Well, my “think it over” phase was longer than I’d wanted and came with a small backslide (up 2 pounds), but has left me full of new ways to approach this weight-loss lifestyle with peace and enjoyment.

Sandra Ahten has a great approach to falling off the wagon - that our goal should not be to avoid those times altogether, but to have them be less frequent, less long and less deep. I think I’ve made progress on all fronts with this 10-day slipup. Other than a few noteworthy sessions with bread and butter or vanilla ice cream, the overeating wasn’t crazy, and the veggies, water and fruit were still present.

I’m not trying to lose for a wedding or specific date, and for me SANITY is much more important than rapid weight loss, so I’m not expecting big losses every week. But no accountability is dangerous too - very easy to gain.

That’s why I think that following my measurements would be a better choice for now. My real ultimate goal is not a number on a scale, it’s a size I want to wear, and sizes = inches, not pounds.

Ok, so here is today’s starting point (I’ve always weighed in on Mondays because it helps me focus over the weekends, so I’ll keep to Monday check-ins).

I’m measuring my belly because that’s my biggest problem area.

I’m measuring in centimeters because I live in France and couldn’t find a measuring tape in Imperial measurements. The added bonus to that is that I have no emotional attachments to numbers in centimeters that I do in inches (that stupid song with “36-24-36″ is popping into my head!). One added bonus - my tape measure is totally portable so it can come with me on vacation (which my scale cannot).

Since my belly is my focus and I know measurement to be inherently tricky to get right I am measuring 3 spots on my belly - my natural waist, the lower bulging part of my belly, and the upper part (biggest part between my natural waist and where my bra sits.

Here’s the starting point :

  • Upper belly : 102
  • Wasit : 99.5
  • Lower belly : 120