Day 120

So wow, folks. It's been about four months since I started this. Four months. One third of a whole year! Frankly, it's still a little unbelievable to me that I've kept this going for this long. Sure, I've had my ups and downs. Over Christmas, I just about put things on hold. But the fact that I came back full force after Christmas is a sign that something about me has changed. Usually once I let things go, it's hard for me to pick them back up again. Not so in this case. It's like something in my brain just clicked into place!

I've been consistently exercising four times a week since I got back to school (and before I left, too). It might not seem like much to most people, but for me, who led an almost completely sedentary lifestyle prior to October 22, 2010, it is a HUGE accomplishment. I have never been an exerciser. Let alone a regular exerciser.

Now, I feel confident enough to say that I am. Whoa.

I've also gone four months without french fries, cheeseburgers, or candy. Four months. And while I've had my moments of cravings, I haven't given in to them. And honestly, I really don't miss it. Because I feel so much better without it.

I've also gone four months without binging or sneaking food. Four months. I don't know exactly what has adjusted emotionally to stop me from binging, because I haven't even felt tempted to. Not even when I'm stressed or feeling down. Crazy stuff, guys. Crazy.

Now that I've italicized about half of all that, we can move on. I just had to step back and revel in it for a minute.

In other news, I weighed in this morning, and lost another .6 pounds! That officially puts me down 27 pounds total. I've noticed that my weight loss seems to have slowed down lately, but I've been keeping under my calorie goals and have been exercising, so I'm not sure what's causing it. I think maybe I'm actually digging into the tough poundage now. But I feel great, and that's what matters!

As I mentioned in my last post, not only did I walk today but did 15 minutes of my ab workout video! I'm going to try to start doing 15-20 minutes of the ab stuff every day, on top of 30 minute walks four times a week (I'd like up it to five, so we'll see how that goes). That way, I'll be getting cardio and some tummy work done, and I'll be able to double my weekly exercise time. I don't know if I'll manage abs tomorrow though, as I'm really hurting after doing it two days in a row. I might just try decreasing the time. But the video really gets those abs working! Ouch!

Man, I sure seem to have a lot to say today. But let me get to the most important part: dinner! Dinner tonight was a total win!!

I actually used a recipe I saw on Food Network from Aarti Sequeira, Pea-lafels. They're basically falafels, but with peas and edamame instead of chickpeas. I know, I'm going all international this week, aren't I?

Doesn't that look delicious? After a week of pretty ho-hum meals (with the exception of that Roti Chicken, of course), this was a great way to end up. It was like a cheeseburger for a girl who's trying to be healthy. The bread is whole wheat pita, the sauce is nonfat Greek yogurt with fresh mint (which I ended up adding dill and lemon to, to make it a little more like tzatziki sauce), and the pea-lafels, while pan-fried, are full of really good (and by good, I mean healthy) stuff. So tasty, and I truly got the same satisfaction out of it as I would have with a big ol' burger! Seriously, y'all have got to try this. It's relatively easy to do, and so good. I think next time I'll add some greens and tomatoes in there...the recipe didn't call for it, but I think it would be pretty good.

I think for next week, I'm going to have to limit myself to making only 3 or 4 meals instead of 5 or 6, because right now, the fridge is jam-packed with leftovers. I have got to remember to half my recipes! So I should be very well fed this weekend.

Okay, I'll shut up now. Happy weekend everyone! Love all y'all!