It's official, I'm on a D-I-E-T!

Call it what you want, lifestyle change seems to be the most popular term for losing weight these days, but for me, it's a DIET. I've been screwing around for months with this, up and down the same eight to ten pounds. Right now I'm up to 163. I put on my size 10 slacks this morning, the ones that run a little small but fit perfectly a couple months ago when I weighed 154. They zipped up okay, but my tummy sticks out. Even when I suck it in it still sticks out.<br /><br />Next week I'm in Tulsa for re-certification of our software that's used at common use airports. I'll be working with several software engineers that I've been emailing and talking to on the phone for several months. These guys are smart, really smart. I'm not. I'm not an idiot, but I'm not a true geek when it comes to computers. I can get by okay, but I'm kind of a fake when it comes to being a software engineer. I'm the project manager on this project, not actually doing any coding, but it's assumed that I understand the coding and all the moving parts.<br /><br />So what does this have to do with me losing weight? Everything! My self-confidence is directly linked to my weight. When I feel fat, I feel stupid. I know that probably doesn't make sense to most people, but it's how my brain works. I guess I can fake the smart thing better when I feel like I look good. I don't know if it's me or if it's how other people treat me, but when I feel confident in my looks, I feel smarter. It makes absolutely no sense as I write this, but it really is how I feel.<br /><br />My immediate plan is to shed five pounds by Monday (4 days), when I have to be in the Tulsa office of our vendor. Before you all get crazy and tell me that's unrealistic to lose five pounds in four days, I know some of my weight is water weight. I've been eating a lot of salt lately. Putting salt on my food, eating lots of Seasonsed RyKrisp (very salty), so I'm pretty sure I can drop at least a couple pounds of water.<br /><br />Goal for today:<br /><br /><strong>Workout</strong> - 40 minutes cardio & 1 hour weights (done at 5 a.m. this morning)<br /><strong>Eat maximum of 24 Points today</strong> - this will be tough, but I'm going to give it my best shot.<br /><strong>Drink a ton of water - 64 oz. minimum</strong> - with ice - lots and lots of water<br /><strong>Embrace the hunger</strong> - something I haven't been doing for months. It's something I have to do to lose weight. It's a fact of life for me.<br /><strong>Smile</strong> - it's not that bad. The results will be worth it.<br /><br /><strong>Lucy</strong><br />She went home last night, but it wasn't a total happy ending. The family is really nice and were happy to see her, but they told me Lucy belongs to their 18-year old daughter who is leaving for college next month. They need to find a home for Lucy. Someone that has the time and energy to take care of her and give her the attention she deserves.<br /><br />Unfortunately, that's not me right now. I work a lot and travel a lot for work and spend about two hours a day at the gym. My husband hates big dogs (long story), but I love them. I love all dogs. Anyway, she's home, safe in her big back yard. They promised me they wouldn't give her to anyone and they're definitely not taking her to the animal shelter. Funny thing, she and I bonded in just two days. I practically cried when I handed her over to them and then she ran back to me wagging her tail like crazy and tried to knock me over again. I really hope they find a good home for her. She deserves the best.

It's official, I'm on a D-I-E-T!

Call it what you want, lifestyle change seems to be the most popular term for losing weight these days, but for me, it's a DIET. I've been screwing around for months with this, up and down the same eight to ten pounds. Right now I'm up to 163. I put …

Read more »