Project Pound Loss: Week 5 and Old Habits Die Hard

This past week was NOT a good week.  I was busy, so I didn't track my food and I ate out a lot.  Didn't I just say last week that those are two things I MUST do to succeed on my weight loss journey?  Yeah, well, apparently I was just moving my lips.  And this week I'm paying the price.  I gained this week, and I gained enough that I basically set myself back 2 (or maybe 3) weeks.  Curses.

Part of the process is to analyze choices and figure out what would have been the better choice.  Without tracking it's hard to be thorough, but here's what I know.  I had fast food three times in one week.  Not good, and not okay when trying to lose weight.  Even the "good" choices at fast food restaurants are weight loss saboteurs.  During bunco last Friday, I drank too much wine.  That probably wouldn't have been too bad, but considering I had a full meal after munching on the most delightful potato chips, the wine put me over the edge.  But friends, those were the BEST potato chips (and I don't even usually eat salty snacks!)  .  So of course I had too many.  And then, during the Superbowl, I didn't eat for a really long time and then gorged because I was so hungry.  And I drank vodka lemonade.  (Gasp!)  Must. Keep. Eating. To. Avoid. Feeling. Starved.  At a board meeting last night, I mindlessly snacked on cheese and crackers.  I have no idea how much I ate, but it wasn't pretty.

I haven't ruined my first WW milestone - losing 5 pounds - but I should be reaching my second milestone and I'm nowhere close.

It's a "habit" to go hours without eating and then overeat because I am so hungry.  It is a "habit" to snack on hors d'ouerves before eating a meal.  It's a habit to drink socially and not keep track of how much I've had.  It's a habit to leave the house without eating and then stop somewhere for something "quick."  It's a habit to eat on the go.  Old habits will be the death of me.   They must die!

Project Pound Loss: Week 3 Boo Hiss!

I didn't lose this week.  In fact, I gained.  Not much, but I gained.  So the question is, what went wrong?  Here's what I know I didn't do this past week that I did on the weeks I lost:  cook most of my own meals and track my food.  Seriously, for me, eating out is going to be the death of me.  It doesn't matter where you eat or what you eat, it is ALWAYS better to eat at home if weight loss is the goal.  Even "grilled" things in restaurants are full of oils and fats because they keep the "grill" lubed so food doesn't stick.  And they don't lube with cooking spray, let me tell you!!  And we don't even need to talk about portions in restaurants ... a typical restaurant meal is 3 or 4 times the portion size we should be eating. 

I remember a quote from Dolly Parton many years ago that I thought was weird at the time but now I think it's genius.  Someone asked her how she kept her tiny waist and she said she eats a lot of fruits and vegetables and she really controls her portions.  She said that whenever a plate of food is placed in front of her, she divides everything into threes: one for her to eat now, one for her to eat later, and one for her guardian angel that she leaves behind.  And this was back when portion sizes were much more reasonable than they are now.  Brilliant, I say.

I have made up stories in my head about why I gained this week.  They make me feel less discouraged, but I realize they are just stories.  The truth is, I gained 1.2.  I just added another week until I reach my ultimate goal.  That's a bummer, but it's not the end of the world.  I remain committed and I'm working on discipline.  Next week I'll be back to being "friends" with this project.