Weigh-in no. 4 (-4.6)

I've been looking forward to weigh-in today, just to officially see the progress I've made, so here we go:

Last week: 322.6
This week: 318.0      
Loss of        - 4.6

Weigh-in no. 4  (-4.6)

That's .2 more than last week!  And a total loss of 9lbs so far.  1 more pound until I meet my first goal!  woohoo!!!

To be honest, this week I slacked off a bit on the calorie counting as I've known that what I've been eating has fallen within or below my limit.  And I haven't been snacking really, and if I do, it's usually fruit, so I really haven't been worried.

I also must say that so far (*fingers crossed & knocking on wood*) it hasn't been that hard.  I've had no uncontrollable, vicious cravings as of yet.  I haven't felt deprived; I think I've eaten pretty well, actually.  We've cooked almost every night for 2 weeks (save for a sandwich night and a night we got chicken shwarmas and falafel at Pharaoh on the Lisburn Road - which, if you leave off the sauce are pretty healthy & fresh since they're made in-house).  We're still working out recipes and figuring out which corners we can cut that curb calories/fat/carbs without cutting out taste.  I think we've done well; I'm proud of us.

Another discovery has been that when I have felt hungry, it's been almost satisfying to feel it - not in a masochistic sort of way, but in a way that acknowledges that I don't have to give in to it every time, to be hungry isn't something to be afraid of, and that there's plenty stored up to meet my body's needs.  So I don't run to find something at the first twinge of hunger anymore. 

At this point in time and speaking for myself, I think I've started developing some good habits: 

• I haven't had chocolate in 2 weeks (which isn't off-limits per se, but until I can trust myself to not eat the whole bar, I won't put myself in that position.  For now, Cocoa Pops have sufficed)
• I've cut back on cheese & butter/margarine (I used to think it was sacrilige to have a sandwich without cheese or toast & jam without butter, but I've realized I don't need it every time)
• Fruit (dried or fresh) and nuts have become my go-to snack food instead of bread, chips, and whatever other crap I used to eat
• My portions are getting smaller as I go along (I didn't start out small, but have progressively cut back on portion-size instead, which I think has helped with the feeling of not being deprived)
• I'm drinking loads of water (which is making me have to pee all the time, and in turn has made me begin to watch my caffiene intake which only exacerbates that)
• I've started parking the car further away when I go shopping to give me more opportunities to walk.

 A few other things I've noticed lately:

• I went up 3 flights of stairs 3 times (right after the other) moving stuff at work one day this past week and while I felt it, I wasn't heaving and ho-ing like I would have done even 2 weeks ago.  Hell, even 1 time 2 weeks ago would have had me winded.
• My energy has increased - not exponentially, but I've noticed a change which I am guessing will only improve with the more weight I lose.
• My body craves movement - doing yoga and walking/running has helped me to note when my body begins to feel stiff or "bunched up" and signals when I need to move to work it out to feel better.

So, yeah, all in all, things are good.  I am prepared for when I hit a plateau, but for now, things are working and so it's full steam ahead!