Thoughts on the Thin

So why is the scale going down, my dress size is only slightly smaller, but without the clothes? I remind myself of a giant melting chocolate mountain. Sorry for the imagery. This blows. I did find a pair of pants yesterday that were waaaay smaller than what I could have been imagined, and they fit. I don't want to wash them (dark wash jeans, so they need a good first washing) because if they shrink at all I will cry.

In case you are wondering: I am counting my caloric intake, (My Fitness Pal) doing a smoothie regimen, (that I feel like I've looked up and linked to too many times) a light smattering of aerobic exercises, (what could be viewed as pretty pathetic through the eyes of someone who can do more than 5 push ups) as well as some general carb-avoidance.

Tangent! Why does rice have to be a carbohydrate? Why not a vegetable? I don't like most meat, seafood, or vegetables very much. I can't have sweets, carbs, or dairy. The only thing I ever want to eat is rice-type dishes. With some vegetables, but mostly rice. Rice seems so benign, like it should be the ultimate diet food. If I have to give up the yummy delicious breads, (I miss you, breads!) I am not left with much I can/want to eat. I am eating a disturbing amount of frozen diet meals. Even more disturbing is that I love the EASE of them. I don't think I can ever be forced to cook again. Dieting has ruined me as a housewife. (OH WELL)

In the last stretch of the challenge, I've upped the ante. I desperately want to win. Mostly because I've decided the winnings will go to fund our 10th wedding anniversary later in April. Feel free to pack on some pounds, fellow contestants to give me a charitable edge. I know, that was a horrible thing to say, and I only partly mean it. Perhaps I am cranky because I am craving some rice.

I started taking a fish oil supplement. Why? Because I saw something on Pinterest about weight and hormones and that fish oil solves those problems. Feel free to judge me. I am guessing a large amount of my weight problem has been from my unstable hormones. (And the gallbladder removal, which have forced me to re-learn how all foods react in my body) I'm assuming the fish oil thing may be malarkey in regards to my weight, but surely it couldn't hurt to take them anyway. It's good for skin! Heart stuff! Other benefits! Whatever. I am taking that huge elephant-sized fish oil pill, with a healthy amount of hope and prayer.

Also, I have done the unthinkable. (Prepare to trot out your healthy dose of eye-rolling) I gave up soda.

Gasp.

I had already cut WAY back on caffeinated sodas (insomnia much? Why, yes!) years ago. I always held a firm grip on my can of Fresca. That stuff is liquid gold in my book. The Cheesecake Factory used to have it on tap. I liked that  more than the actual cheesecake. CF has since then discontinued tap Fresca and we dine there... almost never now. Voting with my dollars, Cheesecake Factory!

Soda helped with that gnawing hungry feeling. The I'm bored hunger. The I'm tired hunger, as well as the I'm totally freaking stressed hunger. Fresca cured them all. Sometimes it took 2 cans, but it always got me back to normal.

I can only guess at how going off soda is going to impact my mood and ability to avoid over eating. I notice the lack of soda more in the evenings. I need something going on in the evenings. Sitting around while the kids slog through homework, distracting Little Man from ruining homework time, the piranha hour before bed, and the tidal wave of relatively quiet time after bed... it is enough to drive one to soda consumption.

I feel like I need to apologize at this point, because I assume that you approached this topic like I do when someone else starts talking about weight loss; I am always disgruntled at the end when I realize their "secret" does not, in fact, involve sitting on the couch eating an entire tray of Strawberry Fig Newtons. Again, I'm sorry. (and hot darn do I wish I had some Fig Newtons right now)