17 pounds

17 pounds gone, and people are noticing! I love it! I need to keep at it...I went ahead and started riding my horse again, just once a week, but that doesn't let me off the hook!

Found a new kebob place in town, and they serve salmon and brown rice. Yum! I ate half and had the other half for lunch the next day. I think it will be easier to control my diet when we start working from home (as of 4:00 this Friday--yay!). We'll be better about grocery shopping and eating at home, rather than eating out all the time where it is oh so tempting to get something naughty!

Weird but effective ways to know you're losing weight

1. You can feel bones you couldn't feel before--your wrists, clavicle, ribs, hip bones.

2. Ditto for muscles--you can actually feel the muscle when you flex it, instead of goosh.

3. Your belly button is shallower than it used to be.

Of course, there are the obvious...clothes fit better, you have fewer chins, people say things like, "Oh my GAWD! You're SHRINKING!"

Much better measures than that silly old scale! Even if mine does seem to be saying I've lost another pound...

Diet Tip of the Day

There are a lot of diet bars/protein bars on the market. These are great for on-the-go meals or snacks (just don't eat too many--no more than one or two in a day). Check the labels carefully--Atkins makes some tasty ones with good nutritional content. Some brands can be high in fat, sugar, or both, so avoid these. Look for high protein and fiber to nourish your body and make you feel satisfied.

I have two favorites. One is in the Atkins Endulge line, a nut chew bar. Tastes just like a Snickers (as long as you haven't had a Snickers recently). The other is Slimfast chocolate mint crisp bars (sorry, don't have the exact name). Kind of hard on my TMJ, but yummy!

I rode my horse today for the first time in over a month. We just walked on a trail ride, but it felt so good to be up there again!

16 pounds!

I just wanted to make a quick post to announce that I have lost 16 pounds! I am about ready to get back on my horse again! I really love the Sonoma Diet--it is a natural way to lose weight that makes a lot of sense. It is not a fad diet and it is not hard to follow once you understand it. There are a couple of great books and some wonderful recipes if you like to cook. If you don't, you can still follow the principles of it.

Diet Tip of the Day:

One of my favorite easy meals is to stop at the store and get a roasted chicken--many grocery stores carry them fully cooked, either hot or cold--and a salad mix with low-fat dressing. It's quick, it doesn't require a lot of thought, and it's yummy!

Happy Independence Day!

Today I declared my independence from my diet. I will probably regret it, but it was fun at the time! That's OK, I'll be back at it tomorrow! I think it's important to be able to do that from time to time, as long as you don't go TOO overboard or use it as an excuse to just give up. I tried to keep the portions of poison small, so I could get a taste of everything without completely gorging.

Happy Independence Day, everyone, and I hope you didn't gain too much weight today! :)