Six-Month Weight Loss Followup

If you are a regular reader of my blog (or my Facebook page), you are aware that I began a serious weight loss journey this past January. My goal was to get down from my initial weight of just around 180 pounds to the 148 pounds that I weighed for a number of years after my kids were born, and possibly even down to the 138 pounds that I weighed throughout my 30s. As of April, I had reached the 148-pound mark and was working on figuring out a maintenance diet plan, and possibly continuing to lose a few more pounds, with the aim of getting down to 138 pounds. 

I've now spent about 3 months on my maintenance/"creep down" diet plan, and I'm pleased to say that my weight has, indeed, continued to slowly creep down. My current weight is 141 pounds, and I'm confident that over the next few months, I'll be able to reach my secondary goal of 138 pounds - and, more importantly, maintain that weight for the long term. 

I think that the most important parts of my maintenance plan are that I've continued to write down everything I eat, and that I still record my weight daily. Both of those steps help me to see my overall eating pattern and quickly notice if either my weight or my eating choices are falling back into unhealthy territory. My weight did jump up a few pounds right away when I began a "maintenance" diet, but because of my tracking, I was able to revise my habits very quickly, and continue a slow but (generally) steady downward trend. 

It's nice to know that this trend can withstand a few days of overindulgence (the recent bump up was the result of a family wedding and multiple related celebrations, during which I allowed myself alcohol, rich foods, and desserts that I would otherwise have skipped). It would be easy to be frustrated by those minor upticks, but because I can see my long-term pattern, I know that a few added pounds can be quickly counteracted with discipline and determination. 

My continued rewards are still improved health on multiple fronts, increased physical stamina, and simply looking and feeling better in general. And that is the best motivation of all!

Nailed It!: Week 14 Check-In

Double score this week: I hit my goal of 148.4 pounds, which was also the 30-pound mark. Yay for me! Somewhat coincidentally, I also got a new cell phone this week and lost my weigh-in history from my phone app. But that's okay, because I'm starting a new goal: losing 12 more pounds to reach 136. 

My two goals both have a very practical basis: they're set points that I know my body sticks at for a while. I had two babies in my early forties, after which I stayed within a couple of pounds of 148 for nearly a decade; and throughout my 30s, when I ranged from 132 to 136. I would say that 148 pounds is both a healthy and - as I have just proved - an attainable weight for me. And 136 is an even healthier and probably also an attainable weight. If I find I can't get there, though, I'm not going to beat myself up. Staying below 150 for the rest of my life is my overarching goal; if I can drop another 10 or 12 pounds, all the better, but not a huge deal if I can't make it. 

Yesterday was also my 16th wedding anniversary, and my husband and I went out to dinner with our kids, our niece and nephew, and our niece-in-law-to-be, which meant an excuse to dress up. Which meant an excuse to try on all the dresses in my closet that I've been hanging onto for years in the hopes of fitting into them again (or at least, looking good in them again). Instead of the 2 or 3 nice dresses I've been able to wear for the past few years, I had my choice of a dozen or so! I opted for an old favorite, a cherry red, high-waisted, clingy surplice dress. In a size 8. And I don't mind saying that I ROCKED IT.

But more important than looking good, I am FEELING good. I mean, think about it: thirty pounds is like two Thanksgiving turkeys. Imagine going for a walk carrying a full-sized turkey under each arm, and then putting them down. How much lighter and stronger would you feel? My kids are both BSA Scouts, and when they go backpack camping, the recommendation for maximum pack size is 20% of your body weight, so a 150-pound person should carry a pack that weighs no more than 30 pounds. Now, hiking while carrying a 30-pound pack is a lot. I had basically been "hiking" through life with a full backpack, and now I've taken it off. 

This Monday is Patriot's Day here in Massachusetts, and part of our local celebration is a reenactment of the historic battle in Concord, the famous "shot heard 'round the world." A regiment of Minutemen from our town marched to the battle, a 7-mile trek, and our local reenactors recreate that march every year, accompanied by my son's Scout troop, the Isaac Davis troop, named for the captain of that regiment, who was the first officer to die in the American Revolution. My husband and son have made that hike a number of times, but this year my daughter and I plan to join them for the final 4+ miles. A year ago I wasn't comfortable with the thought of keeping up with a bunch of teenage boys for 4 miles, but now that I've "dropped my backpack," I think I can do it.   

That's why I'll be happy even if I never lose another pound. I've found a place where I feel good, I'm eating healthy without depriving myself too much, and I feel like I could continue eating this way for good. Could I drop another fifteen or twenty pounds if I really had to? Probably. But I've found a balance between looking and feeling healthy, and enjoying the foods I love. And that's a great place to be. 

Quote for the Week:

I'd rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size zero.

- commonly misattributed to Sophia Loren (who did say "All you see I owe to pasta.")

Not a size zero, and gorgeous

Closing in on the Goal: Week 13 Check-In

My initial goal for this weight-loss journey was to get under 150 pounds. I am within 2 pounds of that goal!

This week was something of an experiment in loosening up my restrictions, for a number of reasons. First of all, last Sunday was Easter, which meant a special dinner (including appetizers and a special dessert) shared with family, as well as the presence of candy. A LOT of candy. Chocolate bunnies. Pastel M&Ms. Robin eggs. Marshmallow Peeps. Jelly beans. More jelly beans. Yet more jelly beans. Temptations were all around! And I resisted. (Mostly.) Another thing that made it difficult was that I had two wisdom teeth removed and was on antibiotics, which meant needing to eat something in the morning and just before bed. It also meant some degree of mouth pain, especially while eating, with the recommended soft foods generally being high in fat and/or sugar, like pudding, jello, ice cream, mashed potatoes, yogurt, etc. We also went out for dinner last night and the soup of the day happened to be one of my favorites (ginger carrot), one that I don't get to have very often. I did limit myself to an especially small portion of my dinner, but it was still a larger dinner than I've been eating.  

The good news is that despite eating somewhat more than I had been, I continued to lose, albeit a little more slowly. It gives me confidence that I will be able to maintain my weight loss by continuing to keep an eye on my eating habits relative to what I see on the scale, and that I can find a comfortable balance between eating well and staying at a healthy weight. It also means that I am planning on continuing to lose a few more pounds past my initial goal, assuming that my body continues to cooperate. 

Quote for the Week:

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. 

-Robert Collier

The Plateau That Wouldn't Die: Week 10 Check-In

At this point, I feel a little like Sisyphus: I'm still working hard, yet I'm not seeing any results. Fortunately, unlike Sisyphus, I haven't lost (gained) much ground, I just haven't gained (lost) much, either. In other words, I'm still on a plateau, yoyo-ing between 157 point something and just over 158 pounds. (That said, this morning I clocked in at a cool 156.2 pounds, so I'm hoping this plateau is ending soon. *knocks on wood*)

I haven't been overdoing it with treats, although I will readily admit that I've been tempted to have treats without sacrificing something else more this week than any week so far. 

One thing that has given me more of a positive outlook is that I'm starting to move from my winter wardrobe to my spring wardrobe, and I've been pulling out quite a few articles of clothing that I haven't been able to wear in a couple of years. It's like I'm going shopping without ever leaving the house! Lightweight pants that used to be too snug in the thighs, sheath-style dresses that may have fit but didn't flatter, short-sleeve tops that I can now tuck in. It reminds me that even if I never lose another ounce, I've made significant progress. I look better, and more importantly, I feel better. 

However, I'm continuing to seek support and inspiration from other people's weight loss journeys. For example, I came across a great article by Ree Drummond (aka "The Pioneer Woman"), who lost 55 pounds (!) over the course of one year. She had a list of 10 tips, many of which I found helpful, because either they reinforced something that I was already doing or experiencing, or they were new ideas that I wanted to try. Among the reinforcements were these ideas: 

• Starting with a strict diet doesn't necessarily mean it'll stay that way forever, or even as long as you're working on losing.
• Your body gets used to smaller portions so you don't feel hungry or unsatisfied after a meal.
• A little bit of alcohol is okay.
• Daily weigh-ins, although not for everyone, work great for some people (apparently including Ree and me).
• You don't have to completely ban any foods, just be reasonable about frequency and portion size.
• Trying different strategies can be helpful to find what works for you - or what combination works for you.
• Minimize wasted calories: sugary treats, anything I eat or drink because I'm bored or to be social rather than because I'm hungry, anything you eat without deliberate enjoyment or satisfaction (no mindless snacking directly from the bag!). This falls under my "trade-off" plan.
• Changing your diet is a long-term plan, not a quick fix that you can drop when you're done. 

And the new ideas that I'd like to try were:

• Even if you don't exercise in a formal sense, moving is important, even if it's just parking further away from the store or getting out of your chair and walking down the hall a few times a day. 
• Building muscle helps boost your metabolism, and you get the biggest bang from building up the biggest muscles; i.e., your legs and glutes. 
• Eat more protein and fewer carbs (especially sugar). 

One thing Ree did that I refuse to do is counting calories and weighing food. That might work for some people, but for me, it's simply a time-consuming chore that frustrates and annoys me, and one that doesn't provide a significant benefit. I know how much I usually eat so I can eyeball an appropriately smaller portion size. I know what in my diet has higher (or empty) calories. I can "common sense" my choices and get pretty close to what I'd be doing if I were weighing and calculating, but without the time and frustration involved. 

The good thing about these needed changes is that spring is here! For the past week we've had a constant stream of wild beasties in our yard (chipmunks, raccoons, opossums, skunks, red foxes, and deer), which is a sure sign that warmer weather is coming. And warmer weather is always an easier time for me to both eat lighter and get more exercise. A warm, sunny day practically invites me to go for a walk; the wider availability of fresh vegetables encourages me to make healthier choices; and the foods I'm craving are lighter dishes cooked on the grill with fresh herbs rather than heavy sauces or gravies. Bring on the salmon, summer squash, grilled chicken, fresh tomatoes and basil, green salads, and all the bounty that local gardens have to offer. 

I'm ready. 

Quote for the Week:

The only successful way to reach and maintain a healthy weight is to find what works for you. 

Another Plateau: Week 9 Check-In

This week has probably been the most frustrating week so far. I've been hovering around the 157 point something mark all week. I haven't really gained anything, but I haven't really lost anything either. 

But this is the benefit of having everything written down: I can go back and look at my eating habits for the week to determine if I've been falling off the wagon anywhere. And the good thing is that I haven't. Maybe a treat here and there, but generally balanced with giving something up another time. But the bad thing is that sometimes you can do everything right and your body just rebels and clings desperately to those unwanted pounds. 

I'm reminded of this meme: 

I come from a line of solidly built women. None of them were particularly overweight, they were just naturally plump. I was always more slightly built; I never thought about my weight because I'd always been able to eat what I wanted, exercise minimally, and still maintain a healthy - even slender - weight. So I figured I'd be one of the lucky ones who stayed slender with minimal effort even as I got older. Ha!  It became that much harder when I had children and hit menopause and the pounds didn't magically melt off any more. In fact, without changing my eating or exercise habits, the pounds crept on. 

But I know that persistence pays off, and that as long as I stick with my plan, the weight will continue to come off...eventually. And you know what? Even if it doesn't, I'm better off than I was. I look better, and more importantly, I feel better. 

A bad week is a bad week, not a bad month or a bad diet. So I'm going to try to shrug this one off. This week is a new week, tomorrow is a new day, and I'm still a new me - with better, healthier habits.

Quote for the week:
The road may be bumpy, but stay committed to the process. 

20-Pound Milestone: Week 8 Check-In

Eight weeks ago, I started a weight-loss program after I'd hit a lifetime high weight of just under 180 pounds. As of today, I've passed the 20-pound mark, weighing in at a cool 158.2 pounds. This is less than I've weighed in the past 5 years!

My goal is to get back below 150 pounds. After my kids were born (in my early 40s; I was a late starter), my weight settled in at around 148 pounds for nearly a decade. I feel like that's a healthy, attainable weight, although I'd love to drop another 10 pounds after that, to get down to my pre-baby weight of 136-138, which was where I was at throughout my mid-to-late 30s. But I'm considering that more of a "nice to have" than a "have to have;" I'd love to get there but I won't be disappointed if I discover that reaching and staying at that weight is too onerous. I'm trying to work with my body, not against it, and it's important to me that I don't feel like I'm overly deprived or overly focused on food and eating habits. So I'm continuing to play it by ear. 

For now, I feel like I can stick with where I'm at, but I'm also comfortable with loosening up my restrictions now and then when I need it. I still stop and think about tradeoffs and consider how much I really want something special, but I don't let myself feel guilty if I decide I want a dinner roll or a glass of wine or a handful of tortilla chips, even if I don't give up something else in exchange. It's all about balance and moderation. And sometimes balance means not making an even exchange. Sometimes it means not feeling guilty about an occasional splurge, as long as "occasional" doesn't turn into "frequent."

I am finding that I am more satisfied with smaller treats than I was at first: a single spoonful of dessert, a sip of wine, a small square of chocolate, a couple of tortilla chips. If my husband makes popcorn while we're watching a movie, I am now capable of eating one handful and stopping instead of suddenly realizing I've eaten half the tub. If he's having a glass of wine at a restaurant, I'll have a sip from his glass instead of ordering my own. If one of my kids is eating a bowl of ice cream, I'll ask for a spoonful instead of getting my own bowl. 

Which leads to another important point: Support from those around me! In the past, if my husband made popcorn and I said I didn't want any, he'd make me a bowl anyway - and I'd eat it, and enjoy it. But now, if I decline, that's it, no sharing unless I ask. Sometimes he'll even skip having any himself, so I won't be tempted. When he cooks, he'll give me a smaller serving without my asking. Both my kids are willing to let me have a bite of their dessert without complaint so I don't need to order a whole serving for myself. And I've gotten innumerable compliments and supportive comments from friends and family who've been following my journey in person or online. Being the kind of person who thrives on external validation, that outside support is invaluable to me. I'm doing this for me, and I can see and feel the difference, but it's a huge reinforcement to know that others can see it, too. 

Quote for the Week:

Success is the sum of small efforts,
repeated day-in and day-out. 

-Robert Collier

10-Pound Milestone: Week 4 Check-In

I started my weight loss journey on January 7, at a nearly all-time high weight of 178.6 pounds. Four weeks in, weighing in at 168.6 pounds, I am excited to share that I have hit the 10-pound mark! I am also excited to share that my weight loss "regimen" has begun to feel natural and normal. In other words, I'm not spending all my time thinking about food.

That definitely was not true the first week or two of this diet. My inner monologue when I started usually went something like this, "There's a box of cookies over there on the kitchen table. I would like a cookie. I would REALLY like a cookie. I probably shouldn't have a cookie. But a week ago, I'd have eaten 3 cookies, so if I only eat one, I've still cut my intake by 2/3! Naw, I'll be good. But I REALLY want a cookie..." and on and on. The cravings were not just cravings, they were CRAVINGS. I mean, they were cray-cray cravings. I had to consciously and actively distract myself from food to avoid driving myself crazy. 

But I soon discovered that the less I ate those tempting treats, the less I wanted to eat them. Refusing to give in and eat that cookie the first time made it easier to not give in to the cookie the second time. The reverse was also true: when I DID give in and eat the cookie - or drink the larger glass of wine, or order the dessert or appetizer, or eat that piece of bread - it was harder not to give in the next time. Progress begets progress! The more I resisted, the less effort it took to continue resisting. Now my inner monologue is much more along the lines of, "I want a cookie. Eh, maybe tomorrow."

I have no doubt that as time goes on, there will be days when I fall off the wagon. I've had a few of those so far, although to be fair they've mainly been planned days of celebration that I have tried to compensate for on days before and after (with varying levels of success). If you look at my weight tracking, you can easily figure out my splurge days by the upward "blips" in the descending curve. And that's okay! Those splurge days remind me both how quickly the overindulgence in treats shows up on the scale and that it's easier to stick to my day-to-day eating plan when I know that I'm not completely eliminating any of my favorites from my diet. For me, planning and compensating for those treats makes skipping them the rest of the time tolerable. 

My plan from the beginning of this journey was to find a way of eating that I could maintain long-term, that would not completely eliminate my favorite foods, but that would help me develop awareness and self-control in my eating habits. I also wanted a plan that could be reasonably modified to transition from a weight-loss plan to a maintenance plan that I would be able to stick with for, well, the rest of my life. I realize that at only 4 weeks in, I can't be certain that things won't change, but as of right now, I feel like being conscious of what I'm eating (and drinking), considering "trade-offs" whenever I feel the need to splurge, and keeping an eye on my portion sizes is a system that will work for me long-term. Hopefully at some point I won't need to write down everything I eat, but it's good to know that if my weight starts to creep back up again, I have an easy way of keeping myself accountable that really works for me. 

Bottom line? It's going well, but if I start to plateau or creep back, it won't be the end of the world. I can see that those blips don't change the general trend of heading towards my goal weight. 

Quote of the week: It's not about perfect, it's about effort.
And when you bring that effort every single day,
that's when transformation happens. - Jillian Michaels 

Dieting & Trade-Offs: Week 3 Check-In

My current weight is 171 pounds even (it went as low as 170.4, but bounced back a bit). Nearly eight  pounds down is not bad for 3 weeks in! 

Here's what I've learned this week: When you have a food-related event coming up, it's best to plan ahead. I've developed a system of exchanges that allows me "treats," but it works best for me if I don't restrict those exchanges to a single 8-hour eating period. Let me explain.

First of all, I call these splurges "treats" rather than "cheats" because a "cheat" implies that you're going outside of your diet plan. My personal diet plan incorporates "treats" as an expected part of my eating. If I thought I could never eat a chocolate-chip cookie or drink a sugar-laden cocktail ever again, my diet plan would never work. But knowing that I can enjoy "treats" within reason makes my plan a lot more manageable for me. Here's how I handle treats: I plan a trade-off for each treat. For example, if I decide I want an iced coffee from Dunk's, I figure I should give up one of my 3 weekend cocktails. Do I want that iced coffee more than I want that lemon drop martini on Friday night? Sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes it's no. But it makes me conscious of the choices that I'm making. A lot of commercial diet plans restrict your total calories by the day, so if I wanted that iced coffee on Thursday, I'd need to give up something else on Thursday so my total caloric intake for that day would be under a certain arbitrary amount. I find that thinking about my food intake over a longer period of time, such as a week, is much more manageable. I already have weekend cocktails built into my plan, so that's an obvious choice to give up. But sometimes I might feel like, "Eh, I don't need a whole serving of mashed potatoes with dinner tonight", or "I'm going to drink my coffee black today and then have a mug of sweet hot cocoa when I get home from work," or even "I'm not that hungry today but I really want a cookie so that cookie will be my whole lunch." 

This works especially well when my schedule calls for food-related events. Over the past week or so, I had two big social events involving food: a (very) belated Christmas party with friends, and a women's potluck event at my church. For the first event, I planned ahead by skipping breakfast (which I frequently do anyway; I find my morning energy level is not much different when I have two pieces of toast than when I only have coffee) and having a handful of cashews as a late lunch. I also planned out ahead of time what my limits were: I would eat small servings of anything I wanted, I would eat slowly and stop when I was full, and I would limit myself to one cocktail and one (small) glass of wine, or two glasses of wine. Similarly, for the potluck event, I ate less than usual during the day, and then allowed myself to have a sample of everything, but promised myself not to go back for seconds of anything. In addition, I planned to skip my usual cocktail on either Friday or Saturday. In fact, I ended up not having a cocktail both nights, because I simply didn't feel a particular need to have one! In both situations, I really enjoyed everything I ate, and I didn't feel like I was being overly restricted. Over the course of the week, my food intake balanced out quite well. 

I've never been good at counting calories, and I could never be bothered with weighing my food to calculate exactly what my caloric intake is, or to make exact trade-offs. But it's not really meant to be about a perfectly even exchange. It's about being aware of what I'm eating and making conscious decisions rather than eating out of habit or convenience. By consciously swapping out foods that I know are richer, sweeter, or fattier than is good for me, I can keep things reasonably in balance. Is the number of calories in a "glug" of half and half (I have no idea how many tablespoons are in a "glug," nor do I care) roughly equal to the cookie I traded it for? Not a clue, but simply considering the exchange made me think about how badly I wanted that cookie. I've surprised myself at how often, when I stop and think about whether I want to eat something, I find that I don't, or at least I don't mind skipping it. As I mentioned last week, I added a column to my spreadsheet listing temptations I've resisted (this week that column includes a burger and fries, seconds on dinner, tortilla chips, a stop at Dunkin Donuts, an entire dessert tray, a Saturday night cocktail, and breakfast from McDonald's), which is a real encouragement to me, particularly when I give in to a treat - yes, I'm splurging, but look how many times recently I would have splurged but decided not to merely because I stopped to think about it. This week I also added a column for treats that I enjoyed - not to shame me for eating sugar and fat, but to remind me that I can still have "unhealthy" foods in moderation. It's easier for me to resist that cookie when I look at my spreadsheet and remember that I just had a cookie (or an iced coffee, or a handful of tortilla chips, or pancakes with syrup, or a midweek glass of wine) a couple of days ago. 

One aspect of my diet plan that doesn't really fit in my spreadsheet is portion size. As stated above, I can't be bothered to weigh or measure each serving I eat, but I am avoiding seconds and trying to take smaller portions, especially of carb-heavy sides like potatoes and rice. In addition, I'm avoiding add-ons like bread or rolls, appetizers, and even sauces and condiments. It's amazing to me how quickly those calories add up. A dinner roll with butter can run 200 to calories; a dollop of sour cream is 30 calories, half and half and sugar are 60 calories, a single cocktail is 200-300 calories, and two slices of bread with butter is a whopping 350 calories! But on the flip side, what about treats? A single Oreo cookie is about 50 calories, a whole apple is 100 calories, a couple of tablespoons of hummus is 50 calories. So sensible trade-offs can really have an effect on my overall calorie intake, especially when judged over the course of a week!

I'm sure that I'll continue to tweak my plan as time goes on, and I have no doubt I will hit slower periods and plateaus in my weight loss journey, but by my calculations, if I can keep this trend going I'll be able to hit my goal weight of 150 pounds in about 9 more weeks, or by mid-April. Which, since I'm aiming for reaching that goal by my nephew's wedding in early July, gives me lots of wiggle room. But so far, it seems like not only an attainable goal, but a way of eating - and thinking about eating - that I can sustain in the long term, and not just while I'm actively working on losing weight. We'll see how it goes!

Quote for the week: "Moderation. Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health." ~ Julia Child

Because I'm Fat, I'm Fat, Ya Know It

Hi, my name is Sandy and I'm fat. 

"Fat" is such a loaded word in our society. Because of that, I would never call anyone else fat, but I absolutely reserve the right to call myself fat. And I am. I'm about 35 pounds over what I would consider a reasonably attainable and healthy weight, and about 50 pounds over what I would consider my ideal adult weight. At 5'7.5" tall and 178 pounds, I am, by any reasonable standard, fat. 

I don't want to be fat. I don't like how it feels. I don't like how it affects my health. I don't like how my clothes fit. I don't like that I don't look good in the styles of clothes I like to wear. 

I want to fix it. But I'm not the personality type that would do well with a meeting-based program like Weight Watchers, or a prepared food program like Jenny Craig, or even a menu-based program like Richard Simmons' Deal-a-Meal. And I don't need a psychology-based program like Noom to tell me why I'm fat. I'm fat because I'm menopausal, sedentary, and I eat and drink too much. It's really that simple. My metabolism has changed and I haven't changed my exercise or eating habits to counterbalance it. I have health issues that discourage me from getting regular exercise. (Also, I'm inherently lazy.) I like drinking cocktails. And my portion sizes are too big. I don't eat a lot of unhealthy foods, I just eat too much of the healthy ones, which is also unhealthy. And I don't drink enough water. 

Why am I telling you this? Frankly, it's because I need motivation. It bothers me when I try to lose weight (often somewhat half-heartedly) and I don't succeed, but telling other people that I'm trying to lose weight and not succeeding is more likely to make me buckle down and figure out how to make it work. So I'm publicly announcing that I'm working on losing weight in the hopes that being somewhat accountable to the world at large will encourage me to follow through and find a plan that works for me. 

Here's what I'm doing to start: 

• Drink less alcohol. I think that tapering off gradually will work best for me, so for now I'm only going to drink alcohol on the weekends. One cocktail each on Friday, Saturday, and maybe Sunday. Possibly an exception if we go out to eat during the week. I'll also try to drink lighter cocktails, by cutting them with seltzer. And no overly generous pours. 
• Shrink portion sizes. I'll take smaller portions of sides and mains and larger portions of vegetables and avoid eating bread with meals. 
• Drink more water. I'm going to combat both overeating and hunger by drinking a lot more water. Again, starting slowly, I'm hoping to drink at least two 20-oz. tumblers of water per day. (I'm starting from a baseline of about two sips a day to take my meds, so this is more of an increase than you might think.)
• Walk every day. This may be a little difficult in winter, but we do have a treadmill I can use. (I'll have to clear off a bunch of the kids' stuff, but it's under there somewhere.) I'll try to park farther away from the store when I run errands. And I'll get up and walk around the house every once in a while during the day. 
• Write down all the above. I'll take advantage of my love of spreadsheets by making a chart of what - and how - I'm doing to track my progress. 
• Track my weight. I wouldn't advise this for everyone, but I got an app a while back to track my weight and it made me realize how my weight has been creeping upwards. Hopefully it will also help me see it creeping back downwards.  
• Blog at least once a week. I'll let YOU know how I'm doing. Admitting to other people when I'm failing - or even simply struggling - could be helpful to push me to do better. And letting others know when I'm succeeding will hopefully do the same. 

Feel free to comment with weight loss tips, recipes for delicious low-calorie meals, words of encouragement, or any other advice you think might be helpful. (Please note that I do screen all comments, because bots, so there may be a delay before your comment posts.) Thanks in advance!

Quote for the week: The pounds you don't gain are just as important as the pounds you lose.