The Big 5 and Planning to Succeed.

It took me 17 weeks, but I've hit the elusive 5% weight loss marker. And you know what?? I feel amazing about it! I snuck a peek at the scale last night, knowing I usually weigh about 2 pounds less in the morning than I do at night, and based on the reading before bed, I expected to lose another 0.5 this week. Which, honestly given the passage of Easter and the 8 tons of candy now in our house, I would have been happy enough about.

(No, really. 8 tons of candy is hardly an exaggeration. This is about 1/4 of the candy we got for Easter, with an apple sitting next to it for size comparison. I brought this into work so my co-workers can be the lucky recipients of all that sugar and all those calories!)

So when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw I'd dropped 2 pounds, I was in shock. I jumped off the scale, zeroed it out, and got back in, closing my eyes. Nervously, I opened them and peeked down to see the number was the same, and I had indeed lost 2 pounds.

I didn't do anything differently from last week, other than catching a cold over the weekend that left my tastebuds numb, making it super easy to skip the candy. It's also getting a lot easier for me to wake in the morning, pack a healthy lunch, and make portion control and out-to-eat menu choices that are healthy without being tempted. Case in point: on Friday night we went to get Mexican food with my in-laws and rather than a beany-cheesy concoction and a side of sour cream, I ordered veggie enchiladas (almost cheeseless) and just ate the side of beans and some chips that came with it. On Saturday, I worked at an event where lunch was provided, and I went ahead and got a cookie off the tray when offered, but only after eating a veggie sandwich with no mayo or cheese. And, honestly? I didn't miss the side of sour cream or the mayo. And I did enjoy the beans and chips and cookie.

In an effort to make good on our plans to spend less money and eat healthier foods, I totally broke out of my comfort zone this weekend when it came to grocery shopping. I hit the ads first, making a list of each store and their sale items that we normally buy. I figured out which store had the most/best deals for our needs. And then I peeked into the fridge and pantry and freezer and made mental notes of what we already had. For less than $150, I stocked us up with enough food to make 10 large meals, meaning we have food for at least 14 dinners (figuring in a few leftovers here and there) and I have food for all my lunches for almost 2 weeks. ($150 might not sound great for 10 meals - $15/meal - but there were non-dinner items on the grocery list and most of the dishes we'll make will feed us for more than one meal.) When I got home from shopping, the kids and Darrick were all napping, so I quickly made a list of all the meals we can easily whip up with the ingredients I'd purchased + what was already on hand, and tacked it to the front of the fridge. I've always wanted to be better at grocery shopping: get better deals, buy healthier foods, have meals in mind while shopping. And I think we made that happen this week.

Other than losing 2 exciting pounds and getting past my 5% hurdle this week, I've noticed another pleasant surprise which I think is directly related to the foods I've been eating: I look healthier. I could swear my skin looks better, my hair is falling out less, and my eyes seem clearer. I might be imagining this, but I keep telling myself it must be real because I know I am eating more healthy veggies and fruits and less fast food and processed foods. It does pay to take care of your body from the inside out!