Day 17 and (mini) non scale victories :)

Well, the scale has become frustrating. I am still down probably 4-5 lbs, but it keeps fluctuating. I know I just need to step away from the scale and only weigh myself once every week or two, but I just can't help it.

But! I have noticed a few other little things.

1. I have lost at least an inch off of my hips and waist. I checked it with the tape measure and it's going down. :) I have noticed my pants fit just a little bit better. I can get my old 18's on- they are very, very tight, but they can come on! And, one of my favorite light, summer-y blouses fits better. It is supposed to be loose and flow-y, but it used to be taught around my hips. I noticed when I wore it today, it was just the slightest bit more comfortable and had a bit more wiggle room.

2. I feel just a tiny bit stronger. I notice when I stand up or go up the stairs, my legs feel a bit stronger. It's almost like I have a bit extra spring in my step. Maybe I am just pushing myself a little bit harder, but the workouts seem to be just a tad easier as well. I think I can do a few more reps and do slightly better form.

3. I don't really get the debilitating sugar cravings I used to. I get slightly hungry, but I don't feel as though I'm going to die without sugary foods. It's easier to walk by the pastries at the grocery store and just drive past the fast food placed.

(Lucky) Day 13!

... and going strong. I feel like it is still going well. I have had a couple of 'treats'. We ate out at a breakfast place for a work meeting and I splurged on eggs, hash browns, and a few bites from sausage and gravy. I just counted it as my blue container, all of my carbs, and a protein. Then I ate a couple of apples and carrot sticks throughout the rest of the day with a large salad for dinner. I hope I don't retain a bunch of water from all of the salt. Maybe I will just skip the scale tomorrow and let it level out a little bit. :)

I have also been going on walks with a girl from the office. We have gone at least 3 times this week and it has been nice. We are probably taking much longer than a 15 minute break, but it all evens out in the end. I have been getting a lot of steps in- around 10,000 - which is rare for me.

I have also been drinking some apple cider vinegar 'tea' with a dab of honey and lemon. It's actually really good. It tastes a bit like a kombucha tea. It's a little tart, zing-y and leaves an oddly clean taste afterwards. There are supposed to be a bunch of great health benefits from it, but I honestly just like it.

You should check it out too- this is the one I like.
http://www.bragg.com/

Day 4

Well, I just finished the Pilates workout and my abs are on fire. I think today went really well. It was my first true test with going back to work, in my normal routine with lots of bad habits to break. I packed my little lunch bag, made a promise to myself that I wouldn't make any side stops at McDonald's or the gas station to snag a quick danish, and followed through. It was really hard for some reason. The worst part was when I was trying so hard to stay on plan and I went to the lunch room in the basement to heat my brown rice and chicken. I was sitting there, eating and I realized I was just staring at the vending machine, thinking anything in there tasted better than what I was eating. I'm going to have to hide all of my change and loose dollar bills for weak moments.

I did get a LOT of walking in today. One of the girls at work asked me if I wanted to go on a walk during a morning break and I went with her. It was so nice to get out of the office and chat- she is so nice. The weather was lovely too- it was cloudy and cool, perfect for working up just a little bit of a sweat while still going back to work. I think we were gone for a lot longer than the 15 minutes though. Oops. We walked over 2 miles! All in all, I walked over 10,000 steps today according to my Fitbit! I haven't done that in quite some time. (Sad, I know.)

I think that is part of the reason Pilates was so hard tonight. My form was probably terrible and I felt like I was just sort of going through the motions on a lot of it. But, I did it! As much as I wanted to justify just saying 'screw it' tonight, I didn't. So yay!