Week Three Challenges

Yesterday's observance of Martin Luther King Jr's birthday marked the end of week three for me. Yay! Due to the holiday, the gym was closed and I could not weigh in yesterday like normal. Even though my boss doesn't recognize any days as holidays except for July 4, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day, I took the day off.

Week three was filled with super-low low's, and extra high high's. I prefer my life to be a little more steady (medium low's, medium high's etc.), but a lot of things are out of my control. Despite the crazy week, I think I did a pretty good job of sticking to my goals. I can certainly control what goes into my mouth, and how much exercise I get.

Ever since last week's weigh in, (week 2 curse, lol) I had a number in my head that I wanted to reach this week. It was going to be a stretch, for sure, but I wanted it. I was challenged on many fronts...rough days at work, dinner party, eating out at a restaurant, car getting broken into and stereo stolen, my boyfriends company party, and a bad hangover.

I had to employ expert tools to get me through each of these challenges, and although I may not have performed perfectly at each test, I did the very best I could. I'm going to list my challenges, and the solution I chose so I can come back over time and look to see what has worked, and maybe what I can improve on.

Week 3 challenges and solutions:

1. Rough day at work: Let it go. Embrace my time after work to live my real life, the life I work to support. Work is not my life.
2. Dinner party: Make the best decisions possible. If dinner is more rich than I am used to, take a small serving. Have a lot of vegetables. Share dessert.
3. Eating out at a restaurant: Look up the menu ahead of time if possible and make my selection. Do not falter from the selection once at restaurant.
4. Devastating event (like my car getting broken into): Keep the event in perspective. I'm fine, everyone is fine. Keep to my routine as much as possible.
5. Company party: Eat at home. Keep some extra calories reserved for wine. If there is something irresistible, have a bite from boyfriends plate.
6. Hangover: Tally up the calories from just the amount of alcohol consumed the night before. Know I can not afford to make poor decisions just because I don't feel good. Avoid drinking so much next time.

Going over these events in my head this morning on the way to the gym suddenly made me really nervous for my weigh in. Then I realized I was being unfair to myself. Week three is probably the most representative week I've had so far of how life goes. I need to be proud of my little successes, like being hungover and staring at the box of macaroni and cheese in the cupboard for a good 5 minutes, and then deciding to make pita bread pizzas.

Oh, and I made my goal! I lost 3 pounds this week, (9 total if you have been following) for a three week total percentage weight loss of: 3.9%.