Day 70
My weight loss challenge this week is focused on self-control and will-power. Because I live alone I have been able to control my food environment very well. There is nothing in my pantry that I shouldn’t eat. But this week I am at my daughter’s home which is filled with temptations at every turn.
I have already succumbed to pretzels, hummus, pizza, Keebler Fudge Shoppe Fudge Sticks, and Sun Chips. While none of these foods are sinfully unhealthy, they do stimulate my appetite and make staying on the straight and narrow more difficult. My weight loss plan involves eating lean protein, vegetables, and fruit in order to feel satisfied. These foods help me to suppress my appetite. The idea is that the less hungry I am the less likely I will be to eat impulsively, make poor choices, gain weight.
But life rarely works out according to plan. In the midst of family fun and togetherness I have let down my guard. Knowing that so much is available “just to taste” creates temptations that I do not usually have to overcome. At home I have made things easy on myself by creating good routines and avoiding the foods I know will not help my weight loss efforts. But here my will-power is being tested almost on a minute by minute basis.
So it was with trepidation that I stepped onto the scale this morning. After 10 weeks of the 20 lb struggle I am proud to report that I have lost 14 lbs!
Have I mentioned that I am very petite? Standing at less than five foot tall, a weight loss of 14 pounds represents slightly more than 10% of my original body weight. Despite the fact that I have not been able to develop a regular and organzed exercise regime yet (but I am working on this), I feel more energetic, less sleepy, mentally sharper and happier.
I am truly excited by what I have accomplished so far. I can’t wait to lose a few more pounds. My clothes are getting too baggy and I want to go out and get some new ones. But being a practical and thrifty person by nature I want to wait until I am at my goal weight. I think that I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Temptation can slow down my choo-choo train, but it can’t make it stop.
Wow. I didn’t even know how un-healthy my own pantry was, but when I look at that picture . . . you are really good at this. Stay Motivated!
Do you have to post photos of my disorganized pantry? Maybe your real job should have been to clean that thing out while you were here!