194.6

The numbers on the scale feel a little bit like highway markers on a road trip. I’ve been on this adventure for about thirteen months now and have seen the numbers decrease from 235 to 194.6. I’m really liking the change in scenery.

I was really happy this morning when I stepped on the scale and saw that I have reached 194.6. The 200s are really done. I am firmly in the 190s and well on my way to the 180s. Woot woot!

This is what is working for me right now:

  • No Refined Sugar: I’m off refined sugar for 2019. No cookies, no cake, no ice cream. Six months ago, I could not have decided to abstain from refined sugar for an entire year. No way, no how, way too daunting, thank you very much. Now, I feel relieved. I don’t have to think about whether I can have a cookie at Pippa’s kindergarten Valentine’s Day party or whether I allow myself some Red Vines the next time we see a movie. It’s just not happening. And for me, right now, this feels very, very right. I feel as if I’m listening to myself and following my intuition instead of obeying the Sugar Beast.
  • Detoxing from Food Sensitivities: I’m also about 10 days into a detox from all my food sensitivities. I’m sensitive to about 20 foods, but the big ones are black pepper, garlic, wheat and dairy. I will ease back into pepper and garlic 2x/week in another ten days. But I’m going to stay off wheat and dairy longer because that’s helping me lose weight. I lost thirty-five pounds in 2018 and I’m very proud of that. Damn proud. But I’d like to lose even more in 2019 because frankly, I’m just ready to be done with this weight.
  • Eating Healthier Foods: I’m eating lots of lentils, eggs, veggies and fruit. I’m trying to eat more veggies than fruit.
  • But I’m Far From Perfect: I’m also drinking a ton of Diet Coke. I love soda. I realize I need to drastically reduce my soda intake and increase my water, but not now. Not yet. I trust that I will when I’m ready.
  • Walking: I’m walking a ton and tracking it on my Fitbit. My goal is to average 10,000 steps a day for a total of at least 3.65 million steps in 2019. I’ve been enjoying this project so much, that I’m actually averaging closer to 12,000 steps each day.
  • Stretching: I do Classical Stretch, a stretching and strengthening program, every day.
  • Journaling: I journal every day. I journal about my eating habits. I journal about my feelings. I journal about how I have used food for years and years to numb and avoid my feelings. I journal about my food and diet memories. I journal about my body. I journal about how much I love myself. I journal about the reasons I maybe don’t love myself enough.
  • Reading: I love self-help books. Right now, I’m reading Tony Robbins’ Awaken the Giant Within. It is not a book about losing weight, but it is giving me a lot of insights on that front. Reading makes me think, and thinking prompts me to keep making progress on the Emotional Self-Improvement Front.
  • Blogging: I’ve been blogging more the past two weeks. Mostly about my Decluttering Efforts. But I want to keep blogging about my Weight Loss Adventures. Journaling is important and vital, but there’s something about blogging that kicks my journaling to the next level. It forces me to really figure out what I’m thinking. It also eliminates any shame I feel about my weight.

I’m excited to see how quickly I can lose the next sixty pounds!