blue artichoke

I know it's been a while since my last post. Unfortunately, my absence cannot be explained by my wasting away on the January diet. This morning was the final weigh-in, and thanks to my restrictive diet, I lost a grand total of 1.6 pounds. Not very impressive, not at all. The diet isn't specifically a weight-loss diet, but a hearty-healthy diet. After an overnight fast, I had some blood drawn this morning for a battery of tests, including cholesterol, lipids, and triglycerides. My last blood test showed that I was in optimal health, so unless these tests place me in the super-optimal health zone, I see no reason to continue depriving myself of delicious home-baked goodies.

Though the diet isn't specifically a weight-loss diet, it is by default a low-carb and calorie restricted diet. I chose it because I had reached a weight plateau and hoped a vast overhaul of my diet would set things in motion again. It didn't, and I think there's a good chance that I did something wrong. I'm still 10 pounds away from my arbitrarily-chosen ideal weight. Though the scale is stuck wavering between the same 3 pounds or so, my body composition has changed. Indeed. I'm down two, almost three, sizes (over the last several months - that's not all just from the January diet!). Most of my pants don't fit anymore. Even a pair of the new skinnier pants I bought when I gave away all my big pants is too big after a day of wear. So, even though the scale is being uncooperative, I'm making progress and maybe the diet wasn't all for naught.

I do plan to stick with the basic diet, with eased restrictions. I feel good on the diet, like I'm living cleanly. My energy level is constant, with no late-afternoon crashes. I still have a sweet tooth, but my cravings for sweets throughout the day has subsided greatly. Cooking has become easier, because all I have to do is choose what sort of meat and vegetables I want to roast for dinner. I rely on herbs and spices for flavorings. Grocery shopping is so easy. I buy whatever sort of meat we're low on, then browse the produce section for whatever fruits and vegetables look good.

So, that's one resolution completed. The results weren't exactly what I hoped for, but becoming leaner is much more important than reaching a number on a scale (though I'm still shooting for that magic number!).

Tomorrow: the February resolution.