It's Just A Number!

I've been stuck in 173-175 land for almost a year. And my measurements haven't moved much, either. I recently posted about my determination to make my waist, etc. smaller. Here's my story since then:

• JuJu started school and I started walking with her to and/or from school.
  
• My friend from college started working for Beachbody, and I checked out some of the videos from the library and started doing a mini-workout/stretch first thing in the morning.
  
• I kept doing my regular workouts at the gym in the evenings.
• I increased my weights in Body Pump.
  
• I learned how to do squats right, so that my knees wouldn't hurt, so I started doing those regularly.
  
• I started doing the No Excuses Workout several days a week (while brushing my teeth).
• I dance while cleaning the kitchen, and focus on keeping my abs tight all day.
  
• I stopped eating so many treats, but declared that I wasn't "off" treats, I just wasn't making and eating many. Don't get me wrong, I still eat treats. just more occasionally.
  
• I focused more energy into eating 5 or 6 small meals a day. I found a couple of new-to-me, good choices, such as: edamame (soy beans): low in calories, high in fiber, high in protein. Tasty, and fun to eat. Pistachios: decent fiber, high in protein, and high in fat, so eat wisely, along with fruit or other carb, as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon meal. The fat has the bonus making you feel satiated. Can you feel a difference between full-fat and no-fat dressings? I can. I use full-fat sparingly. I mix some water or vinegar into a small amount of dressing before adding it to my salad.
  

I was slowly adding all of the things I listed above into my life, and my weight stayed the same for another month and a half. About a month into it, and about the same time as General conference, I decided to give up.


I'd set a goal to achieve a certain "number" (170) and I was becoming obsessed with that goal, even though I was happy with where I was at, and felt comfortable in my skin. I decided that although I could achieve 170 and even lower, I was doing all that I was willing to sacrifice and to put energy into at this time in my life (exercise, eating well, etc.). I'm not willing to do any more. I have kids and a life to enjoy.

I really do like Halloween, but all the candy and sweets (just the beginning of the next two months of weight-gaining temptations) makes me sick to think about.

What are your goals for not sliding down the hill you've been working so hard to climb? I don't know about you, but I do not want to lose those same 4 pounds, yet again!

I won't make the goal to not eat any candy, because then when I do, I'll give myself permission to eat as much as I want. That's just my rebellious nature.

Goals/Plan:

1. wait until the day of or the day before Halloween to buy candy
2. buy candy I'm not tempted by
3. when raiding my girls loot, limit myself to five pieces
4. eat a real meal before raiding said loot, so I'm just having a treat, and not satisfying actual hunger
   
5. continue exercising every day

I've seen a bit of progress in my numbers, which is very encouraging to me. The thought of having to work off that progress again makes me want to barf. I've worked really hard, enjoyed doing it, and would rather maintain that progress, than re-do it. Savvy?