Drum roll please... Well, we know I didn't hit the goal I was hoping to hit, but the verdict is in:


The bad news first, let's just get that out of the way. I'm 3.2 pounds heavier than I was hoping to be on this day. The really crappy part about it is even though it was a lofty goal, if I hadn't gained two weeks ago I probably would have made it. In fact I'm almost certain I would have. If I had stayed the same from the previous week (153.6), I would have lost one pound the next week (152.6) and then the 1.9 pounds I've lost so far this week. That would have brought me to 150.7 - and honestly, I could have definitely lost .8 pounds that week. But instead, I gained 2.4 pounds. My own fault, and I know that. It's just kind of of crappy realization. Casting that as a goal was sort of reaching a bit high, and had I not slipped up that week I would have made it. It would have been a really nice motivation getting me into the new year.

Now, the good news. I've lost 1.9 pounds so far this week, and I still have two days to go. I'm really proud of that, for many reasons actually. There were quite a number of times this past week I thought to myself, "You know what, there's only a few days left this year; why don't you enjoy them - go get some McDonald's, have an extra Skinny Cow, go pick up some donuts!" and not once have I cheated - I've actually only used 3 of my weekly points so far. So, I guess I'll use that as my new years motivation.

I still have to keep remembering that last New Year's Eve I weighed 182.8. I'm only .3 pounds off from being 30 POUNDS LIGHTER this year. And that's a really good feeling. No, I didn't hit my goal of being in the 140s, and no, I haven't done as well as I wanted to do during my run with Weight Watchers so far - but you know what, I've still made some really good progress this year. 30 pounds! Gone! Forever! That feels pretty damn good. I still have a long way to go (28.1 pounds to be exact) but I'm definitely on my way.

All this is fine and dandy - but then there is the added challenge I will have these next few days. One of my closest friends is flying down to the city for New Year's Eve and she will be staying until Thursday morning. I love this friend dearly, but our relationship is heavily based on food. She is a big girl, I'd pin her somewhere in the 250s or so, and although I never weighed more than the mid-180s our bond over eating is definitely something we've shared over the years. She doesn't make me do anything, and I can only remember once or twice that she even attempted to sway my decision-making, it's just that when I'm around her I for whatever reason just make poor choices. Maybe subconsciously I'm thinking, "Well, hey, I'm not as big as she is, so I have some room to spare," but I don't really think that's the case. I don't really ever look at her as a big girl, as in I don't really consciously recognize that she is bigger than me. Maybe sometimes, like when we go shopping or when we are getting ready to go out, but ironically - not when we eat. When we eat I am usually the one who over-does it. She'll over-eat, sure, but I just blow it out of the water. For example, during my last slip-up, when we decided to get Tim Horton's and Happy's Pizza, she had 3 donuts - I had 4, and a bite of hers, and she had 4 pieces of pizza, and I had six. I always tend to eat more than she does, so I never really think of her as big when we are together. TANGENT! The point is, I don't think I'm subconsciously thinking that. So I don't really know what it is, but as my example shows, I always over-eat when I'm with her.

Due to being completely broke, she and I will be cooking most of our meals at my apartment. I've agreed to take her to this famous breakfast place called The Bongo Room as well as take a trip to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I've looked up the menu for The Bongo Room (as I've never been there) and will most likely order a fruit plate and scrambled egg whites. The eggs come with potatoes and toast, both of which I will only eat half - I hope. So, I'm going to throw a out a guess of around 9 points for breakfast. As for The Cheesecake Factory, I will order something off the Skinnylicious menu (which still isn't that great) and I will pin that meal at around 13 points. We won't be going to both places on the same day, so I think I can balance out enough on the other meals each day to still stay within my points.

Tonight is New Year's Eve, of course, and I'm not even going to worry about counting points for the booze I'm going to drink. The way I see it, even if I take the time to count, I'm not going to care about going over. It's New Year's Eve, it's not some random Saturday. It's this sort of thing that kind of ties in to the realization I had a few weeks ago. In order to make my weight-loss something that will stick with me long term, it's all about finding the balance in life. I don't remember where I read this, but someone wrote an article about an eating cycle [when maintaining your weight] of 4-2-1: four days out of the week you are spot on and eat everything 100% on plan, whatever the plan may be; two days out of the week you are a little less strict but still stay close to your plan; and one day out of the week is your free day, within reason of course. In that same article, the writer discusses special events, in the sense that if you are out to dinner or at a function or anything along those lines, consider the event: is it a random evening with your friends, or is it someone's birthday? Did someone bring donuts into work on a random Wednesday, or is it your company's annual picnic? Those types of things. If it's just a random, ordinary day, behave. Don't over-do it. If it's a special event, go ahead a splurge a little bit. Well, tonight is my spurge!