Weight loss

I don't really "do" New Years' resolutions...so before the year ended, I had started to diet. I lost maybe 2 pounds total across December, which I still think is great considering I was making things like the delicious peanut butter cups above...Alas, on Christmas morning with Jeff and Linda surprised us with a gift of a cruise, I decided to add a goal to my vague weight loss plan. Mid-January I signed up for myfitnesspal.com and started to track my caloric intake. This is not something I would normally EVER do, but it's been really helpful. I track my morning workouts, nightly walks, and everything I eat. Most of the Hungry Girl meals are already in their system, and if not, I can easily add them. Tracking what I eat this way DOES help...For instance, I have four boxes of Girl Scout cookies sitting behind me right now, and I am not eating them because I know that (dinner included) I'll have 477 calories left today, and I'd like to have a snack this afternoon and stay below my goal of 1,310 calories.

So far (including the 2 in December), I've lost NINE POUNDS.

Woooo!!!

I can totally see the difference in my face and the way clothes fit. I feel like "myself" and I want to continue to lose, in a healthy way. My goal is to drop 1 pound per week, and if I am extra good (like if I don't use up all 477 calories today) I lose something like 1.5. By the cruise, I should have dropped 4-5 more pounds and be feeling good.

Part of the dedication to this involves not eating out hardly at all. It sucks, honestly, but when I see the amount of calories in the meals I eat out, I am HORRIFIED. For example. I enjoy Pad Thai at a chain Asian-inspired restaurant from time to time. Until I knew it contained 2 servings of 750 calories each, for a whopping 1500 calories!!!!!!!!  More than I can have in an entire day. I for the time being, I am limiting my intake and trying to avoid eating out and also eating a lot less. To do this, I have to eat basically all day...I have yogurt, apples with unsalted peanut butter, brie and whole wheat crackers, hummus and carrots or whole wheat pita...etc. It's hard to do, given the job I have...and I definitely have days that I go without eating for long enough that I'm suddenly starving and make a bad choice. I've also had a few days in which I'm quite certain I'm going to pass out, and because my blood sugar is so finicky, I really need to be careful that I'm keeping a steady level all day...this means not going hungry, or eating sugary foods, and making sure I have some protein.

After the cruise I plan on trying to maintain my weight...I'll probably still use myfitnesspal during the week but not weekends, and allow myself to sometimes go over (but I'll try to reign it in if so!)