Day 7--1 week

340.0 lbs...down 4.2 pounds for 4.2 total pounds lost.
I'll complete the other measurements monthly.

I have to say that is very decent for my first week. You'll notice that one week would actually be posted on Day 8, but because I started this from the day I took my measurements, it has technically been a week. I think it will be easier to keep track of this way anyway--Monday weigh ins, and weeks on the days as multiples of 7 (7 days in a week, that kind of thing). Anyway, congratulations me!!! I'm well on my weigh...sorry, I couldn't resist.

So about that website I was talking about on Day 5. It came from today's dietitian: http://todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/040609p28.shtml
The article talks about hunger and appetite control during weight loss. This key statement, "Hunger is defined as a strong desire or need for food, while satiety is the condition of being full or gratified" is what I'm trying to manage at this point. I always feel hungry which prompted me to look into it a little bit. It's interesting that the author defined hunger as a strong desire or need for food. This past week I've tried controlling my portion sizes and have found that I thought I was hungry. Maybe because of my increased energy expenditures, or maybe because I've tried to limit my portions to what I believe are "normal" portions and appropriate servings sizes, using Canada's Food Guide (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php) as my reference. Doing these things have left me feeling hungry, or so I think. I remember something about either Biggest Loser or Dr. Phil talking about emotional eating. (I'm sure I'm not the only fat person in the world who obsesses about weight loss and watches these shows, reads books, looks for sources online, orders infomercial DVD's, ANYTHING to help them lose weight).
Anyway, this article, along with the wisdom of my wonderful husband made something click in my head. My husband's tool was to think of something you absolutely hate, and ask yourself if you would eat it. When he asked me this I said liver and onions with Brussels sprouts on the side--oh at the time I could murder 2 plates full. So I think that was me being hungry. Yesterday night after dinner I wanted ice cream. I asked myself if I was hungry, and this time I was NOT! I ended up having it anyway because I wanted it.
So why did I want it? I was craving it. Was it the sugar? What it an emotional need to fill some void? I don't know. What I do know is I didn't get this fat from just eating too much because I was that hungry. Like the article says, our brains help us know when we need to eat, and when we don't, and that there are so many complex issues surrounding food that no wonder it is difficult to figure out why I wanted it so badly. It was Father's Day and I felt I deserved a treat.
Where did this entitlement come from? Why an edible treat? Why not a nice walk on a warm evening? Food was serving an emotional purpose.
I'm not saying that for the rest of my life I'm not going to indulge in birthday cake on my birthday or a nice dinner out with dessert on my anniversary. I believe food should be enjoyed. I also believe food should be used primarily for fuel.
At church yesterday we had a good Sunday school lesson on the Word of Wisdom. If people these days would life by the Word of Wisdom, how many diet related diseases would we have? Having things in moderation was one of the keys for health that was discussed. So I can incorporate a spiritual component to my healthy lifestyle and use food in moderation. Food is enjoyable as it is social. We just have to be careful and use it wisely.
So going back to my hunger, I think that it's a combination of things. First off, if you've looked at my meals, I don't believe any of them to be too restrictive, or even restrictive at all. What I've done is not paid much attention to calories, but serving sizes. By cutting down the serving sizes to my appropriate daily needs, I'm eating much less. I've somehow through the years learned how to eat more and more and my body, physiologically, has needed it to maintain this weight. When I find myself hungry, I try to check myself and really make sure if I'm truly hungry or just wanting something more for another reason. I'm trying to eat often, 4 or 5 meals a day so that I'm not going too many hours for my blood sugar to drop too much and send me on a spike and drop ride. I think I just have to give my body time to adjust to the smaller portions as I believe my big body is rebelling, wanting all of it to be fed but I just want to feed my smaller, healthier body. I'm able to do my workouts and I'm not falling asleep at the wheel, and I'm sleeping beautifully! (Many undisturbed by snoring nights.) I'm waking up feeling good and rested. I'm not sleeping too much or too little (7-9 hours). Other than overall tiredness, likely from this sudden change, I'm actually feeling great--even have a better mood. It makes me wonder what took me so long. You make small changes like I am doing and eventually it will become habit and lifestyle and before you know it, I'll be posting my after photo (I still have yet to decide what before photo I'll post and how much of my face I'm going to blur out). I'll post my before photo soon. I should do it before I lose anymore, not that 4.2 pounds is all that noticeable, but hopefully I'll wake up one Monday and it will be 104.2 pounds. It seems so far off in the distant future that's it's not even attainable, but I just have to have faith that I'm getting my life back and I'm going to be healthy, and soon enough the numbers with coincide with that idea.

Meals
2 flour tortillas
2 eggs
1/3 cup shredded cheddar & mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup salsa
1 apple
2 cups of water

3 cups of water

1/2 cup mashed potatoes with skin
1 tbsp herb & garlic light cream cheese
1 tsp Becel margarine
2 mini pizzas (Pillsbury: one cheese, one deluxe)
3 cups of water

2 cups of water

Exercise
54 minutes interval training treadmill
30 minutes lower body machines
10 minutes stretching
35 minutes light walk around the neighborhood

Notes:
-Before you criticize me about my food today, I KNOW! I should have eaten lunch for another meal at the very least, where the heck are my fruits and vegetables (I'm beginning to see a pattern here), and with all this exercise I need more protein to support my muscles. Excellent water intake.
-Excellent workout. I'm very pleased with my efforts and the numbers don't lie! I must be doing something right.