Glad (Jennifer)

I would like begin by saying I am so happy that Tricia and Teresa have returned to our blog.  Although I created the blog in my name I did it as a way for the 3 of us to share and learn about ourselves along the way.  And I really have to say that blogging has really been interesting for me.  I love to read other blogs and I really have learned so much about myself while blogging along on ours.  I dont blog for accountability though.  I think it is working for me because it is kind of an outlet for me to get my feelings, regardless of what they, are out!  I love to hear what others have to say and the support is amazing.  Just knowing other people are out there and having the the same struggles and figuring it out just like I am is helpful.

Last night I was doing a little more research about good foods to eat and how to properly lose weight.  Now that I am off Medifast, my motivation is as strong as ever to get this weight off (which I am so excited about!).   I really want to educate myself to be a healthy person.  I am exercising as most of you know and that is a part of this "new Jen" that I really like!  I would like to lose another 20-30 lbs which would put me at a healthy weight for my height.  So, anyway, I posted a few weeks back about how I upped my calories after coming off Medifast from about 1000 to 1200....and I lost 4 lbs.  Last week I lost nothing.  Which to be honest is fine with me.  I would have liked to have lost some but I feel so satisfied (and even privileged) with what I am eating that I really wasnt too bent out of shape about it.  99% of the reseach I have found shows that I should be REDUCING my calories to 1500-1600 calories a day in order to LOSE.  See...that is where I am running into an issue.  I was eating 800-1000 on Medifast and the weight loss stopped.  I added some calories, I lost 4 lbs and then stayed the same the next week.  The other 1% of research I found said that if you are in my situation and up your calories too much I will have a big gain.  One girl gained 9 lbs by doing this.  The recommendation was to up your calories in slow increments.  So I think I will wait until Thursday and see what the scale shows.  I also asked the owner/trainer at my gym and she said I should be eating 1400 calories a day to lose(after doing some calculation of some sort).  That is 200 more than I am eating a day now!  If I were going down in calories I dont think it would be an issue.  But since when on Medifast you eat so few calories there isnt an option to go down any more.  So, I WILL figure this out.  I will continue to exercise and count my calories and take it week by week.  I am very much a "let figure this out and do it" kind of person...so I cant wait until Thursday!  I dont want to eat whatever I want for a week and gain a whole bunch of weight and get frustrated.  But sometimes I think that might make it easier to get on a losing streak and be able to REDUCE my calories.  But I will try to increase my calories slightly first and see what comes of it.  I am shocked by my self control in the food department.  It has always been something I have struggled with and now just feels like it is a new way of life.  It isnt me against food anymore.  Yeah?  Wow.  Thats huge.

Margene commented the other day on my post.  She wrote:  "I think that "Old Jen" is gone... and there is this NEW and IMPROVED Jen that is here for good!! And she loves to exercise and has a new zest for life!! :)"  That comment hit me like a brick.  I thought...wow...maybe she is right.  Maybe I have succeeded at changing me for the better!!!  Really?  Because that is what it sounds like!!!  Thanks Margene for opening my eyes.  You are such a doll!

And Dawne...yes, lets do it!!!!  159 here we come!!!!!  I am excited that we are at the same point in our journeys and can support each other!  How do you know how much to eat a day?