Feeling a little discouraged.

Weight: 183 pounds-- hence the title.
Pants size: 12
Heart pumpin' jam: Going back to basics... Evacuate the Treadmill. Cascada (or something like that).
Breakfast: Hot lemon water. Activia yogurt. Green tea. Apple.
Lunch: Probiotic cottage cheese, grapes, tuna on a salad.
Dinner: 17-day diet turkey taco salad w/ fat free catalina dressing & three small pieces of avocado.
Treadmill (that's right, I said treadmill): 1.0 mile. Elliptical: 2,500 rotations.

Well, nobody said this was going to be easy... but I was under the impression I had lost 20 pounds on Monday. Turns out, I went to buy a new scale that is really throwing me for a loop... I think it's more like 17. But, since I thought I lost 17 pounds on Friday, I feel like I've either gained 3 pounds or took some sort of step backward-- into a big, fat wall.

I know that's absolutely ridiculous. 3 pounds is only 3 pounds, but I mean, I wanted to be upwards of 20 this week... not trying to make it to 20.

I know it's been a while since I blogged, too. So, I'll do a quick rundown:
Friday: No gym, went to see Gary at Chi-Cha lounge and had champagne... but ate healthy-- seared ahi tuna on seaweed salad, grilled shrimp lettuce wrap things (no rice or anything like that... but a little avocado).
Saturday: Ate healthy, but... too much wine.
Sunday: Again, ate healthy thanks to Mom-- the only downfall was a beer & a low-carb, high fiber tortilla.
Monday: Again, totally healthy... and went to the gym! 5,000 rotations on the elliptical.
Tuesday: Back on track on the 17 day diet completely... 5,000 rotations on the elliptical.

And that brings us to today. Today should have been the last day of the 17 day diet. Drum roll please...

But, since I'm feeling a little discouraged and a little worried about the 2nd cycle of it, I'm going to do it for a little while longer. In fact, I think I might do another 17 days. My co-workers will be SO disappointed. Every day, I come into work and the first question is, "What day is this?!"

They're going to question my math skills when I keep going. Maybe they'll just stop asking.

But, I want to lose a lot of weight... and I don't feel like I have a handle on the eating yet. I think I'm on the right track... just not there yet. So, ugh... 17 more days? I'm not going to lie... I'm going to keep drinking wine on the weekends, but I'm going to really try to keep going on the diet. As Dr. Moreno says, "Anyone can do anything for 17 days." I wonder if he thinks anyone can do anything for 34 days. Jerk.

In other news? I think I'm going to convince the Congressman to write a law to ban the watching of the Food Network (more specifically, Paula Dean frying sticks of butter y'all) at the gym. Who in the world would want to torture themselves with Food Network while on the treadmill? That's just sick. I think we must stop this practice immediately. But no, we have to waste our days debating purely symbolic repeals of health reform. Okay, okay... no more politics.

But seriously, my feet just felt heavier while watching my long-lost Grandmother Paula Dean. She by no means is a small woman, but how is she not 850 pounds? Ugh, I wish I had those genes. But, as soon as I figured that no one would actually admit they were watching it, I changed the channel and got through the last of my workout.

I also decided to have a friendly visit with the treadmill. No shin splits until the very end of the mile. But man, the elliptical was a LOT harder after that 13 minute mile. I thought about those three pounds I've convinced myself I've gained the whole time to make it through-- and then I considered working out ALL night long. Seriously, I'm becoming a little obsessive about it.

So, this is my plan.

I cannot take 3 day weekends off from the gym.
I cannot have a hand full of goldfish after I have a glass-too-many-of wine.
I cannot take Wednesday or Thursday off from the gym.
I cannot eat too little-- I know that my body will panic and start storing everything away.
I also have to somehow get over being panic-y about moving on from the first 17 days... I know that's not healthy either. But there's something about seeing results that makes you never want to go back to being the old way again...

Don't worry... I won't leave you for so long again. And hopefully, I'll have good news by Friday.

PS. Can you BELIEVE the Bears are playing the Packers this weekend to get to the Superbowl? I can barely function when I think about it for more than a second. I also am a little po-ed that Jay Cutler is dating Kristin from Laguna Beach... not sure why. Get it together, Jay.

;) Love, S.