Today was another really busy day.  By the time I had a chance to sit down around 9:30 I was still pretty hungry so I had some fat free cottage cheese and an Italian ice.  I stayed within my calorie intake again, so 3 days down.  4 more to go.

I ate some leftovers for dinner and I think I might have over estimated how many calories were actually in it because I was so hungry at 9:30.  Usually I am not hungry that late at night, so the next time I have leftovers I need to make sure that I am more accurate in calculating the calories.

Nothing special to report today relative to my weight loss journey.  It was just an ordinary day.  I ate all of my calories for today but didn’t go over.  I am day two into my goal of not going over at all this week.  It is easy to do that so far because I am so busy this week, so I don’t have a lot of time to think about eating.  I think that is why weekends are so tough sometimes, because I have more time to think about being hungry, even if perhaps I am not really hungry at all.

However, what was not ordinary was that I spent the second day in a row at bible camp with my kids and I had an amazing time.  I just feel better going and spending that time with them.  I feel joyful inside as a result of volunteering.  I haven’t felt this feeling in a while and it is good to find it again, and connect with it (the feeling and my kids that is).

I was victorious on the grey box this morning.  Another 2.4 pounds lost for a total weight loss of 21 pounds and a new weight of 203.6.  I am so close to being under 200 pounds I can almost taste it.  I have not weighed under that amount in a few years.  The last time I got close, I hit a plateau right around 202 and I never actually broke into the 100’s.  This time will be different.  Not only will I break into the 100’s, I will comfortably get into the 100’s and far away from the 200’s.

When I finish my entries for the day on My Fitness Pal app, it always tells me what I will weigh in 5 weeks if I keep up the good work.  It was so exciting to see a weight of 194.8 be a possibility 5 weeks from now.  I would love to be even lower than that… but would also be really happy with that number.

I am volunteering at my children’s bible camp this year.  Tonight was the first night.  I had a great time.  But I had gone straight from work to volunteer and I did not eat.  Tomorrow I can’t do that because I was really hungry when I got home.  Although I kept it in check and didn’t go over my calories, I could see how I could possibly do that as the week goes on.  On my list for tomorrow…. better planning.  And on my goal list for the week– a whole week of not going over my allotted calorie intake for the day.  Today was only day one, so we shall see what the rest of the week has in store for me.

I did something I have never done.  For Father’s day my husband wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings.  So we went.  And I ordered a salad and stayed within my calorie intake for the day!  I couldn’t believe it.  I ate NO buffalo wings….. none.  And to really top it off, earlier in the day we took the kids to a movie and I ate just a little bit of popcorn and that was it!  I counted the popcorn as well.  I don’t know where the will power came from….. ok, well maybe I do.  It is the grey box I have a date with in the morning.  I did quite a number yesterday…. not sure if having one good day today will make up for it… but I really hope so!  This past week has been an ok week (with the exception of Friday– which wasn’t too bad, and yesterday…. which was, well, not great).   Last week was such a disappointment… I really hope tomorrow isn’t more of the same.

Today was not a boring day.  I started the day at the campsite, by noon had walked the 10,000 steps I needed to walk for the day and had already been to the beach twice.  By two in the afternoon I was already over my calories for the day and by 8:00 p.m. I had gone way over my calories, including all of the calories I earned back for all of the exercise I had done.  What I didn’t expect was that we would have had company at our house for dinner, instead of at the campsite.  But that is exactly what happened.  The rain just didn’t hold off… it began raining by 4:00 p.m. and never really stopped.  So we ended up coming home for the weekend.   It was a bummer because we were really looking forward to this weekend and ended up having to leave early.  In addition, it was a terrible day for the beach.  We have two more camping trips planned this summer.  Let’s hope we have better weather next camping trip!

Let’s also hope I have better luck with the grey box on Monday morning!  I have one day to really pull myself together tomorrow.  I know I will do it.

i am camping right now.  I went over today.   I also earned so many calories based on my fit bit exercise I logged today.   I more than doubled my 10,000 per day step goal.   So if I included those calories, I would actually be under for the day.  But based on my regular calories I am supposed to use I was way over.  My goal was to not do that today.  Oh well!!    I am going to get back to the fire 😉

Today was a good day.  I didn’t go over my calories, I got a lot accomplished in anticipation of leaving for camping tomorrow and met my 10,000 step goal on my fitbit for the day.  My big goal for tomorrow will be to stay within my calories (or maybe slightly over– I am going to have a filet mignon tomorrow night), and not go too crazy on Saturday.  Next week I am going to try to go one whole week without going over calories at all.  So far this week I have done that, but I just don’t see that happening through the weekend.  I hope I don’t have the same grey box issues next week.

I drank one 5 ounce glass of wine tonight.  I had so many calories left for the day, and I was really full and didn’t want anything else to eat.  So I went ahead and enjoyed one (and I really stress one) glass of wine with my husband while I snuggled on the couch with my kids and watched a movie.  It was GREAT.  My husband and I were going to go outside and stack wood.  I got home a little later than normal and by the time we finished dinner it was after 6:30.  Our daughter started having a melt down and I didn’t think it would be good to push this kids tonight and make them come outside while we stacked wood.  It would have upset them and just stressed me out more.  So instead, we relaxed.  And it was wonderful.  Even better, I limited myself to one glass of wine and still am under my calories for the day.  I am a little hungry right now- I believe that is a result of drinking the wine.  My husband just had an ice cream cone.  I am using all of my will power not to get up and have one myself… as it would definitely put me over calories for the day (I am under calories, but not that far under at this point).

I am just proud of myself that I was able to enjoy one glass of wine and keep it at that.

I couldn’t resist.  I got on the grey box this morning  and I was down over 2 pounds from yesterday… and I went ahead and logged that as my new weight for a new weight loss of 18.6 pounds and 206 pounds total.  In hindsight, I shouldn’t have weighed myself yesterday… I just never thought it would be that huge of a difference from one day to the next.  I had to go to the doctor this morning for my annual physical… and I was down over 17 pounds from last year when I had my physical.  My doctor was really happy about that and said I got a “gold star”.  That made me feel pretty good.

I know myself well enough to know that if I am not showing a loss, I am likely to overindulge, and quit.  This is why it is important for me to reflect a loss.  So that every time I open my fitness pal app, I am showing progress, not set backs.  Set backs are like a giant ice cream sundae, or lasagna, or Moes!  It seems like a great idea while I am doing it, but sets me back every time.

Now the new challenge for me will be not to weigh myself tomorrow.  But again, I know I am going to do it.  I won’t log the weight, but I know I will want to see more progress given what the weight was that I saw when I weighed myself on Sunday morning (which again, I shouldn’t have weighed myself!)  I am worried that I am starting to head down a path I have been before… so I know I can’t keep weighing myself.  Maybe I will have my husband hide the grey box…

I am on day two of my new abs challenge.  I don’t like this one as much as the first one.  We will see how it goes.

I almost threw the grey box out of the window this morning.  I gained a pound last week.  I am back to 208.4… it was awful.  It ruined my whole day.  And what is worse, I weighed myself yesterday morning and I weighed around 203.  I just don’t get it… 5 pounds in a day?!  I just don’t understand– I know I went a little crazy, but to actually gain weight when the day before I was 5 pounds less.  Days like today make me want to quit.  What I didn’t do though, is quit.  I had a very good day. I stayed within my calories and I am confident I will do it again tomorrow.  What I know I shouldn’t do is weigh myself in the morning.  But I will… because to be up is always why I ultimately quit.

I am camping with my family this weekend– it is usually a good excuse to drink and eat a lot.  After this past weekend, and how much hard work I put in and how it can all go away in one day… I am hoping that I can keep it in check while camping and my goal this week is to stay within my calorie goal for at least 2 of the 3 days we camp.  I know that might be really hard while camping, but I am going to try.  Usually all three days would be an chance to overindulge.  I know I can’t do that.  I would say that I not go over any of the days– but that would just be setting myself up for failure.   I can’t take more failure like what I experienced this morning.