I'm BAAACKK!!! :)

Starting with gall-bladder surgery the day before Thanksgiving and the week or so of recovery/lying around set me off on a period of "bad" eating and no exercise that extended through the holidays, resulting in my gaining almost ten more pounds!!  Sometimes I'm amazed at how quickly I can put the pounds on!!  :(  But the good news is, it's a NEW YEAR and a NEW BEGINNING!  Feels like a clean slate to start all over again, get up, dust myself off, and climb back on the horse!!  :D

Sylvia & I got together New Year's weekend, and hashed out a detailed plan for this renewed adventure of getting thin and fit again!  We realized that it had to be different, because we're different than we were two years ago when we became '2fatchicksonadiet'~ I have some more serious health factors, I've learned how easy it is to think we've arrived, get complacent and lazy about eating right and exercising, causing pounds to pile back on, and I don't have the excitement of losing alot of weight for the first time, to spur me on.  I'm a veteran at this now, and have to dig deeper for more realistic and solid reasons to get healthy. 

All that said, we have quite an awesome plan, that I can say, six days later and 7 pounds thinner already, seems to be successful!!  Wanna hear about it?  Of course you do!!  :D  Okay, here it is:

• Doing pretty solid Atkins the first two weeks for a jumpstart: so, no sugar/flour. 
• Exercise at least 5X weekly (non-negotiable as much as is practically possible)
• Weigh on Mondays only
• Measure each month & take progress pics along the way
• Call each other before  cheating
• Agree to pay one another $5 for every pound lost, on Mondays after weighing.
• Sign a 3-month contract, agreeing to the above, and also agree to continue to pay the other for # lost if we ourselves quit for some reason.
• Renew the terms and re-sign a contract every three months, up to one year.  Assess what worked and tweak the plan as neccesary.

Don't think I've missed anything.  We're both pretty pumped about it; it feels great to finally be addressing the problem and look forward to feeling better, looking better and getting healthy again.  I've also realized that in this coming year, my main goal is NOT to lose the weight, but to change my MINDSET about eating, to train my mind and tastebuds to dislike junk and unhealthy foods, and to crave and be satisfied only with healthy food.  I know it's possible and I look forward to being in that place! 

This week has been a good one; I've done four water aerobics classes so far and have eaten delicious, hearty and satisfying foods.  I did weigh myself a couple times earlier in the week, losing 3# the first day, then four the next!  Not sure I can only weigh myself once a week, when I'm accustomed to weighing daily just to see where I'm at; Sylvia suggested I get on the scales every other day to begin with, so I'll do that. 

It's so exciting to remember the fun of losing weight two years ago, feeling my clothes get looser, seeing my face get thinner, feeling more energetic and just knowing I'm doing a very good thing for myself!  Can't wait to get into some of those really cute, smaller clothes I have packed away, too! 



YIKES!!  Me at a horrifying 241 pounds!! 




Delicious sautee'd veggies with lentils and parmesan.  Yummo! 

 Okay, I've got a very long list of things to accomplish this weekend so I'm offa here!  Bye for now!  I leave you with a couple pictures.