Diet Update: Week 1

I just finished my first full week of working to lose weight and eat right. Without further ado, my weight loss for the week was:

1.5 lbs.

Certainly not the best I could have done but also not the worst. I'm aiming for a solid 2 lbs per week loss and this was only half a pound short of that. I have to admit that my good friend Temptation is still popping up now and then so while I haven't completely jumped down off the bandwagon, I have touched a toe to the ground a few times.

I feel I need to sum up both the bad and the good so I know where I'm going wrong and can work on that portion while I also know what I'm doing right so I can keep doing those things. Writing it all out seems to clarify the situation for me and helps me to maintain my dedication to this process.

The Bad

• I didn't eat enough fruits and veggies.
• I didn't exercise at. all. unless you count chasing children.
• I didn't always make the best choices at meal times and snack times.
• I drank soda at least 3 times this week.
• I did not manage to stop snacking after the kids go to bed.

The Good

• I increased my water intake significantly.
• While I didn't always make the best meal and snack choices, I chose good things more often than bad.
• I only drank soda 3 times this week. I used to drink it at least once a day. This is improvement!
• Yes, I did snack after the kids went to bed, but it was much less than it used to be and I made much better choices most of the time. One or two nights weren't so great but I'm making progress.

I had one really pivotal moment this week. It was evening, I was watching TV, and the kids were in bed. I had already had a small snack and I was working on drinking more water. It was around 10 pm and way too late to eat but I had a very strong urge to snack. I stood there in the kitchen with my full glass of water and said out loud "You are stronger than this moment. You are not really hungry. You can do this."

And I walked out of the kitchen with my water and no snack. I beat the craving.

If I did it once, I know I can do it again. I just have to keep trying and remember that every time I make a choice about how I eat is another chance to make a positive change in my habits. Sometimes I just need that cookie but I know I can indulge in that a little bit and move on to the next choice the next time around.

With the snow finally gone around here and the sun beginning to peek out on a regular basis I am going to make the effort to get out and walk this week even if it's only once. I have to start someplace.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...