Finally!

Over the course of this week, I went from feeling like I had swallowed a beach ball to noticing my jeans getting looser (which I attributed to their stretch material).  But, I am happy to say I have lost 2.2 lbs!  I knew it would take time and truthfully, I was about to quit last week when I started gaining a big amount of weight in a little amount of time!  But, now, I feel great.

Aside from my clothes fitting a bit better, I'm really noticing that I'm getting more toned.  I've never seen definition this fast and I know it's because I'm eating a ton more protein.  Previously, I've never had a lot of protein in my diet (maybe about 20-30 grams a day!).  Now I'm eating about 100-120 grams a day and not only does it tone me up, but it keeps me very full.  This is a challenge for me because I LOVE carbs.  I just know I have to get more creative with my protein in order for it to appeal with me.

What I've learned so far:

Taste buds change.  I don't 'crave' artificial sweets, like I used to.  I now want an apple before bed (although a lot of natural sugar, it's still better than a bowl of ice cream!).

Cheat days are necessary.  If I didn't have one meal where I could eat a moderate portion of whatever I wanted, I'd surely go insane.  It gives me something to look forward to and it's a nice reward for a job well done.

Exercise is great, but if you eat poorly, you'll feel poorly.  When I was eating processed foods, I was always a little um, backed-up.  Now, I've been visiting the loo more regularly, which is probably from increased natural fiber and additional exercise.

Prepare, prepare, prepare.  This is my biggest challenge, because it's very time consuming to spend a few hours on a Sunday (and Wed/Thurs)  food shopping and preparing meals.  If I have already cut up veggies to throw into my eggs, chances are, I'll use them.  If not, I skimp and I end up making bad choices.

Portion control.  I knew what a portion was, I just lacked the control part.  My idea of a piece of chicken was half the container.  Now, I fill up on veggies and make my protein and complex carbs only about half of my plate (1/4 each).

I'm also happy with my moderate weight loss of 1lb per week.  Sure, if I dipped into 1,200 calories a day, I'd lose weight very fast (including muscle!).  But it wouldn't be sustainable.  This was always my era in the past - I'd starve my body for 1-3 days, then binge, rinse and repeat.  And it NEVER worked.  Now I eat a steady 1,600-1,800 calories, and I have energy for exercising and I'm not a ravenous, miserable person.  My metabolism was also wayy out of whack due to my cycle of eat, not eat, eat a ton, etc.