Joanna: Now 10% LESS!

I realize that with all the help problems with Sprinkles and the end of the school year I haven't updated my blog with weight loss info for a while, so that's what this post is about.

If you noticed my blog title and you thought about it a bit, you'd realize I've reached my first goal: I have lost (a little over) 10% of my body weight! That's 23.8 pounds lost (0.2 pounds over 10%). I wanted to lose 10% by the end of school (from Spring Break until then), and I did! I can't even begin to describe to you the overwhelming joy I feel from this!

People are really noticing my weight loss and asking me about it. It feels great, and the encouragement I gain from people asking what I'm doing does wonders for me! I bought some new shirts in a smaller size the other day, and I'm fitting into my size large school shirts again now. I can deal with pants that are too big, but the huge shirts drive me insane!

My next goal is 40 pounds total by the end of summer. I've got 10 weeks to hit this goal, and I really think I can do it. Today was the first real day of summer (although I'm working for the next 6 work days on curriculum writing for the school and then for the district), and I spent the day enjoying more sleep and figuring out how to still get in enough water when I don't have small water goals from bell to bell. Sprinkles always takes a while to adjust to me not getting up early in the summer, so he woke me up around 6:30 for a walk. Oh well... it was extra exercise before it got too hot! I'm looking forward to finding the new gym in my complex this summer and joining the Lewisville library, so I'll have new stuff to read while I'm on the treadmill.

OK so I'm happy about losing weight; Sprinkles seems to be on the mend for real this time; summer is here! Life is good. :)

People ask me some questions about my weight loss that I thought I'd address at the end of this post:

Q: What are you doing to lose weight?
A: South Beach, no exercise yet. I've said this so much I'm sick of saying it! People, do I need to wear a sign? I could swear I've told just about everyone now...

Q: South Beach? How did you find out about it? Did you buy the book? Can you send me food lists?
A: Part of any diet working is you doing the legwork yourself so you understand why you're doing what you're doing. I bought the book at a half-price bookstore, and I read it completely cover to cover. I understand how and why South Beach works which helps give me more motivation to keep going. If I send you a food list, you won't understand the how and why and are more likely to decide little changes/cheats are ok and the diet won't work for you. Then you think South Beach failed... but honestly it was really you not getting it. Besides, there's a little thing called Google. If you really insist on getting the food list instead of shelling out less than $10 on the book in a used book store, then google "south beach food lists" and find them yourself. It's not that I don't want to help you or that I don't want you to do South Beach; I just want you to have all the tools you need to succeed.

Q: Wow, how do you have such good will power?!
A: It came from the 2 weeks on Phase I. It was sort of a detox from carbs and sugar. Now if I eat ice cream or cake it's because I want to do so not because the craving is so bad that I can't resist. I choose if I'm going to "cheat" and I realize that real life happens, and I can't always not eat "bad" stuff. I don't miss white rice, white bread, and potatoes most days. Sometimes I miss cake a bit, but every few weeks someone has a cake for something and I snag a small piece. :) I don't think it's will power -- I think it's that my body has reset itself.

Q: I can really tell how much weight you've lost! Can you tell?
A: Honestly typically I can't tell at all. I know my clothing is looser. I know logically that the 23.8 pounds had to come from somewhere, so I should be able to see it's gone. But... I look in the mirror, and usually I don't see it. Every once and a while I get a glimpse and see that my stomach is smaller and my face is slimming down, but it's not something I constantly notice. So... yes, I depend on you, my friends, to tell me you can tell a difference! lol. I can't wait to see my parents in August, so they can see the change in me (haven't seen them since April). I really can't wait to see my extended family at Christmas because by then my weight loss is going to be super obvious.

Q: How much do you want to lose?
A: 86 pounds, at least. That's 36% of my starting weight, and I'm about one-fourth of the way there now.

Q: Energy level still high?
A: Yes. The improvements to my energy level is only getting higher each day. I love it! I still take the occasional nap, but lately that more from the evenings with Sprinkles being sick or me staying up worrying about him. Usually I'm ok without naps. Wonder if that will change once I start exercising or if I'll get more energy...

Anyways, there's an update on my weight loss. I'm still going strong and still on South Beach. :)