Weeks 24 and 25: Step back.

Have I been hiding? Yes, a bit. But I know I can't hide forever, so here's my post.

In Week 24, I backslid and gained 1.4 pounds.  And I was frustrated. I was tired. There was a lot going on in my world. So I made a decision, wise or not, that for Week 25, I wasn't really going to point my food. I was going to focus on making good choices (or better bad choices, as Jaimie puts it) and not focus on the numbers.

Well, I made some good choices, some bad choices, and some better bad ones. And in the end, in Week 25, I lost 0.4 pounds.  But rather than see this as a disappointment, I see it as a reassurance. Because what I was doing in Week 25 was seeing what "maintenance" would be like--the thing I'm going to do for the rest of my life once I hit my goal.  And when that part of my life comes, I'll be able to do the same sorts of things: I'll have ice cream sundaes with family to celebrate my baby sister's birthday, but choose the smaller size. I'll be able to go out with friends, and grab a turkey burger or a chicken sandwich, and pass on the fries. I'll choose to eat lots of veggies, and ask questions about how food is prepared, and drink lots of water.

And I'll be successful. I believe that.

Unfortunately, Maintenance doesn't mean weight loss, and that's what i need right now. So I'm back on pointing. 

...Mostly.  See, yesterday was my dad's birthday.  We went out.  And while I won't confess all my gastronomical sins, I will say that I consumed almost a pound of steak.  And, oh the pain! A good reminder of why I don't eat like that anymore. So needless to say, I'm relinquishing my "bonus bank" points this week, and trying to get in at least a few workouts around a busy schedule, to make up for it.

But that's the thing: those days, they're going to happen. Life happens.  And rather than get all bent out of shape about it, I'm learning how to step back and realize I'm going to be okay. 

I'm not happy with my weight, so I'm going to work to change it. It may not be as easy or fast as I had hoped, but it will happen. I want it to happen.

So there's my story, folks. 456. 49 pounds total. But I feel better, and I'm ready to keep moving forward.