dirt. I "clanked" DOWN to one whole increment lower. TAKE THAT, MIMBO'S! (see previous posts for mimbo definition...)

So, yes, something IS different...it's my weight. It's my health. It's my size. It's my clothes. It's the damn increment on the scale from hell. It's a whole lotta things...and it's pretty gosh darn cool. Water weight gain (which I KNOW is coming) or not, I'm getting progressively smaller, and that's all I ever wanted when I made this investment...

Weekend's almost here, and after my first 20 pounds, that means 2 things: a celebratory glass of Pinot Grigio, and more importantly, some serious shopping. Look out Gabbiano...and MasterCard...

Till next time,
~L

PS I do plan on putting up a "half-way" photo soon....just have to get one scanned...stay tuned!

Lousy sixth of a pound....

....that's the only thing between me and twenty pounds lost! Don't get me wrong, I'll still take 19.4 lbs any day (like today)...but, again, leave it to me to be just a fraction away from where I really want to be....

However, this is still quite a success...almost 20 pounds in 9 weeks. Really doesn't seem that bad, does it? I've definitely learned that there is no "quick fix", and there is no secret formula of a certain amount of carbs within 20 minutes of a certain amount of proteins or any of that other fad stuff. Calories in vs. calories out. That's it. Now that's math even I can understand!

Since I'm at my half-way point, I get to start trying out some "meals on my own", which admittedly, is scary. It's normal to be a little nervous about going off the Jenny Craig food...I feel like a baby bird about to take her first shot at flying! Of course, Mama Bird (Christine) will be right there to help me on my way...we carefully planned out a day's worth of non-JC food, and it's great to see I STILL won't be deprived. I even got creative and have a grilled cheese sandwich worked in there! Balance, moderation, and sensible choices, and I should be good to go!

The real challenge is tackling this water weight issue that I feel right around the corner. I've been upping my water even more - today I drank a liter and a half between 6am and 1pm! Lets hope it works this time around...last month was very disappointing...but also motivating!

I've got quite the busy week coming up, including cooking a birthday dinner (which I feel quite confident about since I know what choices to make) for a special someone, so I'll try my best to keep the blog up...

Here's to another pound-losing week!
Till next time,
~L