Dear Amanda

I would first of all like to thank you for helping keep me accountable. It is your comment (blunt yet encouraging) that has kept me going the last few days.

I must confess to you one of my main problems.... something I am trying to overcome... it's just that I'd rather not know.When I made that declaration that I would reveal my weight loss on Monday... I completely expected that it would be 6 pounds or more. And that would be fat loss because I've definitely gained muscle, which is heavier than fat.

Anyway, Amanda, it was to be a great, shining moment.

But then, I took that nasty spill at my sister's house...
exercise was out the door
went to a few Christmas parties
ate more and more and more

and well, things fell apart.

But here, my friend, is what this blog and YOU are helping me to do....

not just bury it and forget it and lose it all together.

Because it would be so easy at this point.

I vow on Monday to weigh again. And even IF I've gained it back.... I will still post it and face the facts.

And then I will try again. I will learn. I will grow. Because I truly believe that being healthy, exercising and eating right is a discipline of the mind. If I'm weak in the mind, I need to face it and try try again. Or else... I don't know that I will ever, ever truly change.
And I want to do better for my family, for myself.

Your friend, Annie

Day 6 (Otherwise Entitled I Love Cheese)

I really, really love cheese.

Nearly any kind. Among my favorites?

Swiss, Sharp Cheddar, Gruyeres, Feta and Gouda.

I like it in many forms:

sliced, in crumbles, queso, and string cheese.

I like cheese flavored popcorn and ESPECIALLY Nacho Cheese Doritos.

I even like that horrible squeeze cheese that comes out in smooth yet shaky lines.

I hadn't reflected much on my love for cheese until today, day 6. But wow, I do LOVE cheese.

Cheese is not a real big part of BFL. I read that if you want to have some cheese, you should microwave it for a few seconds and pat it with a paper towel to rid it of some of it's fat content.

I haven't done that.

But I did eat some cheese tonight.

At the end of another stellar day, eating wise, (which you have to understand is simply miraculous for me and my wild cravings)....

...I ate cheese.

Cheddar flavored Chex Mix with big heaps of Cheese-It Squeeze Cheese on top.

Not exactly what Bill Phillips was thinking about when he wrote the book.

Why didn't I just wait until tomorrow, the official free day?

To tell you the truth, I don't know what to expect tomorrow! How will I handle my freedom?

Eat more cheese?

I did have a good cardio today. It is still hard to get over the fact that I need to exercise with intensity for 20 minutes and that's it!

But that's what I did. It was much harder running on the trail than on the elliptical like I have been doing. But I did the interval thing and think it was probably a better workout than the elliptical. I felt it more, definitely.

I'm keepin' on keepin' on... I'm not giving up!

Cheese cravings and all.