The Simple Life - A New Month A New Challenge

 This is me this morning, October 15, 2017 at 142 lbs., and the one on the right is me at the beginning of January of this year, at 181 lbs.  It's where this journey began.  I hate that right photo and I hate having to look at it.  But right now I need it.

Anything worth having is worth working for.  Loosing weight in my 50's is challenging on all levels.  It's not impossible but it's very difficult.  Last week I celebrated reaching my goal of loosing 40 pounds this year.  A week later I've gained back a pound and I'm strategizing about how I will not only not gain back any more weight but how I will loose another 20 pounds.

I've decided that I need to make my weekends more like my week.  I've spent this year going hard for five days and then relaxing for two.  I don't have any exercise plan for the weekends and I don't stick to any eating schedule or plan.  I'm still vegan Saturday and Sunday, but I tend to snack alot.

So, starting with this weekend I've tried to stick to no snacking.  I made a big salad yesterday and that's what I had for lunch and dinner.  I had some of the soup I ate all week left so I ate that Saturday and today for breakfast.  When I felt like I was going to snack I ate only fruit.  I paid off because this morning I was almost back down that pound I gained last week.

It's no fun having to be strict every day with no break but if that's what it takes then so be it.  I began this journey with "No Matter What" as my mantra and I just need to push forward and continue to embrace that theme.  No Matter What.  It's the only way I'll get where I want to be and stay there. 

Here's what I ate this last week:

 Breakfast this last week was soup.  It was delicious and I posted the recipes in recent posts.  Unfortunately, I loved it so much that I think I overate.  These soups are very thick and rich and I shouldn't have eaten more than 4 cups. 

 Monday - Wednesday I had salad.  This is really the perfect lunch because I can pack in the greens for very few calories.

Upon arrival at home after work I had pears with a dollop of vegan mayo and some shredded vegan cheese.  I should have just eaten the fruit and not added anything.  I'm gong back to that.  Fruit is very low in calories but when you start adding things the calories can shoot up quickly.

I ran out of salad fixins so for Thursday and Friday I took a combo of mixed veggies, rice and vegetable broth.  Very good and very light in calories.  I liked it so much that I'm taking this for my lunches next week.