The Week Fourteen Weigh In

This week I am not going to beat around the bush with this weigh-in. I got on the scale this morning, hopeful that I might have returned to my pre-Christmas weight of 213. I'd been mindful this week but didn't consider my eating the healthiest. Yes, I kept my portions of candy and cookies to a bare minimum (2 to 3 pieces a day), and the same with my starches at supper time.

I also worried because in the mornings I have been completely ravenous. I played around with oatmeal for breakfast, then my "fake" egg and soy cheese sandwich, but by mid-morning I was still ready to chew off my arm. I think the problem is I tried a different mid-morning snack -- a banana and a low calorie granola bar. I'm guessing the sugar was too high and not enough protein to satisfy me. So next week I'm going back to my old reliable, cottage cheese and fruit.

So, between the chocolatey treats, the noodles and artisan bread, and the unquenchable hunger, I figured I wasn't going to do so well this week. Maybe even maintain.

So imagine my shock this morning when the scale read 211. Two hundred and eleven! From last Saturday that's four and a half pounds lost! I'm still reeling from it.

It's all down to physical labor. Every day I've been a busy little bee at this new house. Yesterday in particular was an active day. I walked two miles on the treadmill in the morning, spent a good hour in the afternoon carrying boxes and bags up flights of stairs and unpacking, and another good hour in the evening doing the same. It was very warm here yesterday, so I wound up breaking a sweat a several times.

No wonder I've been so hungry! I've been burning calories like a -- an athlete or something! Someone not like the old me, that's for sure. It also explains why I've been so tired this week -- because I'm busting my hump. Duh!

It's so validating to be able to get through this stressful time and still lose weight. More than the number on the scale, it means I'm finally learning to cope with my life's ups and downs without overeating. It shows that even despite a major upset in my routine, I can still carve out time to be active and to think about what I'm eating. Those are much bigger victories to me than some digits on a screen.