Day 8 - 440 lbs

Well I did it, I stayed on track and lost 5 lbs this week. For those of you skinny people who think that is a lot, look at it this way. 5lbs is only 1.1% of my starting body weight. That being said, it is a healthy amount of weight loss. I feel a sense of accomplishment at this point of staying on track more than I feel any physical changes in my body at this point.

This week has been especially stressful with additional family drama on top of everything work and school throws my way and I was pressed for time most days so I didn't really get the chance to cook at all. Most of what I ate were frozen meals with the occasional visit to a restaurant. I know what you're saying, those aren't the healthiest choices of foods. I know. I knew that this week was going to be hard so I planned ahead. I chose to purchase Weight Watchers' Smart Ones meals and already had on hand some Michelina's Lean Gourmet meals which are decidedly better for you than... say Hungry Man or Banquet frozen meals and DEFINITELY better than eating out for every meal as I have been known to do (one of the main reasons I am living large right now). I knew that wouldn't be enough for me so I bought peaches, plums, apples, bananas, and already had on hand part skim string cheese, and nuts. These are all healthy, grab-n-go, items that helped me satisfy my hunger.

Another thing I did this week was to give in to my sweet tooth every day in small amounts. I know it's probably my initial weight that allows me to do that so often, but I know I love sweets and if I can choose to have one every now and then instead of quitting cold turkey, then I am less likely to go off the deep end once my will power crumbles away.

So... in a nutshell, the lessons I have learned this week, and hope to pass on to you are:

1. Plan ahead and go shopping
2. If you know, from step 1, that you can't have the best, settle for second or third best... it's still better than other options out there
3. Reward yourself in moderation.

I hope this has been helpful. Thank you for following me through my first week of my weight loss journey. Good luck with yours.