On Again, Off Again

...that seems to be my current relationship with diet/exercise. I joined Tales from the Scales back in the summer. Did pretty well. Started the next challenge in September. Got off to an OK start and then just stopped. I stopped going to Weight Watchers and went back to drinking regular cokes(at least three per day), eating anything and everything I wanted. The week before last, I had fast food four nights out of five after work. I won't even mention how many times I went to McDonald's or Burger King for a biscuit and coke for breakfast during the past few weeks! It's embarrassing. The only thing that kept me from gaining more weight than I did was three days of exercise a week after work w/some friends.

Finally I have come to my senses. Perhaps realizing I gained 5.5 pounds in a month did it. Maybe it was the fact that old "Jabba the Hut" feeling was beginning to return every time I looked in the mirror or went to button my "britches", as my grandma would say. Regardless of what has brought me back from the dark side, I am going to give it another go. Thank goodness for the new start we are so gracefully given each and every day. SO, I guess this is my official "I'm Baaaaa-ack" post!

This time around, I'm trying something a bit different. Extreme Fat Smash. It's the Celebrity Fit Club diet from Dr. Ian Smith. I started on Sunday and have actually lost a little! However, I am already so sick of eating beans and rice that I could hurl. BUT I am determined to stick with this particular diet for at least one three week cycle before I start back on Weight Watchers. I figure after three weeks of this, WW will seem like a dream! ;)

Honestly, it's plenty of food but I'm so used to eating so much that it's tough and right now & I'm feel hungry a lot. I'm having trouble with the four scheduled meals per day plus two snacks that are recommended. You would think eating every three hours would be easy, but it's tough. I have a feeling it's tough because I'm supposed to be eating meals or a healthy snack...not Doritos or cookies every three hours. I would have no trouble doing that. As far as scheduling meals every three hours and working...I can't really stop in the middle of a lesson plan or storytime..."Hey Kids, talk amongst yourselves, Mrs. Cotton has to have a salad now!" It just doesn't work. I'm sure I'll work it out somehow, it'll just take a few days. And I'm not kidding about the beans and rice either, it's one or the other or both DAILY. Fiber, I suppose. And by the way, after just two days I've realized that beans truly are the magical fruit.

And exercise. Man, you have to do a lot of it on this diet! Yes, I've had to get up at 5:00a.m. the last two days to get it in, but I have managed. Speaking of exercise, I've given up on my DVD experiment..you know the one where I was going to use each and every one of my many exercise DVD's and blog them. Leslie Sansone's workouts are the ones I enjoy the most and they are the ones that I know work for me, so I'm sticking with those!

I think the thing that'll help me most these next few weeks is knowing that my brother is doing the same thing. We decided to give it a go together. I am now accountable to him as well as to myself(and TFTS). Hopefully we'll both be healthier by Christmas rather than heavier! I heard recently that the average American gains SEVEN pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'd like to lose that much this year instead!

Since I started this new plan on a Sunday I 'll wait till Sunday for my weigh in post and link back, but I have high hopes that it'll be a pretty good loss. And at this point, any loss is going to be good for me!

This post on TFTS made me feel a little better. I am not alone in my falling of the wagon-ness!

This post from Jan makes a lot of sense. This gal has lost some SERIOUS weight! She's very inspirational and I especially appreciate this post right now when there are goodies and treats at every turn!