pulled in a notch on my belt this morning....

[mike_c]

My pants have been feeling a bit loose for the last several days, and I cinched them an extra notch today! It's the little victories that give us hope. Actually, I've lost several pounds over the last couple of weeks, and am HOPING for an aggregate 10 pound loss by Sunday when I weigh in next (I was down six lbs last week). My diet has changed dramatically in the last several weeks-- I eat LOTS fewer calories. I've always avoided most junk foods, sweets, and fried stuff, so portion control seems to be the biggest hurdle for me, and so far I'm doing fine on about 1500-1800 calories/day. My biggest problem is the late night snack craving, which I normally just cave to but try to stick with something wholesome and low-cal, like apple slices. I'm also getting to the gym five days a week without fail, which is probably the real key to my progress-- I'd have to drop another 400-500 calories/day to get the same results without the extra exercise, and besides, it makes me feel really good.

[Debau2005]

1. CONGRATULATIONS!

:woohoo:

[mike_c]

3. thanks!

eom

[lavenderdiva]

2. WOW! That is just fantastic!

Congratulations! You are right, the little victories certainly help keep us going- They all add up to a BIG victory in the end. Keep up the good work! :toast: :bounce: :yourock: :headbang: :woohoo: :applause:

[mike_c]

4. thanks-- yeah, it's really nice to see progress!

eom

[xmas74]

5. Congrats!

I'm hoping for a good weigh-in myself this afternoon.

[mike_c]

6. good luck!

eom

[xmas74]

7. Thanks! nt

[Longhorn]

8. Good for you!

It's great to look for other indicators of progress besides the scales. I haven't been making much progress on the scales but I wore a suede skirt yesterday that felt a tad looser than when I last wore it almost two months ago. I've been exercising so I assume I'm replacing some fat weight with muscle weight. I hope so!

:yourock:

[mike_c]

11. are you still bicycling...?

My schedule last semester was horrendous-- I was covering a colleague's load as well as my own-- so I pretty much stopped cycle commuting or even riding otherwise by October or so, and then the rainy season started with a vengence. THAT'S the main reason I joined a gym over xmas break-- it rained damn nearly every day. So far this semester I've continued going to the gym to exercise. I'm waiting for the weather to become reliable again before dragging out the bikes.

On the plus side, this semester I have the lightest schedule I've ever had. Payback for a couple of years of overload. I honestly think the lower stress is helping me lose weight.

[Longhorn]

13. I haven't ridden since November.

Thanksgiving, then a week-long cruise, then finals, and the end of the semester all got in the way. This semester, I work from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. two days a week (I teach three classes, one that is 45 minutes away, and tutor) and the other two days, I work from 1 to 8 p.m. I'm thinking that when it starts to get dark later, I'll be able to bike commute on those two days. We've had a fairly mild winter but I've never been really big on just riding around by myself. I'd rather ride with someone or have a destination, like work. So those are my excuses. ;)

Like you, I've found an alternative -- I workout on my elliptical trainer about five times a week. I'm hoping that this will keep me in shape until I get back on my bike! :)

Thanks for asking! :hi:

[auntAgonist]

9. It's wonderful when we SEE the results in our clothing

and belts and even our shoes!!!

congratulations on taking hold!

aA

[crispini]

10. Congrats!

Yay!

[ernstbass]

12. Good for you!!

Keep up the good work!!