My change from last week –

Change in weight (2/24/20 – 1/1/20):  – 3.2 LBS

This morning I woke up and I felt a little bloated. I was sure that I had gained weight this past week and prayed that I stayed the same. Alas, I am down again! 3.2 pounds! I swear that every week is a an adventure and a lesson. This reflection allows me the opportunity to really dig into how I function physically and mentally. It also continues to show me that dedication and commitment go far beyond day-to-day and moment-to-moment feelings. What I was convinced was a setback was actually a success.

Anyway, sorry for the gap between posts. I try for 2 posts a week but I got sick this week and it messed with my whole flow. I try not to make too many excuses, but here I am. Getting sick was the first obstacle to work through in my week. I had a stomach bug so I did not eat much food on Monday. I tried to eat some crackers, but my overall caloric consumption for the day was under 600. I also didn’t work out (can’t imagine why). Understanding this sickness, I did not want to have a rebound effect where I overate in the following days. I tried very hard and was very conscious to ease myself back in, and I feel that I succeeded at it.

I had some great wins for the week. I got back into my workout flow, having 3 workouts on the Peloton and a couple days skiing. This is all despite the fact that being sick knocked me off my routine a bit. I must add that downhill skiing can be a super intense workout if you want it to. I was teaching my niece and nephews how to ski (which was tremendous) so I was doing a lot of crouching, slow turning, and uphill movement. It was a leg burning dreamland. The impacts of my weight loss journey have been having an upward lift on my general feelings and self-image. I am proud of what I am doing, I am proud of sticking with it, and I am proud of where I am going. It felt so good putting my ski gear on and feeling how much looser they are fitting.

I also continue to learn and am reminded of the areas I need to work on. We had an awesome weekend with my sisters. It was a mini sibling reunion/ski adventure. Because of this, there was a lot of food. Cheese and crackers, snacks, desserts, you name it. I continue to have a problem with my discipline and need to improve. When sitting next to a table of snacks, I have a very hard time controlling how much I eat, especially if it is cheese and crackers. I did feel I made baby steps in the right direction. With certain meals I did not go for seconds the way I would have in the past and I tried to drink a lot of water before and during meal times to help myself feel full.

I am down 26.8 pounds since December 1. I am at a place I honestly did not think I would achieve. I had high hopes when I started, but years of ups and downs have made me truly temper my optimism. The loss has been slow and steady and I feel it is more realistic to maintain than ever before. I hope my changes continue and I can own them for the future. I hope that this success and my real experience can also help somebody else. I have been heavily focusing on the health and weight side of my betterment journey, I will not always, but this part needs love and attention… and I am succeeding at giving it that love and attention!

Please stay tuned for more updates Later this week I will be providing an alternative perspective on the changes I am making for Lent. If you have been enjoying this, please become an email follower or a wordpress follower. Having this public audience has been a positive motivation for me to continue working towards my goals and so I really am thankful for all of you!

Date	Change in Weight
12/1*	–
12/2*	-5.4 lbs
12/9	-5.4 lbs
12/16	-3.4 lbs
12/23	+2.8 lbs
12/29	-1.2 lbs
1/6	-1.4 lbs
1/13	-1.6 lbs
1/20	-1.4 lbs
1/27	+0.4 lbs
2/3	-1.2 lbs
2/10	-4.6 lbs
2/17	+0.4 lbs
2/24	-1.6 lbs
3/2	-3.2 lbs

-Ben