30 x 30: Week Four

Alternately titled, Not Only Did I Fall Off the Wagon, but the Wagon Ran Me Over.

Last week was rough.  There is just no way around that.  I’m not saying that an emotionally and physically rough week is an excuse to bury sorrow in food; it’s not.  But I’ve also made it painfully clear to you, readers, that I’m an emotional eater, and the events of this week drove me to the freezer and/or cookie jar a couple too many times.

Between weigh-in’s, I drove (or rode) over 1,500 miles with at least one, if now both, of my children in tow.  I attended two funerals and the subsequent potlucks and visitations that go along with them.  In addition, there were two family reunions, two birthday parties (one for a 5-year-old and one for two 30-year-olds), two business lunches, my first pulled-over-on-the-side-of-the-road-and-call-AAA flat tire, and just plain general running around like crazy with our parents and children.

Dear, close friends of ours who were awaiting the birth of their second child welcomed a baby boy on Thursday, only to learn on Friday that not only will he require open heart surgery, but his brain stopped developing at 20 weeks of gestation.  My heart breaks and asks why with every thought of them and sweet baby Zachary.

Jim and I have spent almost no time together in the last several weeks, and this, on the heels of an already jam-packed summer of travel and separation.  I know that our business is the “norm” for us, but it is beginning to wear thin.

I’m also coming off two of my medications.  I’m not sure how much of this decrease is contributing to my extreme moodiness, fatigue, and appetite, but let’s just all it to the “circumstance” pile, shall we?

All that to say, it was a rough week for a lot of reasons.  Add that to not being at home in my routine, away from my own stove and fridge, and….well, it’s no surprise I put up the stats I did this week.

So, here we go:

Random Tips:

• Only use ONE scale when you’re on a weight-loss journey like this.  My scale at home has been my friend, sweetly melting away the pounds faithfully.  And then I went to Ohio, and stepped on my mother-in-law’s scale.  Oh, yes, this was the scale that told me I had hit a total loss of 11 pounds on Tuesday, but that by Thursday, had put me back up 8.  Talk about a roller-coaster of emotions wrapped up in those conflicting numbers.

Things I discovered:

• I can’t let my success (or lack thereof) determine my commitment to this lifestyle change.  Just because the scale (no matter whose) said the numbers were going the wrong direction, I can’t give in to the temptation to throw caution (or self-control) to the wind.

Favorite foods of the week:

• Not much to say on this front.  Oh, I enjoyed plenty of sinful indulgences this week – Philly cheesesteaks, chocolate raspberry truffle ice cream, my mother-in-law’s chocolate chip cookies – but I can’t say I’ve uncovered any new healthy treats.  Here is to committing to finding a new, healthy snack to share in week 5.

Ways I know this is worth it, and working!:

• I had the opportunity to spend some alone time at the mall on Friday.  I hadn’t been in Eddie Bauer (probably my all-time favorite clothing store) in probably a year.  Seeing clothes I wanted to purchase, but refusing to do so because I I want to drop a few sizes first, was motivating.

Weight loss:

• None.  Shame on me, I actually put on 3 lbs (using the last weight from my scale, not the lower total I recorded on my mother-in-law’s.)
• Total  since July 6th: 6 lbs. 
• Pounds to go in Phase Two:  10 lbs.  Mini-goal is still to be done with Phase Two by August 12.

Here’s to a much better, self-controlled Week 5!