Week 3: Small Successes, Big Rewards!

I managed to drag myself from my warm bed every day this week. This is no small feat as I am a night owl, not a morning glory.

For example, the first 30 minutes of each day started like this:
I slipped on my winter boots, parka, scarf, gloves, hat and grabbed the dog. Off we trudged through snow and cold (always around zero)up the street and into the recreation complex. I shed the boots, parka, scarf, gloves and hat and jumped (or rather carefully stepped), onto the scale. After grabbing a drink of water, I re-robe with the boots, parka, scarf, gloves, and hat and unchain the dog and walk a bit faster on the way home (I think it's slightly down hill). Back at home, now well-heated, I unwrap my scarf, take off my gloves,throw my hat, shrug the parka and kick of my boots, slumping into a chair, holding my first cup of coffee.

Daily weighing is one challenge, starting early and walking about is another. I didn't think I was making any progress as the rec room scale didn't seem to budge. Today, however, when I stepped onto the "official digital", three pounds had vanished from last week's number. I smiled.

Turns out, small changes like recording my food and limiting my fat intake, drinking more fluids, and walking each morning reduced the energy stored in my body. For me this is intellectually rewarding, but my body doesn't feel differently.

The big rewards for me is in how positive the response has been with my peers and family. If I pass on an item, no body makes a fuss. If I substitute an ingredient, hunger is still satiated. And my husband, bless his heart, if I absolutely must abstain from a killer-fat item, says, "if my wife can do it, so can I."