No, really. Look, here’s the thing. I don’t really care what I weigh. Seriously, I don’t. I wouldn’t care if I weighed 500 pounds as long as I felt good and could do everything I wanted to do.  And if anyone didn’t like it, I would happily sit on them, because I’d be ROCKING that 500 lbs. But the fact is that none of those things have been true. I have not felt well, and my knees (never my best body part) and feet (not a huge constituency until lately) haven’t appreciated it. So, yes, I’m tracking that number on the scale, but what I’m really celebrating is the fact that I’m taking a literal load off. I’m raising my energy level (so much that I’ve ditched most of my daily caffeine intake, and a lot of my daily sodium intake- I’m told sodium cravings can be related to sleep deprivation and low energy.) back to the point where I feel like my real self again. The mental fog we call “mom brain” is starting to clear. So that feels pretty doggone merry to me.  And I’m now happy to sit on anyone who doesn’t like it.

PLUS- I have worked out a recipe for a really delicious Phase II compatible Chocolate Cherry Smoothie. Oh, wait, what’s Phase II? Well, the South Beach Diet starts you off on a very restrictive, short term Phase I to bust your cravings and jump start you with healthy foods. Cravings have been a huge issue for me, so that was perfect. But, to prevent loss of muscle and other lean tissues that are all really important for your overall well being, you move after two weeks or so onto Phase II. It’s less restrictive and adds back fruit and whole grains a little at a time, so you continue to overhaul your diet in a healthy direction while still losing weight at a healthy pace. This kind of Shock and Awe approach works for me. Your mileage may vary- the traditional wisdom of making one small change at a time doesn’t work for me. I need to rip off the band aid all at once and then hit the point where half a cup of cherries tastes amazing- which is exactly what happened.

Monday Progress Report:

I feel like I should specify here that I’m tracking my TOTAL progress. So when I say + or -, I mean vs. day 1, not since my last progress report. It helps me to keep the big picture in mind, so I don’t get discouraged on weeks where progress is smaller.

Day: 22
The scale has moved: -8 lbs
The inches have changed: -10.25 inches
I feel: Like myself again. Finally.
I’ve walked: 25.01 miles and counting!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

1 scoop unflavored protein powder (Make sure it’s unsweetened.)
1/2 cup pitted cherries (Fresh or frozen, no sugar added)
6 ice cubes
1/2 cup milk or chai tea
1 Tablespoon sweetener (my protein powder is sour, so I add a little bit- probably a teaspoon)
1 Tablespoon Special Dark cocoa powder (I like the richer flavor of the special dark, but you could use regular cocoa and adjust to taste.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Throw it all in the blender and mix. MMMMM. Makes a great breakfast! If you don’t have any protein powder, use 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt instead.

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