Progress, not perfection...

So, it's Halloween. It's Halloween, and I took the girls to the movies (and to Burger King, I think for the first time in their lives.)

I have to admit that I had my first deviation from the elimination detox diet. Halloween is the first day of the hardest time of year, from a diet perspective, at least as far as I'm concerned. From Halloween through New Year's, it is basically a free-for-all. Magazines, television, everyone's mindset is about partying, eating, drinking, doing whatever. While we were trick or treating tonight, every other person who answered the door had a mouthful of chocolate.

I honestly feel like it's a big money-making machine. Ply people with temptation, images, messages that you can eat whatever you want, that it's allowed, that it's even expected that you would eat a dozen 100 calorie chocolate snacks while you're answering the door for trick or treaters. Then, when January comes around, the Weight Loss Industry goes berserk with advertising to make their money off the thousands, maybe millions, of people who can't fit their clothes and don't know how they could have possibly gained 5, 10, 15, 20 pounds or more between Halloween and New Years and now how are they gonna get it off before the weather warms up and it's time to start showing some skin?

Not me, man. Even though I deviated from the script tonight, even though I had some popcorn at the movies and had some gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free brownies and cookies, I'm really confident I will get through this holiday season not only not having gained weight, but even having lost a few pounds. I'm determined to be under 160 by the 1st of the year.

Halloween is one day. Thanksgiving is one day. Christmas is one day.

There is absolutely no reason to eat myself sick this entire holiday season. There are tons of other ways to enjoy the season (including wearing fabulous holiday clothes!) than by eating rich, calorie-laden food. I'll be checking in periodically to let you guys know how it's going. I know it will go well.

Happy Halloween!

Three days and counting...

Dang - has it been three days already? How did so much time go by since I last posted?

Well, so let me tell you what's going on with me. I have written two new original songs in the last two weeks, so I'm really happy about that. I will be showcasing them on September 12 at a club here in Philly (if you want more information about that, hit me up on e-mail and I'll let you know where and when!). So, now it's just up to my band to learn the songs and add their own particular flair to it. Fingers crossed, these songs will be HOT!

In other news, I feel like I'm doing pretty well on the fitness front. I've been eating fairly clean and healthy for about a month and a half now, and am still hitting it hard in the gym. I had a really good tri workout yesterday and today was legs. No presses, but I have to admit I enjoy my squats, yo. Tomorrow is chest. I do like a good chest workout. Plus, I have plans to run a couple times this week, so I'm happy to report that I'll be getting in my extra cardio, too.

Wouldn't you think that would translate into a nice drop on the scale on Friday? Yeah, me too. I do have to start taking pics and measurements regularly, too, though - Tony asked me to - because this will give me a more well-rounded picture than just what that stupid scale says. (Oh, sorry, Scale. I didn't mean to call you stupid. Please be nice to me on Friday. Don't be mad, Scale...don't be mean...)

Anyhoo - I'll let you know how that goes. Three days and counting...

Down FIVE pounds already!!!

I can't believe it. I hopped on the scale this morning and was THRILLED to see 190.5!! I started this whole journey at 195.6, so that is a full FIVE POUNDS down the first week! I just have to stay the course.

Today was a difficult day, I'm not even going to lie. I woke up STARVING (and pretty much have stayed that way all day). I ate M1 at 6:30 am (egg whites w/veggies and oatmeal w/flax), then meal 2 at 10 am after a 3 mile run (whey protein w/glutamine – I added about five strawberries because I was really pooped and still had my workout to do), then worked out (an hour and a HALF – what up? I was DYING), then had the myoplex shake (M3) at about 12:45 pm. I was starving all day today! I ended up reheating the rest of the egg whites and veggies at about 2 pm (M4), but was hungry again an hour later. I just had a salad with grilled chicken and lite dressing (a little bit of shredded carrots and cabbage in the salad), and am nervous because by my count, that’s already meal 5 and it’s not even 4 pm!!!

The good news is that I'm still pushing myself, pushing myself, pushing myself. I ran three miles this morning (my girl that I run with was going close to a 6.0 mph pace - I had to walk twice), and then at the gym, I did a 3.5 mph warm up for 10 min, then did 2 sets of abs, then did 7 min on the elliptical at level 15, 115 strides/min, then a couple more sets of abs, then 5 min on the stepper at 35, then a couple more sets of abs, then did a full 20 min BFL cardio - 3.5, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, because Tony had me doing a final 20 min of treadmill to complete the workout. I got on the gym floor at 10:30 and it was 12 on the dot when I finished. And I was DRENCHED.

No wonder I'm losing weight at this pace. I can SEE it. I can see my body changing and I can see my perspective about my body and my own beauty changing. When I look in the mirror, I already like what I see. Imagine how much I'm going to like it in a couple months, when I'm actually in a size I'm happy with, when I can wear little shirts that hang perfectly over my flat abs.

LIFE IS GOOD. And I am feeling this, y'all!!!

I still don't know how I'm going to get through the rest of this day with only one more meal, but oh, well...