187

My weigh-ins have been irregular, and my weight has followed suit. Up to 189, down to 186. Up to 188, down to 187.6. I'm on a bit of a plateau, I think. To shake things up, I've started paying more attention to my carb/protein/fat ratio (shifting the emphasis to lean protein). And I've upped my water intake again.

I also figured out that work is not as much work as it was before, so I'm not burning as many calories as I thought. I work as a massage therapist, and while it's still physically demanding, my body has adjusted to it like any other exercise. So I can't give myself "extra" calories to eat on days that I work. I simply have to manage my consumption better to keep from getting insanely hungry after two massages.

In other news, I fit into my size 12 jeans yesterday. I was excited, but all of the extra skin on my abdomen (aka THE FLAP) makes them look not so hot. This big band of extra skin just hangs down, and when it's stuffed into my pants it borders on a "butt in the front." I'm going to try and be brave and post some belly pictures so y'all can see what I'm talking about. Or would that be gross? We'll see...

Habit

I've tried many, many times to lose weight, using just about every program or gimmick out there. I was most successful with Weight Watchers -- you know, where you go pay $15 a week to be told the same thing your mom's been telling you for fifteen years? Eat less. Exercise more.

I usually fail because I try to tackle too much at once, trying to adhere to a tremendous list of new rules and regulations. Like, let's start the South Beach diet AND a five-times-a-week workout program AND give up caffeine, all at the same time. A few days in, I end up at 7-11 at two in the morning, arms full of Twix, Grandma Utz's Potato Chips, and Red Bull. It's not pretty.

This time, I've decided to incorporate one simple habit every week. Something not-too-dramatic, easy to track, and not such a shock to my system. I wish I could say that the "habit a week" thing was my idea, but there's many folks who have used it as part of a bigger system or plan (the book "Simple Steps" comes to mind).

Water is my habit this week. Since this past Monday, my goal has been to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Recently, I'd fallen back into my old diet soda and coffee routine, so this seemed like a good place to start. So far, I've done it. I don't feel terribly different yet, but I have been sleeping a little better, and my mouth doesn't feel like the Sahara when I wake up in the morning. I know from my past experience with Weight Watchers and other programs that encourage you to stay hydrated that I could potentially lose about eight pounds of water weight this way. I'm trying not to focus on that, though. Instead, I'm thinking about how good the water is for me, how my body needs it, my skin needs it, especially on these painfully hot summer days.

Is it sad that my Foodie comes out even with water? I'm unbelievably picky about my water. My favorite is the Hawaiian brand bottled stuff, but I can't seem to find that anywhere here on the mainland. Second is Fiji, but it's too expensive. SmartWater takes third place, and Dasani is a weak fourth.

I'm on a shoestring budget right now, though, so what do I have? Nestle Pure Life. The cheapest stuff I could find at BJ's. It's alright...but I can't drink it cold, it has to be room temp or (my oh-so-clear term) "kinda coolish." Option B is the filtered water from my fridge, which (to me) is only drinkable with a good squirt of lemon. I've been alternating between the two, trying to limit the lemon for the sake of my tooth enamel.

That's probably more about my water preferences than anyone needed or wanted to know. Whew.

Anyway, I'll be weighing myself and starting another habit next Monday, so stay tuned!