11/22/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change since 11/17; that was Sunday and today is Friday. I stepped on the scales yesterday, but did not have time to make the blog entry.

It's been five days without change. I hate ... HATE ... plateaus. They are frustrating as all get out. If this one does not break tomorrow, I will do an egg-grapefruit day tomorrow to kick it into gear.

Next week is Thanksgiving. I'm off to the Boston area to visit my daughter; we plan to do sushi on the holiday itself (no one in my family, including me, likes turkey). I'm staying in a friend's condo in Gloucester, MA, about two blocks from the beach ... to which I will go and walk. I can walk a beach for miles and miles. The ocean air, even in late November, does something for me.

Jim wanted to be scattered at sea. I will fill four small urns with his ashes, one each for his three sons and one for me, and keep those, and I have part of his ashes (and his eyeglasses) in a lovely rosewood box urn on my dining-room mantel. That box urn I will eventually cause to be interred in a national cemetery (he was a veteran, and I will have my ashes interred with his when the time comes), but I will do as he wished and scatter the rest of his ashes on the Gloucester shore this Thanksgiving. It's been five years as of 12/7; it's time to follow his wishes.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/20/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change. For several days now, no change.

Well, that's frustrating. I HATE plateaus like this. I followed my Plan to a T yesterday. If I do that again today and tomorrow and still lose nothing, I'm kickstarting this process with an egg-grapefruit day on Friday.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: Climb the State St. hill
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/19/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change. Again. Sigh. Well, that's what I get for not following yesteday's Plan well. I had two bowls of yogurt last night, and I put butter on my Wasa bread. On the other hand, I drank all the water I was supposed to drink yesterday.

Exercise becomes a necessity today; it's snowing enough to require me to shovel the sidewalk. So ... I shall shovel the sidewalk after I get home from the 341a meeting I must attend with a client. And I get to test out how my CR-V does in the snow!

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: Shovel snow off my sidewalk
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 Shovel snow off my sidewalk
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/18/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change from yesterday.

I have no profound words this morning; I'll just keep on plugging away, taking the weight off little bit by little bit.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/17/2019 Weigh In

212.0, down 0.75 from 11/15's 212.75. I forgot to step onto the scales yesterday.

Hey, I've lost 17 lb since I started on 10/6 (I started, if you recall, at 229 lb)! And that's WITH the yogurt "cheat" every night! I shall continue the yogurt "cheat"; it adds good flora to my gut, it tastes good, and it keeps me away from worse things ... like chocolate ice cream...  I mix 1 tbsp of Hershey's special dark cocoa powder and 1 tbsp of sweetener into two ice-cream scoops (about 1 cup) of plain nonfat thick Greek yogurt (all that is about 90 calories).

I have three more pounds to go for my next Reward (another new pair of yoga pants). I think I'll wear yoga pants on the plane to and from London (whence I shall travel very soon), along with my pressure socks and a t-shirt and a sweater.

I saw "Mary Poppins" at Schenectady Light Opera Company (SLOC) yesterday (the show was delightful!). At intermission, they had for sale soda and cookies and muffins. I bought water. And I walked to and from SLOC ... probably a total of about a mile. I need to walk more.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/15/2019

212.75, down 0.25 from yesterday's 213.

Excellent! I seem to be doing well!

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: Walk up and down the State St Hill at least from Broadway to Pearl St., water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/14/2019 Weigh In

213, down 0.5 lb from yesterday's 213.5.

Okay then!

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/13/2019 Weigh In

213.5. No change.

Thank goodness no change. I ended up finishing off the crackers in the house last night, on top of following my Plan for the rest of the day. That added probably 1000-1100 calories to yesterday's intake. That can't go on, of course; the rationalization is that now the crackers are GONE and I'm not buying any more. But did I need to finish them all off last night? I did not. I simply had a case of late-night munchies.

Back to the straight and narrow today.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/12/2019 Weigh In

213.5. No change from yesterday, and that's fine.

I was completely and delightedly startled by yesterday's precipitous drop and don't expect the same drop day after day after day ... though that would be nice!

I got back on the straight and narrow yesterday (well, all but the package of Club crackers I ate last night ... the last package of Club crackers in the house). I will stay on the straight and narrow today.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/11/2019 Weigh In

213.25, down 1.75 from two days ago's 215!

Well ... that's a nice surprise!! I got very, VERY lazy yesterday and went entirely off-track. Didn't even weigh in. Food and drink consisted of three stacks of Ritz crackers (at 480 calories each) and five cups of cocoa brewed with peppermint tea (now THAT is How To Make Cocoa...).

Today I'm thirsty and I don't feel great (not bad ... just not great). I will get right back on the bandwagon and drink my eight glasses of water and eat right.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/9/2019 Weigh In

215, down 0.25 from yesterday's 215.25.

Yesterday's egg-grapefruit day was a success. Eight eggs, eight grapefruit halves, eight glasses of water and nothing else for one day cleanses the system and kickstarts the weight loss. 0.25 lb is a good start; we'll see what tomorrow brings.

And I'm almost halfway to my 10-lb mini goal (10 pounds is a far more achievable goal than is the ultimate goal of 150 lb; that's 65 lb from now, and I need to break that one down; the whole goal is just daunting. I will get there, little bit by little bit).

I've been bad about climbing onto my NordicTrack lately; I'll use today to kick that back into gear.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/8/2019 Weigh In

215.25. No change.

Well, that's surprising, considering all the Club crackers I ate last night.

I shall do an egg-grapefruit day today to clean that mess up.

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
11 am: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, 5 minutes walking, water
Lunch: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
3 pm: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
5 pm: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
7:30 pm: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit, water
9:30 pm: Egg, 1/2 grapefruit

11/7/2019 Weigh In

215.25, down from the aberrant 215.5 of yesterday and back to where I was two days ago.

Good. No Club crackers last night!

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes walking, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
12:30: gym with personal trainer
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/6/2019 Weigh In

215.5, up 0.25 from yesterday’s 215.25.

That’s what I get for eating a stack of Club Crackers at 3 a.m.

I couldn’t sleep last night, I was so hungry. I’m not sure why; usually, I’m fine after the yogurt. But last night, I was STARVING. And thus I made a bad choice.

Tonight I have a date. We’re meeting at the coffee shop at Barnes and Noble in Wilton. His name is Richmond; I don’t know his surname, which is fine; he doesn’t know mine, either. We’ll see what happens....

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: Tea
When I get home: Apple, water
10:30 pm: Yogurt

11/5/2019 Weigh In

215.25, down 0.25 from yesterday! Little bit by little bit...

I cannot sing the praises of the old Diet Center weight-loss diet highly enough. It works. I feel good while I'm on it. And the weight comes off at a healthy rate.

Diet Center has revamped its weight-loss diet, I believe; it's now online and not quite so regimented. Me, I like the old regimen. I don't need the online thing, I have done this and am doing it on my own, and I have no doubt that I will reach my goal weight.

However, I have a trip coming up; I'm off to London right after Thanksgiving. The eating regimen will be different for a week. I will take food with me on the plane for the trip so I don't eat airline food on the way over. I will get a lot of exercise while I'm there; I'm going to be walking around museums and around the streets of London doing the tourist stuff I've never done. I will, though, maintain control of my eating whilst there, but I will not kick myself for stalling or even gaining a bit over that week; I will simply return to the regimen when I get back.

Last year at the holidays, I said those very words and didn't follow through. I ate whatever I damn well pleased from November until October; the result was that I gained back 29 of the 50-something pounds I lost last year. I shall remember that, and not repeat the mistake.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/4/2019 Weigh In

215.5. No change from yesterday. And that's okay.

I didn't quite follow my Plan yesterday. I skipped lunch; had brunch instead because I didn't get my keister downstairs to the kitchen until around 12:30-12:45. So I gave myself a three-egg-white-one-egg-yolk spinach omelette and a bowl of strawberries for brunch, then chicken and bok choy for dinner. Not a huge deviation, but worth mentioning.

Daylight savings time ended yesterday. Can't wait for March when it starts up again!

Today's Plan (which I shall follow better, since it's NOT 12:30 at this moment):

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/3/2019 Weigh In

215.5, down 0.5 lb from yesterday's 216.

It's coming off! Every loss is a win for me and my health! Little bit by little bit, I'm losing all there is of it ("it" being the extra tonnage).

And now it's time to eat. I'm hungry, and it's well past breakfast time.

Today’s Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/2/2019 Weigh In

216.0. No change.

It's a gray day. We had a big windstorm a couple of nights ago that knocked most of the leaves down from the trees, so it's beginning to look a lot like winter. I already can't wait for the dead sticks that are the hibernating trees to come to life again ... in May. And Daylight Savings Time ends tomorrow. Darkness will reign. In 50 days, we'll have the winter solstice ... and then Christmas is upon us. And another year will be gone into the history books.

Winter is not my favorite season. Jim died in the winter (Dec 7). The days are short in the winter, and the nights long; I don't react well to that much darkness. It's always a sad season for me. But then spring comes and things look up again ... eventually.

At least there's no snow on the ground ... yet.

Meanwhile, we go through day by day. Just because winter is a sad season does not give me a reason to break my healthy eating. So ...

Today’s Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken stir-fried with bok choy, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/1/2019 Weigh In

216.0. After losing 2.5 pounds in two days, no change is no surprise.

Today is the Measurements Day; it's the first of the month. Here we go:

	10/6/19	11/1/19	Month Difference
Weight	229	216	13
Bust	46.5	46	0.5
Waist	47	45	2
Hips	46.5	44	2.5
Upper Arm L	13.25	13.25	0
Upper Arm R	14	13.75	0.25
Mid-Thigh L	22.5	21	1.5
Mid-Thigh R	23	22.75	0.25
Calf L	15	14.75	0.25
Calf R	15.5	15	0.5
Inches Lost	243.25	7.75	7.75

I'm down 13 pounds and 7.75 inches overall. In less than a month. There's a WIN!! The next milestone is 209 lb ... that will be 20 lb gone. The goal after I hit the 209 goal will take me to 199 ... and I'll have to move the heavy weight on the scale! But I have seven pounds to go from where I am now to get to 209. Well, all I need to do is Follow The Plan. Easy enough.

Today’s Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken stir-fried with bok choy, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt