September Update

I'm not sure how frequently I'll be updating this blog, hence the title of this entry. School has been keeping me really busy, and trying to catch up on commissions for my business has been only less difficult than trying to update this blog.

Yesterday, I weighed in at 208.2 lbs. That puts me roughly 12 lbs closer to my goal weight, but that number isn't the most important to me right now. Last time I entered in my waist measurement, it was off by 2 inches, so it was actually 42". Now, I'm down an inch at roughly 41" (it might have been 40.5", but I wanted to discredit wishful thinking). :D

The belt that I'm wearing right now, I bought just before beginning this journey, and I could only wear it in the very last hole, maybe the second if I strained. Now, I'm comfortably in the fourth hole. That might just be because of the leather relaxing, but I'm still going to take it as a positive result. :)

I was able to update my Noom to Pro after they offered a special $19.99 lifetime membership (it is usually $9.99/month, which is far too much for an app in my mind). I've already had it for one month, so it's halfway paid for itself by that logic. The Noom widget gives you "medals" for how many calories you've burned from exercise during the previous 7 days, and today I upped the ante on my gold medal by reaching 3,000. Of course, then an hour or two passed, and I was back down to the gold 2,500. Still, I was very pleased with myself.

I've made a number of discoveries about myself and my journey to date.

1. Pizza is my weakness. It's always been my favorite food, but now I'm learning how difficult it can be for me to moderate myself with it. Sunday night, I ate an entire frozen cheese pizza, about 1,200 calories, and only 400 less than what I'm allowed per day on my program. I had only intended to eat two pieces (well within my existing limit then), and lost control, putting me about 300 over my daily calorie budget. Now, a lot of people have slips like this and panic, stress out, beat themselves up, and end up destroying their motivation.

2. I learned from that experience that I have greater confidence in myself and my abilities, and strong motivation. Instead of freaking out, I calmly determined what I could do to make up the difference. Since I was unable to get to the gym the next day due to illness, I instead was able to make up the difference by planning for more filling meals and snacks throughout the next day that resulted in making up the caloric difference safely and responsibly.

3. I'm beginning to breathe more easily when I exercise, and my muscles don't strain or become sore as easily as they used to. I've been being careful not to push myself too hard in order to avoid injury, but as I'm learning about the limitations of my body, I'm beginning to really understand how those limitations are becoming less immediate and more difficult to reach. I'm beginning to get that invincible feeling again.

4. If it weren't for my husband and friends supporting me all this time, I'd never be able to do this. They are my team, and they keep me accountable and motivated more than any app or individual program could.  Without them, this journey would be incredibly difficult, because my own motivation isn't as strong without their support.

It's been just over a month since I began this journey, and I'm hoping to continue it with the same motivation and a little more self-discipline than I've had to date. :)