What to talk about today? First crop of cherry tomatos from the garden yesterday. Harry and Nutmeg go to the vet tomorrow for check-ups and Meg has gotten a bald spot on her leg that needs to be looked at. They were a little uncomfortable with the sounds of fireworks last night. Harry, who's got hip dysplasia and doesn't usually do this kind of thing, got up on the sofa with me and then later on the bed with DH. The turtle is still around. He's been roaming around the yard and taking the occasional dip in the pond. But, what really is on my mind today is weight, mine specifically. It's been going up and up and up since I was about 29, with 2 major weight loss successes mixed in there. I don't want to be as thin as I was in my 20s, but I would like to stabilize at a comfortable and healthy weight. I have never been able to maintain my weight--it's either going up or down, and mostly it's going up. In the spirit of true confessions behind the annonymity of my blog, I am about 5 foot 7 inches and current 199.6 lbs. Which is good, considering I had gotten up to over 200 and that's when I really get uncomfortable. I've decided today is the day I am going back on a "program."
About 7 weeks ago, I got a Jack Lalane juicer. This was inspired by reading about "cleansing juice fasts." I was obviously in some kind of mood the day I ordered it. Anyway, I decided I would try a 3-day juice fast. Well, I quickly found out that just juice had an ill effect on my blood sugar (this is based on how I felt, not any knowlege of a medical problem) and I started thinking, "Hey, isn't fiber supposed to be good for you? Why am I taking the fiber out of my fruits and vegetables?" So, this morphed into an effort to make healthier food choices and generally eat less. This translates into not continuing to eat when I am full, no wine, and no artificial sweets (love sweets; those are my downfall). At that time, I decided not to eat red meat or pork either. Just concentrate on fish and chicken. Well, I was doing pretty well and that is when I dipped down below 200 lbs for the first time in over a year. Then, PMDD hit!! Suddenly, I was out of control, eating a whole large chocolate bar with a bottle of red wine. Polishing off a chocolate cake at work (a half of a cake!), having wine when I got home from work, etc. I had just gotten excited because my clothes were fitting better and I could feel them getting tight again.
Well, the PMDD is over (for a couple of weeks) and I got up the nerve to weigh myself this morning as a precurser to getting on the program again. (A lot of people say forget the scale; what is important is how you feel and how your clothes fit. I've always found that there's a direct correlation between my weight and those things.) Anyway, I was relieved to find that I had not undone all of my previous efforts, having not gone beyond 200 lbs. yet, as stated earlier. So, I am going to renew my efforts and hope to even add a little exercise this time (ugh!). I will not make every post about my weight or "the program," but may put some stats at the end of each post to keep track of my progress and what I ate that day--if I feel like it. So, today I offer you (and me) some photos of my current shape in a dress that I had to buy recently to go to a dressy work affair. I actually wore stockings and high heels! Felt like a stuffed sausage (is there any other kind?). After trying on almost every party dress in the women's department at the store, I opted for this straight dress rather than the others, in which I looked like a linebacker in a tutu. Anyway, it is my hope that the next time I wear a dress, I will not look like a flower covered refrigerator or a line backer in a tutu. I'd like to stop being shocked when I see myself in photos!
Poundage: 199.6
