Mind Over Matter

I lost 3.4 pounds this week for a total loss of 22.4 pounds. It's, um, been a while since I've seen this weight on the scale.

Was I happy? Are you kidding? I was ecstatic!

How did this happen? Oh, gee, I did something very simple (and very difficult): I tracked. Yep, followed the rules.

Am I surprised? No way. Since my first diet at the age of 14? 15? 16? I've known that the way to lose weight is to count calories.

The only time I did not have to count calories was when my thyroid "mal-functioned" and gave me energy and the ability to eat sensibly. Silly me, I thought I'd figured out how to keep my weight down and my energy up by exercising and eating well.

My thyroid crashed nine years ago and I've been trying to find a way to live with the change ever since. Oh, I've had some other physical challenges along the way -- Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, periodic leg movement disorder (a sleep disorder), restless leg syndrome, depression, chronic fatigue -- but the primary challenge as far as my weight is concerned has been mental. I just could not make myself stick to a program.

I joined Weight Watchers because I knew I could no longer manage my weight without help. And so I've kept at it regardless of the numbers on the scale because I know I'll probably never be able to go it alone again.

One week's tracking doesn't mean I've overcome the mental obstacle that has made it so difficult for me to track. Still, it's the most disciplined tracking I've achieved since I joined Weight Watchers in October of 2007.

Tomorrow I'm flying to Michigan to see family. It's a full day of eating challenges. I've bought, counted, and prepared a day's worth of meals and snacks that should help me avoid the temptations of airport food. Next I'll face a full week of eating challenges because I'll be eating out a lot while in Michigan.

I've just learned that I might not have Internet access for a while in Michigan. What? No eTools? Yikes! Regardless of how I do without eTools and what I see on the scales at my next weigh-in, I know I'll be back to tracking ASAP.