Lose 75 pounds

I’m at the lowest weight I’ve been in 17 years. I’ve lost 58 pounds. Just 17 pounds to go.

I suppose I should be grateful that I’m not regaining any of the weight I’ve lost. But I have been stuck at 52 pounds lost for a couple of months. Blast!

I was down 2 pounds on the scale this morning. I’m at 52 pounds lost. I made a huge container of gazpacho, a tomato-based Mexican cold vegetable soup and purchased lots of fruits and veggies at the grocery store today.

Found a great web site sponsored by the USDA Center for Nutrition & ... something else. It lets you put in your foods eaten for the day and how much and then it calculates your caloric intake as well as just about every other calculation you might want (am I getting enough folic acid?) It lets you know if you’re doing well on the nutritional pyramid.
It also lets you keep track of your physical activity, how many calories you’re burning and whether your activity level is adequate to lose weight, maintain weight, keep your muscles from atrophying.
It’s a great resource.
Did well on the scale this morning and have done great on my diet today.

After a couple of weeks at the same weight, I finally dropped a couple pounds on the scale this morning. I went out to dinner, which might blow the whole thing, but tried to eat sensibly.
I wonder how we Americans ever got so far off track in our eating habits. For the past 10 months, I have been focusing on eating fruits, vegetables, protein and small amounts of starches, grains, etc. Very little fat. I am loving green beans with garlic and mushrooms and black pepper. I eat them at least 3-4 times a week. Such a simple dish, but so good. I actually start salivating for it on my drive home from work. And my banana-yogurt-orange juice smoothie in the morning is filling and satisfying.
I have not eaten fast food (not counting Subway) in 8 months. I used to have McDonald’s twice a week and Taco Bell twice a week. I used to just crave quarter pounders. I don’t miss them at all now.
I am starting to see that we ARE what we eat.

Well, I worked really hard today physically and felt like giving myself a reward: A scone with coffee at noon, dinner was at a restaurant and, while I didn’t do horribly (I had salmon, green beans, baked potato) I enjoyed that potato a little too much, celebrating with too fatty trimmings.

I have stuck to a sensible eating plan for the past week (after a terrible slip up that including a large salty and buttery popcorn at the movies). But I have just been hovering at the same spot – 50 to 52 pounds lost.

I don’t have to make bad choices. I am fully capable of making good choices. Good choices keep me on track. Good choices are helping me feel better and making me healthier.
The past is the past. Nothing I can eat tastes better than the way I feel when I’m making good choices and getting healthier.

I have already lost 50 pounds. I quit a job that was killing me (all I did was sit at a desk all day) and a lifestyle that was killing me (commuting 120 miles and then spending most of my off hours by myself watching TV).
My job is much more active now (I’m on my feet and moving around and lifting and doing other physical things).
I started a diet program (NutriSystem) in September 2007. I stick with it about half the time and eat healthier most of the rest of the time. Eating out is still a big problem.
But I need to make additional changes to lose the next 25 pounds.