WEEK 11!!!! At this for almost 3 months now!

Yes, my sweet bloggy pals, it is time for the weigh in.

Week 11! Can you believe that? I knew I would get to this point when I started. Staying with something isn't hard for me. If I want to do it, I can. I did try to lose weight with just excercise for almost 3 months with NO results. But now I know why. :)

As soon as I lose the first 20 pounds I am writing up a whole "how I am doing it" post. PROMISE!

Okay! I now weigh in from 194 down to 177.2!!!!!!!!!!

That is 16.8 pounds lost! OH MY GOSH!

I was wondering where the weight was coming off as I stepped on the scale this week. I did my regular arm, thigh, bust, waist, and hips measurements. And no inch loss in those areas. Which only left me with my HIGH and LOW belly fats!

So I measured.

High Belly Fat: last week 35 - to now 34!

Low Belly Fat: last week 44.5 - to now 44!

High BF started out at 37 and Low BF at 47!!!! That is alot of fat off of the tires folks!!!

Now after I measured this morning I noticed something in the huge mirror in my bathroom. My love handles on my side and back at my waist are almost GONE! I mean it! Almost gone!

I have to lose 3.5 pounds I think to be at that 20 pound mark. I can so see that my the end of October. Which has been my mini goal for a while.

I would love to be 150 by Christmas. But I know I will be above that. But hey 160 would be fun!

Now let's talk about this week. Oh my gosh! I was craving things like a mad woman. I know I am close to my time of the month. And this happened last month the same way. It is like a mini pregnancy. I want to eat and eat and eat and eat and eat. What I did was to save about 200-300 calories two different nights for the cravings. I ate those "treats" early in the evening, as to burn off more of them. I had the smallest slice of cake with a glass of milk one night. The other night I had an ice cream bar. Ice cream bars are better. Why? Because who wants to measure out the little half or 1 cup they allow you for the calories on the panel? It looks so sad, so small, and alone in that bowl. *LAUGH* The bar is ready to go. You know what it contains. And you can ravish it like the beautiful woman you are! And I did! *laugh* I ate that ice cream bar up! I laid back and savored each bite. I let it melt and actually took the time to taste it.

That is also something that is now a habit. I am hungry for my meals. But now I take my time to chew them. To enjoy them. It is what eating should be. Food is supposed to taste good. To make you feel good all over. But I know this was gone. Yes, I thought food was good. But I would stuff it in and then forget about it. Now I am planning those meals. I put even more love into them when I eat them. I make them pretty.

I hear so many people say how nothing is good. How eating out is no longer good. But they continue to eat out and to eat the same things. This is because their body is addicted to the fleeting stuffed feeling they get. Being over full is an addiction! I realized this at about week 8-10 if I remember right.

My sporty friend Myka and I talked about this and she was like YEA, you have to have a little hunger pain before you eat. She is right!

I also have a sneeking suspicion that when you have that small naw (the hungry feeling) before a meal that you will digest that meal more throughly. Just hear me out. There is nothing else in there. I have eaten 90% of the time healthy whole foods. It doesn't have manufactured crap that is still hanging out. I am not just eating cause it is time. Or because I am emotionally at need to feel full to the brim. I just think the digestive juices are flowing better. Of course, I will research this. :)

But I really feel that my lower amount of food is being used better. I can seriously feel the nutrition absorbing into me as I eat. I have always been super aware of my body inside and out. But I had lost that art with my belly.

Now at a meal I am full. But not stuffed. There is a difference. I have eaten until the hunger has left. I eat slowly and enjoy every single bite on my plate. I don't crave for anything else. How many times have I ate a crappy heavy food that was more than half my caloric need for the day and still felt like I needed something? Even though I felt like I might throw up from the meal? So many!

So at week 11 I can say the biggest thing is that I am losing my love handles. I can see it! And I am enjoying my meals, allowing them to nourish me, and dealing with my emotions with excercise and actually letting out my fustrations.

I can't wait to fill my buggy with lots of yummy veggies today. It is again a love affair I have found again. Shopping for the pretty foods that will nourish my family.

Now let's look at some of the things I have eaten this past week. As you can tell I haven't starved. And yes, my kids eat the same things.

This is the Mozzarella and Baby Bella mushroom quesadilla with a LIGHT salad.

Now that is really a lot of food. But I know what is in this! I know how it was cooked. It doesn't have the hidden fats and that mess in it from a restuarant. And I was very mindful to make this healthy. I was happy full but not stuffed. I even had a glass of soymilk and some vanilla wafers for dessert that day.

This is the Oven-Roasted Vegetables with yum-o bread!

Here it is with all that pesto and lemon juice coating it. All ready on it's foil bundle.

But add some feta and YUM-O!

This is really alot of food! But it is food that is used well and that repair and nourishes you. It feels good going down. :)

Ta- Da!

Now all you have to do is ENJOY! The juices are YUMMY on that bread. You can even add in some chicken or tofu, whatever. I would just grill or sear it first.

And this was my cheat meal of the week!

Cashew Tofu. Made just the way a little place in my hometown makes it. But a lot better for you!

This is of course a cheat because the tofu is FRIED and the yummy white rice. You can't imagine how good this is.

Okay, that is my 11th week! As you can see I am EATING. I know you had your doubts. HA HA! I may even have a healthy dinner out tonight if Mattmos feels so inclined. :)

See you all next week!

OH! About 2 weeks ago I fit into a size 14. Started at a tight 18! The thing is this. Before at 194ish the pants wouldn't have fit over my thighs! You wouldn't believe how slim and good I looked! I almost bought them. But darnit, I don't want to stay in them long. I know I will have to buy things soon because nothing is fitting. But I will wait as long as possible. :)