Well, here we are. It's October. The last month hasn't been perfect, but it's done. And I'm pretty pleased with the results:
- With the exception of the rash-induced insomnia, I have been sleeping well and waking up with plenty of energy.
- My clothes are all loose - almost too loose, and I'm looking for maybe someone to take them in so I don't have to buy all new clothes just yet.
- I don't feel as food obsessed - meaning, most days, I am not counting down the minutes until I can reasonably eat again, and I am not eating junk just for the sake of meeting a calorie goal. I did not count calories this month, but would say with certainty that each day I ate less than my previous goal of 1550, and I felt less hungry all the time.
- With the exception of the week before my period when I wanted to eat everything within my reach (and sometimes did - lesson learned, I still have a problem with jars of nut butters, even when they are compliant. Still single-serve packets or nothing at all.), I have been very good about not snacking between meals. I have made sure that my meals are enough to sustain and nourish me for a few hours. My exceptions have been on workout days, when I have a handful of almonds and raisins or a Larabar.
- Oh, and the weigh in.
On September 1, I weighed 294 pounds. On October 1 ... 278. A 16 pound loss. Not bad at all!
There have been a lot of skipped workouts lately - a few late nights at work, a trip to the doctor's, a weekend spent cleaning the apartment and driving all over town looking for bed bug mattress covers. I still made my fitness goal two weeks, though, so I am not beating myself up over having to re-prioritize once in a while.
So, what's the plan, now that it's October?
Well, I woke up and ate egg muffins for breakfast. And I brought chicken and vegetables for lunch. A handful of pistachios for a post-workout snack, and dairy-free tandoori chicken legs and asparagus for dinner.
I'm just going to keep up with it. It's not often that I find something that comes to me naturally and yields desirable results. If this is working, why stop? Plus ... if I resisted treats on our anniversary, when we had house guests, at the Italian festival, at the party ... I can certainly resist them on any regular day. It won't be forever, and some days won't be perfect. But I will stick with this the best I can.
What about you? How was your September? What are your October goals?