Another before-and-during

I thought maybe it was time for another before-and-during photo comparison.

The first picture is me at the start (200.5 lbs.). The other photo is me a few weeks ago at 170. Oh, the difference 30 pounds makes!

At Last!

Well, it was Oct. 4 when I first weighed in at 170, thinking it would be an easy stroll into the 160s from there. Hardly. Today, almost a month later, I finally saw that elusive "6" after the 1 on the scale -- I weighed 169.2 this morning. A new low, of course, and only 5.2 pounds away from a "normal" weight. And less than 20 pounds to 150.

My big worries now are, like I mentioned yesterday, Halloween, then my week in San Diego, then of course Thanksgiving and Christmas. I keep telling myself that I really don't want to take two or three months off of this way of eating, so I really need to stay strong. I have found that one little indulgence usually turns into a month of binging on carbs and overeating in general, and then it's hard to get back on track. I've found that it's easier to completely avoid things like tortilla chips at the Mexican restaurant or Hershey's Kisses than to try to eat just one. Because once I get a taste, it's like crack! Plus, I feel so much better when I'm eating like I should be, so I need to keep that in mind.

I'm thinking about taking my old scale with me to San Diego. I'd take the new scale, but it's glass and I'd hate to break it.The other one is old and it would be OK if it never worked again. There's just something about the daily reinforcement of the scale that helps keep me on track. If I'm down at all, it strengthens my resolve and makes me feel good about the choices I'm making. I need that immediate (or near-immediate) reinforcement of my good choices or I slack off. I wonder if the hotel would have a scale that I could use ... I've never seen one in a hotel room. Probably easier just to bring my own :)

I guess that's it for now. Yay for 160s, and here's to staying there (right up until I hit the 150s)!

P.S. -- I just looked back, and it was July 18 that I first hit the 170s (at 179.5). So it's taken me three months to lose 10 pounds. Which sounds SO slow, until you realize that it's still about 0.7 pounds per week and I'm getting pretty close to my goal weight. And I haven't been anywhere near perfect, and I've often stalled for a month at a time. So, yeah. I'm making progress, I'm getting there.

New scale

I *heart* my new scale. It's SO consistent ... I get the same exact weight no matter how many times I get on it.

This morning, it said I was at 170 even. Not too shabby. That's the lowest I've been, and although I've seen that number three different times already this month, I'm hoping to close out October in the 160s.

Now, to do that, I'll have to avoid all of the Halloween candy that's being thrown at me. Two coworkers have already brought by Halloween goody bags full of chocolate. Now, do I give them to Oliver (who definitely doesn't need candy) or do I give them to Josh (who also probably doesn't need candy)?

I've also got to avoid the pumpkin chocolate chip muffins that I made last night. I did eat one, and unfortunately for my diet, they are delicious. I need to keep in mind, though, that this is a dangerous time of year. It's a slippery slope that starts with Halloween candy and continues straight through to the first of the year. I'll have to come up with a few low-guilt treats to take me through the holidays without a fail.

Another challenge is going to be my trip to San Diego. I think I should have some good options available (omelets for breakfast are pretty much universal at these hotels), but I'm a bit worried about my ability to CHOOSE the right thing. Then there's the ubiquitous alcohol; everyone drinks at these things. I've got to make a game plan and stick with it! I don't want to backslide for an entire month like I did after the May conference in Chicago.

Down, down, down

It's amazing how well this diet works when you actually pay attention to what you're eating and follow the rules (who'da thunk?)

I'm down to 171 this morning, so I'm gradually getting back to where I was. Maybe by the weekend, I'll be back at 170. I can't WAIT to see the 160s ... it's been a long time coming. I bought a new scale yesterday, and it's supposed to be delivered today. It'll be interesting to see what the difference is. Hopefully it'll be lower and not higher :) Supposedly it's a very accurate scale, so I'm looking forward to that. It also measures in 0.2 lb. increments. I'm not sure if that'll be frustrating or awesome :)

I'm not going to do my food for the day, since I'm lazy and am tracking it at FatSecret.com. But if I try anything new that I love, I'll post it here so I don't forget it.

Today

This morning I was 171.5. Here's my meal plan for the day:

BREAKFAST
1 slice sugar-free cheesecake
2 slices bacon

LUNCH
Hamburger with cheese
Mock Potato Soup
1/2 apple

DINNER
Queso Chicken
Sauteed zucchini

SNACK:
1 apple
2 slices turkey

Total: 37 net carbs

Stress and hunger

So, I didn't exactly get back on the wagon when I intended to last week. It ended up being an extremely stressful, frustrating week, and all I wanted to do was drink margaritas and eat carbs. I didn't drink margaritas, although I did have about 1/2 glass of wine on Saturday night. But I did eat carbs. Even when I tried not to, I really couldn't resist. I guess that's the trouble in the beginning. The cravings and the hunger are still there, making it very hard to avoid the temptation. I'm going to try again this week and see how I do. This morning I'm at 172.5. I'm going to aim for 35 carbs per day this week, but I'm going to try to avoid beans. They always seem to be the beginning of trouble for me. I'm going to add in some other fruits, but only a little bit!

Here's my plan for today:

BREAKFAST:
1 slice cheesecake - 1.8 net carbs
2 slices bacon - 0 net carbs

LUNCH:
Chicken fajitas from Bravo's (no tortillas, beans, or rice) - about 10 net carbs
1 apple - 15 net carbs

DINNER:
Hamburger and a big salad - about 6 net carbs

Total - about 34 net carbs

Cheesecake

So I made a new cheesecake, and I think it's really good. I used pecans for the crust, and added vanilla and lemon juice to the batter itself. The last one I made was really bland, so those additions were very nice. And I got some sugar-free chocolate syrup, which has, if I remember correctly, just 3 net carbs per 2 Tbsp. And I'm using maybe 2 tsp. at a time, so it's not bad.

Here's the cheesecake recipe: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desserts/r/lcarbcheesecake.htm

And here's the nutritional info:
Calories: 239.7
Fat: 23.6g
Cholesterol: 105.3g
Sodium: 153.9mg
Carbohydrate: 6.9g
Fiber. 0.7
Net carbs: 6.2g
Protein: 5.6g

The recipe site says it has just 2 grams of net carbs per serving, but I'm coming up with about 6. I think that's because the recipe calculator I used is counting Splenda as 1 net carb per 2 tsp. So that adds 4.4 net carbs to each serving. Without that, it would be about 1.8 net carbs per serving.

Out of Cheating-ville

So, I took a two-week vacation to the land of cheating. After doing really well and getting to a new low, I kind of splurged on our trip to see Laura and Ed. Not only did I eat the french fries that came with my hamburger (they were maybe the best french fries I've ever eaten), I also ordered a brownie with ice cream that Oliver and I split (again, probably the best brownie I've ever eaten). Unfortunately, even though that was just one meal, I indulged a few more times, because, what the heck, I was already off track. That's such self-destructive thinking!

I spent last week basically getting back on track and losing the couple of pounds that the scale had added. (I went up to 174.5 and gradually took it all back off.) We went camping this past weekend, and even though there was a ton of delicious snack-stuff sitting around (including a pack of Oreos that was just calling my name), I decided the splurge smartly -- I can get an Oreo anytime, but I can only have a marshmallow roasted over the fire when I'm out camping.

So today I weighed in at 170.5, and I'm excited (yet again) to see where I can go from here! I've got dinner planned for tonight, but I WILL have to go to the grocery store tonight so that we'll have food for the rest of the week. I've got my menu planned and my grocery list written, I've just got to actually go!

A Loss

Well, this morning I'm at 170 even. That's a new low for me! I'm not finished with my lovely time of the month, so hopefully I'll see another loss once that fun has ended for this month. Still, 170 is 30.5 pounds lost, 6 pounds away from a "normal" BMI, and 20 pounds from 150!

Yesterday, I bought a new pair of dress pants from Goodwill that came from the Gap, and they're size 10 and fit perfectly. And I bought a cardigan from Goodwill that came from Ann Taylor, and it's a medium. That was exciting for me! I even tried on this pair of size 4 pants from Banana Republic because they looked big, and I could pull them up but not button them. Then I realized that size 4 is to size 10 as size 10 was to size 16. I remember trying on my size 10s when I first started losing weight and wondering if I would ever fit in them again. I've come a long way!

I've been gradually adding in foods and upping carbs, and I think it's helped me to track everything on FatSecret.com. I was so hesitant to get out of my Induction comfort zone, but FatSecret has really helped, because I can try to watch my Fat/Protein/Carb percentages, as well as calories and net carbs. I'm not watching my calories too closely, but it's nice to keep an eye on things so I'm not eating 2,500 calories a day and wondering why I'm not losing!

This week, I'm adding in legumes, and I'm aiming for 35 carbs per day. I've already added back in more veggies, more dairy, seeds and nuts, and berries. I'm skipping over the alcohol rung because I just don't drink it that often, and I'd rather not waste a week on it. So here I am at legumes. Next week, provided legumes treat me OK, which they may not, I'll be on to fruit other than berries and melons, then on to starchy vegetables, and finally whole grains.

Here's my food for the day ... I'm mostly tracking it all over at FatSecret these days.

BREAKFAST:
Bacon and Spinach Crustless Quiche with Caramelized Onions

LUNCH:
Joey Streaker with black beans and chicken, add sour cream

DINNER:
All-American Fried Chicken
Faux Mashed Potatoes

SNACKS:
2 oz. roasted turkey
1 oz. nut/seed mix
2 T. natural peanut butter
1 slice Sugar-Free Cheesecake

TOTALS:
1850 calories
34.98 g net carbs
14% carbs
60% fat
26% protein

More Low-Carb Recipes

Just found another source of great-looking low-carb recipes: www.dlife.com.

I'm probably going to make their All American Fried Chicken with some cauliflower mashed potatoes sometime next week.

Yum!