Will I be able to handle that? I have no idea. It’s going to be really weird to suddenly be able to eat another few hundred calories in the day and not fret over it. Sometimes I wonder if I have given myself an eating disorder. Then I realize I still eat whatever I want, just not whole tubs of it, and I’m still eating more than enough calories per day to keep me going, so I figure it’s not *that* bad.

I’ve always heard that when it comes to losing weight, it’s not a habit change, it’s a lifestyle change. Like, in order to be fit, you have to change your whole lifestyle and get used to doing things like working out (something I still struggle with this time of year because of my noncompliant sinuses) and being mindful of what you consume and how much of it you eat.

Like, for example, today I ate everything I wanted: turkey, stuffing, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, a crescent roll, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. My total calorie amount was 1400 calories, roughly. I ate what I wanted, but I didn’t eat too much of it. I ate slow, I drank Diet Coke or Diet Mountain Dew, I talked to the family… I didn’t over do it and I stopped when I was full.

I always though it was magic or something, but it’s not. You just have to know how to act and how to eat. That’s all it takes to lose weight.

My weight loss has slowed down, but that’s okay. I’ve been cutting myself some slack lately, as I’ve been under the weather and stressed out due to work. As we all know, the best way to handle stress is with exercise, but that also means increased eating and increased general weariness about not wanting to be bothered to work out. Add to that the fact that my workout stuff is in the basement and it’s cold down here means that I’m much less likely to get down and work up a sweat.

HOWEVER, I am starting a new routine. Starting tomorrow, people from a local fitness training group will be coming to the location where I work to conduct classes twice a week, and if I can remember tomorrow, that’s what I’m going to be doing to try and bust myself out of my funk. In the spirit, I may as well get my stuff together before bed tonight so I can be prepared for my first semi-public exercise session. I’m not really looking forward to it, but the opportunity is too good to pass up, as it’s only like $6.

I only hope more than 10 people show up, so that way the classes will continue.

I forgot a few weeks, obviously. I’m going to try to keep this blog up a little bit better. I had a bad couple of weeks emotionally. I didn’t eat for comfort, thankfully, but I didn’t have the desire to maintain this blog (or any of my other ones). At least I haven’t gained any weight, and hopefully by next week (or before October), I’ll be down below 200lbs for the first time since (probably) middle school!

I got bored updating my daily intake/exercise logs, so I figured I’ll skip that stuff unless there’s some insane demand for it. If you want to know roughly what I’m eating every day, just let me know. Otherwise, let’s just assume it’s staying under 1600 calories.

My weight, as of today: 212.3lbs.
Weight until my goal: 12.3lbs.

I’m so close to 200lbs I can practically smell it. I’m down to the last hole in my belt, my pants look like clown pants on me, and even my underwear (the older pairs anyway) are falling off me. Thrilled doesn’t cover how I’m feeling about my progress thus far. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I’m already wondering just what my next weight loss goal will be. Maybe I could get down to 180lbs! Who knows?

Hell, I’ve made it this far, right? The sky’s the limit!

My general yard work was pushing around the lawnmower. We have a pretty big yard, so we do have a riding mower (which I used on the backyard), but to try and make up a little bit for pigging out this week, I did the front yard, the edging of the backyard, and the drainage ditch by hand with the push mower. Even though it was a rare non-humid, non-hot, non-sunny day here in Kentucky, it was still a beast to push that mower around.

I hate cutting the grass.

Yeah, I know, this is two days in a row I’ve eaten a ton of salty foods. The pizza is gone now, though. The other half of the Subway Club will be gone tomorrow. It sure did hit the spot tonight, though.

I got the traditional turkey, ham, and roast beef to start out with, then had them add lettuce, onions, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, and hot mustard. If you guys ever need tips on what to eat on your sub sandwich, you just let me know. I know just what goes good with just about any of the Subway sandwiches, be they fitness specials or meatball artery-cloggers.

I’m working hard to get my flexibility back, but it’s a slow process if you don’t have someone around to help you stretch.

For my traditional birthday pizza, I went with something unusual. Papa John’s has been advertising their new wheat crust pizza for a little while now, and since it was on sale for pretty cheap for a one-topping, I figured I’d give it a try. I don’t think it’s anywhere near health food, but hell, any little bit helps, right? Otherwise I’m mopping the grease off the top of my pie and eating wheat crust for nothing.

Actually, I kind of like the wheat crust better than the white crust. It’s a little more toothsome, has a little more flavor to it, but doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the pizza. It also seems to microwave a little better the next day without changing texture too badly. I hope it sticks around, because I intend on sticking with it.