It's been awhile. Three weeks, in fact, since I talked about the plan. Over that time, I had a weekend in Atlanta; some pretty decadent meals; nachos from Sharky's for the first time in months; Some lingering back pain that limited my workouts; and, a general lack of discipline around adhering to the schedule and meals.

And, yet, here I am at 215. Seven pounds lighter than I was 3 weeks ago (although, I lost most of what I had gained back at that point in just a couple days. I'm assuming a higher sodium intake the week prior had me retaining water) and I feel great. I also am really happy with the leanness of my body. I've still got a pot belly but the love handles are nearly gone. People still notice regularly that I've lost/am losing weight and that still remains a great motivator.

That said, I'm not at my goal. The plan is still to be at 200 by the end of the year. That would be 43.5 pounds lost which seemed nuts at the start of this in June but now very close. I imagine these last 15 pounds will be the hardest. I think it's going to require increased workouts (which also means an increase in calories as I'm fiending for protein lately. And in larger quantities than the plan wants me to eat) and some very disciplined weeks of eating. This is what I'm come to learn at this point, after 12 weeks of pretty stringent adherence to the plan, I no longer can maintain that kind of regiment. That's okay, though, because what I've also learned at this point is how to eat.

I have vegetables or fruit with nearly every meal. I don't gorge myself — even when I got Sharky's Nachos, I only ate about a quarter portion — and I still eat about 5 times a day. I have my fiber (because I like the Fiber rich snack bars as well as apples and other fiber rich foods). I've replaced chips (even the beloved tortilla chip) with reduced fat triscuits and wheat thins (which is actually a pretty delicious substitution) and, well, I'm confident that I'm making the right choices about my meals even when I haven't planned for them.

So while I'm only about 2/3rds of the way to my personal goal weight, I'm really happy with where I am. It truly has moved from being a diet to being a lifestyle change.

Yay me.

Other notes:

• I'm no longer a crazy sweater when it comes to physical activity. Whereas before, I couldn't really go more than a few minutes of cardio without my pores breaking open like flood gates, it can take up to a good 10 minutes of strenuous aerobic exercise before I catch a sweat.
• Even without a regular exercise regiment the last two weeks, I've been sleeping a lot. That seems to work, too.
• Mental stress is still a primary trigger for me. With so much change and uncertainty at work lately, I've got to remember that and keep my cravings for salty, fatty foods in check.