The Road So Far

wrenak · January 2016

I started logging on MFP in earnest on 4/19/15. I'd tried a couple of times before but mentally was just not there yet. This time, somehow, it clicked. I learned many things during this journey, from my own experiences and from the forums.

I can have anything I want so long as I deem it worth the calories and keep track. There's only one day I didn't track everything in the past 8.5 months. Christmas Day. Not saying I never went over my calories other than that day. I did. Just not as often as in the past. And the best part was that I didn't have the, "I screwed up so I may as well quit and try again next (week/month/year)." I was back to it the very next day. Aside from the odd weeks where I weighed the same or higher due to TOM water retention - the worst being when I was 3 weeks late - I lost something every week. It may have only been 0.2, but it was still down! The damage from Christmas? I was up a little from my 12/25 weight for a couple of days, but still down from the official week's weight from the week prior.

The longer I do this the tighter my logging gets. I weigh to the gram or the ounce almost everything. I'm still sloppy about a few things, like I'll count "one english muffin" or "one carb-control tortilla," etc., but until it starts stalling my progress it works for me. I put my tea and diet soda into my water total, though it's usually not more than 2 cups total of my day. I don't track salt, zero-cal spices, or pickles unless it's part of an overall recipe. The sandwiches I make truly have no condiments! It's not that I'm in denial or forgetting to track them, I just don't use them. The flavor and moisture of the meat and cheese is plenty for me without adding to it.

I'm still not a hard-core exerciser, but I do make an effort to do SOMETHING 3-5 days a week. I prefer walking outside to the treadmill, of course, but I don't have the equipment to handle the cold, dark, slick roads/paths that I have to deal with right now. So I go to PF to walk on the treadmill. Strangely enough, I sweat more during my 3-3.25-mile walk on the treadmill than I do my 3-4.5 mile walk outside.

I still have a long way to go, but I feel SO much better now. I credit a good part of my success to the knowledgeable and helpful people here on the GD&WLH board. Thank you very much for all your truths. Whether you surround it with puppies and rainbows or just blurt out the harsh truth, it's all valuable and inspirational to me. Thank you.

Brandy
HW: 272
SW: 261.2
CW: 198.2
GW: 130 (subject to change)