Apple NOT of my eye

Though a weigh in isn't part of my update (I've learned that joining a challenge and including a certain number of pounds to lose as a goal is a sure fire guarantee that I won't lose said amount, at best.) I am weighing in on Fridays.  I realize how important it is to not let little gains turn into bigger ones.  Last week I was blindsided and horried to see 214.5 on the scale.  Today was 210.  Yes - that's a nice loss, but truth be told, I weighed 210 on Monday as well.  Dropped the top end of that horrific 7.5 pound gain quickly as I expected I would, and then sort of stayed in the same place the rest of the week.

I'm sure I was lower at points during the week - I had a day with queasiness and other GI issues and my food intake was way down.  My food was pretty good most of the week.  But I did something stupid last night.  I was asked to speak at an AA meeting, and the person who asked also wanted to take me to dinner to thank me for taking the commitment at the last minute.  I KNEW I shouldn't say yes the night before my weekly Scale Tribunal.  But my clothes were feeling looser, and I thought I could get away with it and still be down a couple from Monday.  NOT. 

We went to PeiWei (or Salty Mediocre Cheap Changs, as I call it), which I don't like all that much.  I'd had a huge salad for lunch so didn't want their chopped salad with chicken that would clearly be the healthiest, leanest and least salty choice.  So I got Ginger Broccoli chicken with brown rice.  I left most the rice, which probably would have served me better than eating the salty sorta sweet sauce coated chicken.  I can feel my puffiness in my fingers.  Guess what is being added to my goals for next week?  No eating out night before weigh in.  Plays with my head too much.

Week 2 Hottie Update:
1.  Limit calorie intake to 1700/day  - I got 4 out of seven on this.  Better but not good enough.
2.  Exercise at least 20 mins 6 days a week - also 4 out of 7.  See commentary to #1.
3.  100% ccountability and honesty with my reporting every Friday.  Yes.
4.  Weekly weigh in only - Fridays.  Already confessed I weighed Monday - felt like a necessity because of HG (horrific gain) last week.  Sounds like an excuse.
5.  Stay in challenge till the end.  No dropping out.  Still here.  Not goin' anywhere.
Definitely a better showing than last week, but still a C- effort at best. Trend is going in the right direction.
And I'm adding not eating out the night before weigh ins.
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I forgot about something weight and size related that happened this week until I started writing today.  Monday afternoon I went to Kohls to get some new clothes.  Last year at this time I was in many 14s, and 16s.  I haven't even bothered trying to insert myself into the 14s this fall, but I did with the 16s, and they fit fine everywhere EXCEPT the waist band and "spare tire" region.  I could get them zipped but would risk crushing vital organs if I kept them on more than 45 seconds.  Siiiigh.  I'd jettisoned all 18s I'd been wearing PDQ upon fitting into smaller sizes,  assured I would "never go back".

At Kohls I hurriedly found some 18s that seemed fine and ended up buying 3 pairs.  Well.  The next day I wore the first pair to my 7 a.m. meeting, intending to wear them to work.  By the time I got out of the car at the meeting, the legs of the pants looked like lounge pajamas - baggy and billowing over my thighs and rear end.  Just ridiculous.  YET...the waist was okay - not baggy, not lose.  After the meeting I dashed home, took them off, found 16s from last year I hadn't previously tried that fit fine and off I went.  Upon returning home, I tried on the other 2 new pairs, and clearly they were going to be the same way.  So they're going back when I have time.

And here's where today's post title comes in.  You've heard it before from this 55+ girl (no way I'm claiming womanhood right now!) - I was a pear shape my whole life.  I hated being a pear.  I never had a small waist, but my hips and across my thighs were definitely pear-esque...not the stick figure limbs of an apple shape.  But since menopause, my body has reproportioned and changed how it stores weight.  From the bra band through the aforementioned spare tire region is where it goes.  The girlish pear chapter has ended.  Caput.  And now I wonder why the hell I hated being a pear.

The weight I've gained back from last year's 192 has all solidly and stubbornly applied itself to my middle parts, and it's a pain in my flat ass.  Yes, flat.  I used to have a bit of a butt.  Now it's mostly - um, still there but lower?  Probably not gone.  Aging aint for the feint of heart.  But I'll certainly take it over the alternative :).  Funny, I don't much like raw apples to eat (unless slathered with caramel or peanut butter, so no), but I really hate to be an apple.  Actually it's more like having a sort of boxy body - I'm not wider at the middle that above and below; rather about the same. 

That's it for me today.  TGIF, as always.  I hope next week is as much of an improvement as this week has been, because I'll be that much more back on track.