42 pounds gone!

Oh man, it's been a looong time since I've posted anything!

Over the past several weeks, I have discovered that one of the best things ever is not weighing myself every day. Once a week or a week and a half is soo much more encouraging! I don't see the daily fluctuations and obsess over them anymore. My weight right now is 180.6 lbs. That's a 42 pound weight loss! That's a small child! I'm feeling much better about myself. Climbing the stairs from the basement level to the bedrooms with a full basket of laundry on my hip is no big deal now. Clothes I haven't worn in over a year fit me now. I bought 3 pairs of leggings from Costco a year ago and can finally wear them! They still had the tags on them lol! I'm not so shy about turning my camera on for Zoom meetings now (but only when everyone else does. Zoom etiquette!).

I had my blood pressure checked about a month ago and it's 102/72. My doctor is happy with that number and so am I! All my blood work is normal now too.

Eating plan update: I'm eating well every day, with an off-plan meal about once a month. My plan is to continue doing this until I reach my goal weight/size, and then I'll have an off-plan meal maybe more often. Not sure of how often, I will experiment with this to be sure I'm maintaining my weight/size, and not backsliding into old habits. I hope to be able to enjoy special occasions like birthdays and Christmas without having to pass up on certain foods or pack my own, which is what I used to do.

What is my goal weight/size? I'm not sure anymore. I was aiming for a weight somewhere in the 170's. I'm almost there! But I will see how I feel there and if I think I would be more comfortable in the 160's. My lowest adult weight was 143 lbs and a few people at work actually expressed concern for me. I can't see myself clearly in the mirror so I have no clue what I truly looked like. But I remember going to the gym on my lunch hour and running at night, and eating very low carb. I must have been pretty thin. I don't want to be like that now. My goal is to feel good, healthy, strong and capable. I'm definitely getting there. I can't help but put a number to it as a another way to measure. I know I'm not supposed to focus on the scale but it is helpful for me. So we'll see!

Exercise update: it's hit and miss these days, I won't lie. Some days, I get in a 20-45 minute walk. And I do some hand weights. Other days, I count cleaning bathrooms as my exercise for the day. Walking around Costco with a full cart factors in too I would think! Some days, I'm too exhausted and overwhelmed to do any exercise at all. I'm not super consistent, but I recognize that I do feel better when I can get some exercise. Today, I'm heading to King's Forest trails for a hike so that will check off the exercise box in a fun way!