First thing's first: I'm down a pound. I'm actually okay with that, and I'll explain why in a minute. Next item on the agenda: obviously I did not blog at least once a day as I'd previously decided. The fact of the matter is I simply didn't have time. A busy couple of days at work coupled with driving to Michigan for the holiday weekend simply ate up all of my time. However, even without blogging I was able to do very well, for the most part... Now, back to the reason why I'm okay with just one pound lost. As I said, I ate very well this last week every day, almost. Sunday night was the exception. I did NOT eat well Sunday night. I'm not going to get into the gritty details, but let's just say obscene amounts of donuts and pizza were involved. Needless to say, a one-pound loss actually feels pretty decent considering how off track I got that night.

I've made a decision over the last couple of days that I think will help me get back on track without losing my mind. The fact of the matter is, the holidays are hard! Most people gain weight during the holidays, so to even maintain your weight should be considered a success. Since I started Weight Watchers I've lost 7.2 pounds. Is that how much I wanted to lose? No, absolutely not. BUT, this 7.2 pounds was lost during the two most difficult weight-loss months of the year: November and December - smack dab in the middle of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. So, at the end of the day I have to be proud of myself. On the other hand, the main reasons of my not losing as much as I would have liked are not necessarily reasons related to the holidays, and these are things I will need to work on. So, here is my new plan...

Obviously I will not be reaching my goal of being in the 140s by New Years Eve - even if I worked out every single day and ate perfectly there is no way I'll be able to lose 5.1 pounds in one week. So, my new goal for the remainder of 2012 is to NOT GAIN! If I can start 2013 at a solid 155 pounds, or less, then I will be happy. That will give me a solid 30 pounds to lose in four months - 17 weeks to be exact, which works out to be about 1.76 pounds per week. Is this a lofty goal? Absolutely, and to be honest I may not be able to do it. However, with that being said, it is possible. It's not terribly off the wall or completely out of reach. It's difficult, yes, but realistic at the same time.

I'm going to take a conscious break from blogging for the remainder of 2012. I have a friend coming in on Monday for New Years Eve and she will be staying until Thursday morning. These are going to be difficult days, so I will be preparing myself by staying 100% on plan from now until she lands Monday afternoon. I went to the gym this morning for a very quick run, as I will do tomorrow and Friday as well. I also am starting my Pilates classes tonight, and will be also going tomorrow night and Sunday night as well. Once she gets in Monday I'm going to make smart choices, but I'm not going to worry about tracking or counting points. I'm just going to eat reasonably and, again, try not to gain.

Wednesday morning I will weigh-in (although I probably won't blog my results until Thursday at work). I am hoping I will be able to at the very least maintain my current weight of 155 and start the new year off with new motivation. The fact is, I know once New Year's Eve has come and gone I will find a new fire inside me. Right now, I'm just kind of beat up. 2012 was not a good year for me, for many reasons, and although I'm not completely happy with the progress I've made, I have to think about one thing:

Last New Year's Eve (January 3rd to be exact) I weighed 182.8 pounds. This New Year's Eve, I will be almost 30 pounds lighter. And that's a good feeling. Maybe I've struggled these last couple of months, but I have made progress. And I need to start realizing that. I need to start focusing on the changes I have made, and not focus so strongly on the changes I still want to make. Bottom line: I know I'll get there. Maybe not by May 1. Maybe by May 31, or sometime in June. But I will get there. I will be 125 pounds in time to enjoy the summer.