WEEK 9: The Real World

Vacationing with a travel plan worked out beautifully, but now I'm here in the real world again, and I need to make my diet work on an everyday basis. Figuring out how to do that will be my focus in Week 9.

My first step will be creating my To-do List, since I didn't get around to it during Week 7. Holding myself accountable every single day will go a long way to keeping me on track, I think. So here's my To-do List for every day of the week (although I'll only weigh in on Mondays and I'll post to the blog on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays):

• Stick to my SlimFast diet plan, eating everything on it.
• Eat slowly and mindfully while sitting down.
• Eat only to mild fullness.
• Keep my food diary.
• Give myself credit.
• Spontaneously exercise.
• Do planned exercise.
• Read my ARC and other Response Cards.
• Weigh myself.
• Post my progress on my blog.

Do I need to use my anti-craving techniques?
Do I need to resolve problems with the Seven Question Technique?
Do I need to prepare myself psychologically for special-occasion eating?
Do I need to work on reducing stress?
Have I enriched my life today?

Now I've laminated this list and will mark it with a dry erase pen, so I can reuse it week after week as I continue to whittle away the last 50 pounds. And I'm that much closer as of today, because my incredible hard work and dedication last week melted away another 2 pounds!

I have met my second 5-lb. goal and I'm on the way to my third 5-lb. goal. I just love the steep slope of this graph! I'm so proud of myself, and I am realizing I can do this alone. I just have to stick with it!




Another step I'll take this week to keep myself on track will be watching TV. No, really, it's good for my diet! I'll be watching this reality TV show. Normally, I hate reality shows; I don't find people who are behaving at their worst anything like entertaining. But The Biggest Loser doesn't feature as much of that back-biting and infighting and grandstanding, plus it's inspirational to me to see people who look like me working hard to look so much better. I do find it incredible (and a little worrisome) that people lose 10, 20, even 30 pounds in a single week, because, really, how can that be healthy? But it does motivate me to do my best too, so I'm glad this season has started just when I could use some motivation!