My Weekly Weight Update.

This week has been a fairly good one for my diet (the food I eat- not "diet" in the sense of being on a diet) and exercise.  I am pleased by the improvements I'm feeling in my health.  The headaches and dizziness are virtually gone.  As are the overall feelings of yuckiness.  I like the food I am eating and have settled into a routine for breakfast and lunch.  Not having to think about what I'm going to eat makes all the difference!  The kids also seem to be coming around to the idea of being healthier.  Carson, my personal trainer, even took a turn on the treadmill!  I made it to the gym 2 times for a total of 2 hours of exercise time.  Tony and I are working on a plan to allow me more time in the gym.

I did want to update concerning the breakfast cookies.  I made a few mistakes when I originally posted the recipe, so please make sure you have the correct version.  Also, I decided to try a few of the suggestions that my friend, Meghan, offered to lower the sugar content.  Yesterday, I made the cookies substituting a banana for the 3/4 cup of sugar, and I upped the honey to just under 1/3 cup.  I had intended to use the full 1/3, but I couldn't handle pouring that much expensive honey into the recipe so I cut it short.  The kids like the new recipe much better, and the changes cut the calories down to 176 per cookie!

So, without further ado, the weigh in.  Last week, I weighed in at 152.5 pounds.  Today, I weigh...

151 pounds- for a loss of 1.5 pounds!!

Wow.  I'm so excited.  3.5 pounds in 2 weeks is much better than I thought it would go.  I decided that this week, there were 2 tips that worked for me.

1.  Live in a no-fail environment.  We have no chips.  No normal cookies.  No ice cream.  Nothing that would be splurge worthy.  We went out to dinner last night, and it was kind of a mess.  We didn't get what I thought we ordered, and the baby was screaming, and I didn't leave full.  By the time we got home, I was starving.  And not in the mood for cucumbers.  I decided to have a 176-calories breakfast cookie.  I love them because they have tons of filling protein without the fake sugar that tricks you into believing you need to eat more.  One cookie and a huge glass of water, and I was satisified for the night.  (Hard-boiled eggs are my other go-to snack, and have you ever heard of a hard-boiled egg binge?)

2.  As I was running on the treadmill yesterday, (quick aside:  I don't like running.  Unless I'm escaping danger, I'm not happily going to run.) I thought I was going to die.  Don't laugh, but I was hoping to run for a 90-second spurt.  Yes, my dad has run marathons, and I'm trying not to die at the 72 second mark.  That's reality.  So, as I was running, the voices in my head were telling me to just stop and take a break.  But then, I realized something.  I've taken a break for 30 years.  I didn't need or deserve a break.  What I needed to do was make the better choice to help myself overcome all ths breaks I have taken.  So, I made it.  Ran for 90 seconds.  Might be insginifcant to you, but it's huge to me! 

(And don't think for a second, that I don't see a money parallel in that.  If you're in debt because of years of indulging, don't be discouraged because you don't get a break anymore.  You need to overcome all those years of choices, and get back where you need to be.  Then, the opportunities for splurges will return.  You just have to balance the scale first!!)

Me.  Today.  With the cute reason for my weight-loss needs.

(And clearly, I need to work on my red-carpet poses.  Also, Tony and I both think this picture makes me look bigger than I am.  Need to learn the Hollywood twist!)