Getting closer

I am more than halfway to my goal. Saturday's weigh in showed I've lost 12 pounds since starting this sadistic weight loss challenge last year.

I can fit back into pants I put in the "donation" pile in my closet. I don't feel like I'm going to pop buttons on my blouses when I sneeze anymore. I can excercise aerobically for 30 mins. without feeling as though I'm dying.

I really, really wanna celebrate with a slice of cheesecake topped with walnut sweet cream ice cream and wash that all down with a caramel latte.

But I won't.

I will settle for a tub of blueberry yogurt with sparkling mineral water and comfort myself with the idea that I'm inching ever closer to the prize.

Holding the line

A week after Thanksgiving I jumped on the scale prepared for the worst.

And it wasn't that bad.

165.

Yeah, I probably would've done better if it weren't for the pumpkin bread, sweet potato pie, butter-soaked home-made dinner rolls and cinnamon toast, but I will take what mercies come.

I held the line, and sometimes that's all you can do.

Vacation does NOT = weight loss

Oh I had such great plans for this at-home vacation: plans that did not include a load of chocolate every day.

If I come back to work at the same weight I left at, that'll be good enough for me.

On the bright side, I "exercised" by painting my living/dining room. On the dark side, I've eaten every bad thing one should avoid while trying to lose weight.

I can't wait to get back to work. You must help me get back on track. I am falling falling falling...

Apple Pie chart or Chocalate bar chart?

Now that the challenge has been going on two weeks. I must say that I'm pretty impressed with my competitors. Most are doing this in good, healthful fun and seem to be making strides; however, there are some who have stooped to plain old underhanded tactics in order to reap the $1,000-or-so grand prize. The most egregious being one who uses any ol' birthday, holiday, anniversary day to attempt to fatten her adversaries. It makes me wonder what others are up to.
There seem to be a lot of messages lamenting this long difficult road that we've all started on. I suspect those same people have hired personal trainers and are up to 6 miles a day...so I'm not buying there stories.
As for me. I haven't weighed myself again since the first day. Thanksgiving was very delicious... I mean nice; and I prefer to look at this competition as a way to get to know my colleagues -- with whom I've worked with ten years or so -- better or least get to know their five bucks better.
Unfortunately as it's going now, I may need to start working on being a good sport.

Blame it on my generosity

Or lack of self-control. It's Jim Phillips' birthday. I brought ebony and ivory cake (one of my favorites). I can't help it. I love to celebrate birthdays.
But that hasn't been my only failure. Let's see...
I actually went 6 days without eating dessert! Not quite my record of 10 days (that was 3 years ago), but for someone who eats a donut a day, I thought that was pretty good. (And yes, somehow, it has kept the doctors away.)
But then we went on vacation...I haven't worked out since last Thursday but since then I've managed to eat 3 donuts, two pumpkin pie slices, raspberry chocolate buttercream cake and creme brulee. This does not include any poor eating habits or the mixed drinks I've indulged in.
My only hope is that the cold Christmas in NY will help me burn extra calories.
In the meantime...let us eat cake.

Jack Sprat could eat no fat/ his wife could eat no lean

I just want to put more distance between me and Abe on the scale. I know he's naturally skinny. But good gawd, he's six or seven inches taller than I. We shouldn't be this close in weight.

But the good news I now own a scale. I'm facing my demons every other day or so. And I'm doing better about not devouring everything in front of me. Soon, hopefully, that nursery rhyme won't haunt me.

Acts of contrition

Oh, my body, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. And I detest of all my sins and overindulgences because of your overdimpledness...

This week, I'm just hoping I held the line.

Last Wednesday morning, the scale said I was down three pounds -- to 165.5 from my original weight. Yay. Yeah. Whatever. I knew the true test would come Thursday and the days that followed when my menu of brown rice and other whole grains, yogurt, fresh fruit and vegetables would be usurped in a coup of mythical proportions. Or rather, mythical portions.

My sister, my cousin and my niece really weren't interested in a dieter's Thanksgiving. The final menu:

Brined oven-roasted turkey and gravy
Ham
Cornbread dressing
Cranberry, pineapple and walnut relish
Blue cheese-and-bacon mashed potatoes
Greens
Homemade white dinner rolls
Pumpkin bread
and
Sweet potato pie
All washed down with beer and a wine.

Sirens. Klaxons. Flashing lights. Diet busted.

I tried to pile my plate so that I could still see plate. I didn't go back for seconds. I treated it like I'd gone out for a holiday dinner at an excruciatingly delicious restaurant and not like there were 30 pounds-worth of leftovers easily accessible in the fridge. I made sure to hit the gym the next day. Will it be enough?

My next scheduled weigh-in is Thursday. We'll see.