Katie: Week 16

Finally...

Current weight: 144 pounds
Last week's weight: 146 pounds
Total weight loss: 26 pounds

Yay!  I am finally starting to feel like I'm back on track!  Adding desserts back in has definitely thrown me for a loop, but I think it's been a worthwhile loop to be stuck in.  Like I was telling a friend the other day, when I saw the adverse effects of treats on my good health part of me wanted to retreat the other direction and just go back to saying "no treats EVER."  I could have done that.  But I think I know myself well enough to know that, sooner or later, I was going to end up at a wedding reception or a birthday party or something at some point and I would have caved and eaten treats again.  These past few weeks have been a bit rough, but I'd rather take a few weeks now to teach myself how to handle sweets in moderation rather than putting off the real making of good habits.  I still don't feel like I totally know what I'm doing, but basically, now if I'm craving a little something sweet to munch on and Oreos seem like just the ticket... I have one.  And then if I'm actually hungry I eat something else.  When our friends made some really really yummy homemade ice cream to share with us this past weekend I had a regular amount two days in a row, but I knew it was much healthier than regular ice cream and that it wasn't going to set me back.  And it didn't.  And when I found myself surrounded by yummy-looking desserts at the ward potluck on Sunday evening that "I want to try them all!" feeling hit and--guess what?--I did try all of the ones I wanted to try.  But Bryan and I shared the desserts.  I really only ended up having about one bite of each.  And when I had a bite of a cookie that I really did want to eat the rest of, Bryan and I split it, so I only ate half.  Yay!  It's okay to eat desserts!  And, really, all my brain wanted was a taste.  Once I had one little taste I didn't care that I wasn't finishing the rest.  And most of the time I still don't eat desserts.  Anyway, so I feel like I'm learning how to behave myself.  And that's a really good thing.

Something else (besides learning how to eat desserts and not be a total piggie about it) that boosted my motivation was a little surprise my mom sent me in the mail.  My mom sent me a copy of "Quick and Healthy Recipes and Ideas (3rd edition)" by Brenda Ponichtera.  You can view/buy a copy at Amazon HERE.  So far we've only tried one recipe from it, but I LOVED it.  I have big plans to plan more of our meals from this cookbook.  Oh, and if the title of that cookbook sounds familiar, that's because it's the same one Polly's been telling us about for quite some time.

There's also one other thing that's been a great boost in my motivation.  

Sarah and I are going to run a 5K!  I've been so inspired by all of you talking about marathons and triathlons and gallops and a couple of days ago I was thinking I really should do one myself with the hopes that training for one would inject some motivation back into me.  So about five minutes after I had the thought I was talking to Sarah online, telling her I thought we should do a 5K or something--but that I didn't have one in mind--when she told me she had been wanting to run the 5K for the Utah Valley Marathon, but wasn't sure yet.  Well, as of yesterday we're both officially registered to run in the 5K!  I think it'll be a good start for us.  Neither of us are big on running, but a 5K shouldn't be too bad.  I haven't gone running regularly since before I was married when Alex and I used to go running together, but back when I did used to run (read: jog really pathetically) we used to go as far as a 5K fairly regularly.  So I'm not too worried, but I know I definitely need to train.  So... wish me luck!  If any of you living in Utah Valley are interested you can run a marathon, half marathon, or the 5K.  Info at the above link or HERE.  All registration fees go to charity.  And really, what's most important, is that you get a free t-shirt and get to run with a number pinned to you.

Have a great week everybody!

P.S. Speaking of charity and races, don't forget to enter the Bubble and Splash Giveaway and sponsor my mom by donating money for Clean Water!