A Fairly Decent Night's Sleep

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I've had weird insomnia this past week, finding it very difficult not to go to sleep, but to stay asleep. I was only woken up twice last night--once by daughter coming in at 12:30, and second at 4 by the dog. Shelby likes 4 a.m. for some reason. Inbetween I sleep pretty well. Not sleeping enough has made the days pretty tough, sigh.

So, the hard-core diet is officially over, as of today. Today, I EAT CHEESE! (which is odd I can't wait to make an omelet in a few minutes because I've never been big on cheese) I am adding dairy back this week and more variety of vegetables and I am so ready. I've reached my goal weight as of yesterday--37.4 lbs. gone. It has been a long journey and the last 3 weeks have been tough, sticking to my guns on this.

But, I DID IT!



And look mighty damn good. I am lucky. I am tall, nicely proportioned, nice legs and am not a hippy person at all. NO BUTT in fact. Snort. Ended up a 10-12 (my 12 jeans are staying for now they are baggy but damn, I need shirts more, NOTHING FITS!) So all I need to do now is tone up, which I will start now that I will be adding more protein to draw from. It has been tough, very tough, but when I make my mind up to do something...watch out.

The fun will be in maintaining this weight. I've had 'weight loss' on the brain for so long, now it is 'stay the same' on my brain. That will be tough, but I don't want to lose anymore. I refuse to look like Tiff's friend Brandon's mom, who had a lap band and lost so much she ended up in the hospital looking like an old stick. This is good. I am happy. Stomach will never be perfect, darn kids and darn abdominal surgery when pregnant with first kid (it was only getting my appendix out, but considering I was in the third trimester of pregnancy with Tiff, they made a HUGE incision, just in case they needed to rip her out--and it cuts from side to belly button practically--small price to pay for healthy baby and not-dead-me, eh?). So, I'll just continue to enjoy Nick's pretty tummy. LOL.

Anyway. Got distracted. I am headed for the shower, then headed on the road to Whole Foods in Arlington. It's only about 40 minutes from here, but impossible to get to without some planning. I have a shopping list, it is a short list, because I am saving money, but I do plan to come home with some gorgeous fresh vegetables, and something different besides what I've been eating. Am SO sick of the same ol' same ol' but that is the magic of what I've been doing.

And what I have been doing is stripping my diet to the bare bones, losing the weight, and will now slowly add things back, see how I react, see if it works for me or not. And adding things back means healthy foods still: more and different vegetables, cooking with olive oil and coconut oil, expand my fish choices--SALMON TONIGHT! WOO!!! and keeping my body's reactions to everything in focus. Overkill? Maybe to some, but I am 46, almost 47, and am looking damn good. I have every reason in the world to stay this way, now. The older we get the tougher it is to stay in shape, and I am on the threshold of that, kids. On the threshold.

And besides, I've got a boyfriend half my age. Think I don't wanna be the best I can be for him? GRIN. You betcha.

Things I will never go back to in my ingredients labels: sugar, starches, both of which appear to be my enemies. Sigh. HFCS. I hate that stuff. It is everywhere and for no reason at all has been poured into perfectly good products, like Worcestershire sauce. WHY??? I don't know, but I for one do not believe those 'Oh High fructose corn syrup is GOOD for you!" commercials and ads. Um, no. Heck I don't believe anything anymore until I research it in depth myself. CORN IS EVIL...heck I saw what corn in dog food did to my puppy... NO. The only way corn is good is popcorn on occasion, and a fresh corn on the cob. YUMMY like that, but that is it.

I will never go back to sodas, either. Nope. Now that they are out of my system, I can see how they tore me up, especially my stomach. That means supreme avoidance of chemical sweeteners. Thank heavens Truvia is out now--I love the stuff. All the others are so bad and fake and real sugar is the better option than that stuff. If forced to choose for instance between a diet coke and a real coke, and that was all I had to choose from? It would be the real coke. But, I'd rather not have either. Grin.

Highly processed foods--I will not deny I will have a Happy Meal now and then--I *am* human--but that will be a choice. What is also a choice is not eating out all the time. So when I do, it will be deliberate and good, and if the next day I show a gain, I know what to do to get it right back off again.

I'm going out twice next week while Nick's gone--with friends from college days I haven't seen in awhile. One knows and has met Nick and is so totally cool and awesome about it, the others... I do not mention Nick at all to. Not the kind I want to make it their business. It is a shame that I have to do that censor myself, but then again, I've spent a lifetime doing that, so it is not that big of a deal. With these two though--friends I ran around in college who happen to be sisters--one has gone somewhat religious on me. I am sad about that because she was so wild, but I guess she's found her peace in being a prayer warrior. The other sister's husband has a gay brother, and is more easy-going about things, but prayer warrior sister prays for that man so that he will hopefully see the error of his ways... yeah. Methinks my beloved lifestyle and choices in life, the friends who I adore and get along with the most, my own total acceptance of alternate lifestyles would put me HIGH HIGH HIGH on that prayer list and frankly? I'm not interested. LOL.

Anyway, I am apparently doing that rambling thing again. catsintheattic I owe you an email, lol I forgot to write back yesterday like a dork. Ahh!! Will later after I get back.

Is there any way to tone the tummy without doing crunches? They make me cringe... LOL. Sigh. No? I didn't think so.

C, NOT showing before and pics here, because the 'befores' are really horrid, but the below was on Feb. 26th. Have lost 7 more since then, and there hopefully I will stay. And the cheese omelet? Am not so sure about how good it was, now--lol! Stomach is in shock!!!

Comments

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

37.4 lbs. gone. It has been a long journey and the last 3 weeks have been tough, sticking to my guns on this.

But, I DID IT!

that's awesome! you must tell me how you resist cheese?

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I just did not buy it? Or go out to eat. Seriously--that was the biggest thing, not going out, not depending on fast food, but cooking. Minimal cooking--sticking with super simple things--but not eating out at all.

Right now I don't want to eat anymore today. LOL. I swear, I am stuffed and all I had was the omelete, and some fruit and cheese at Whole Foods. Finally, I could partake of samples! Came home with a cantaloupe as a result--tomorrow's treat!

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

ah, i love cheese, it's like 3 of my basic food groups
i never eat out or get fast food mostly b/c i never have the money for such things, but i'm a bit of a slap-dash cook and just throw whatever together
too much cheese and pasta, though

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Yes to cheese, but no pasta. I stared at shirataki noodles today, wondering if they were really a valid substitute for pasta, and decided no.

Unfortunately, pasta, potatoes, rice and bread (cries) seem to be what make me react unfavorably (i.e., turn into a total pig and gain tons of weight). None are in my future anytime soon. Really sucks, but fortunately, there are substitutes. Sorta. Maybe not for rice--LOL!!!

Ah well. I'll survive!

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

you just named off pretty much my whole diet
srsly, if i don't eat those i wouldn't be able to eat much of anything
a girl can only take so much asparagus and green beans and peppers and whatnot

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

LOL, oddly, I really haven't missed them, have found other things to eat. :) I've known for some time that I had a problem with these things (carb sensitive it is called) but didn't want to believe it. It's almost like eating like a diabetic has to, and it can be frustrating to go to a store and have a hard time finding things that work. But I knew I had no choice, really. Unfortunately, if I want to stay thin--and I do, more than ANYTHING--then this is what I have to do.