Challenge results and observations

1). As per the scale this morning I’ve come down exactly one pound since last week, weighing in at 217.4. Between PMS last week and my period this week I am thrilled with the loss, because in other such instances the numbers have spiralled out of control in the other direction.

2). All things considered, my challenge went well this weekend. I didn’t restrict myself food-wise, and I think that worked to my advantage because I was conscious about everything I was allowing myself to eat. Specifically there was some snacking on Saturday, including pistachio pudding and a couple chocolate chip cookies, but I managed to keep control instead of going into my vacation free-for-all mindset. So I’m proud about that. On Sunday we celebrated another friend’s birthday and of course that included more chocolate and a decadent mocha/white chocolate birthday cake complete with rich, cream-flavored icing. Yes, I had a generous slice of that and no, not one ounce of guilt to go along with it.

3). My friend that I went to stay with is a professional volleyball player. She’s been in sports her entire life, and obviously knows tons about nutrition. We talked some about the struggles we’ve both had with weight and body image, and she shared with me some tips that have helped her along the way. I was also surprised to learn that there are some good health-food products that I can actually buy here in Spain (i.e. egg whites, tofu, soy products, etc.) I never thought to even look for them at the grocery stores where I shop because I was convinced they didn’t exist here. So I’m excited about some “new” dieting options that I now have.

I like the idea of making mini challenges for myself. They give me a more concentrated focus instead of just reinforcing a general goal to lose weight. Last weekend’s 3-day challenge was to keep me on my toes about not losing control on Saturday and Sunday. This week I’m upping my challenge to five days and my focus is exercise:

• Work out for 45 minutes (cardio) every day between now and Saturday
• Make the effort to wake up early in the mornings to exercise from 7-7:45 (except for today when I’ll have to exercise after work)
  Keep a running tab of the minutes I’ve worked out on my sidebar
  Diet focus: getting in more protein and less complex carbs, start taking vitamins
  
  Hope everyone is having a productive Tuesday!