Take a look at a picture from before the diet and compare it to that picture from thanksgiving. We're not done with the diet yet, but I think the progress so far is dramatic. We will have some more detailed before and after shots when we get closer to our goals.

At the end of week 8 I am down 6 more pounds for a total weight loss of 26 pounds. I was so happy to see a 6 pound loss this week since I didn't lose any last week. My clothes are starting to fit different and I can't even express how motivating that is. 5 more weeks to go. My goal is to lose another 10 pounds by Christmas. In other weight loss news, Jackson reached a big milestone this week - more than 50 pounds lost. How amazing! I am so proud of him. We are changing our lives and it feels great.

Official Week 8 Results

Down 6 lbs. for the week
Down 51 lbs. total

I am absolutely thrilled to have lost weight over thanksgiving. I am dumbfounded that I lost 6 pounds. I am very happy to have crossed the 50 lb. point. I am now more than half-way to my goal, and I can see the finish line.

Here's a picture from Thanksgiving. Look how good my wife looks! Do we look strong? We should, because we survived the day with no cheating.

We successfully made it through Thanksgiving at Jackson's aunt's house. Temptation was everywhere, but resisting was not as hard as I imagined it would be. Since we are allowed to have any fruit or vegetable, we decided to make mashed potatoes (without butter or milk) and a large veggie tray. Again, our success was due to planning; we planned exactly what we would bring down to the condiments. Instead of taking a walk when everyone else sat down to eat, we actually felt strong enough to sit and enjoy a meal with everyone else without feeling left out. We also got to go home with our dignity intact knowing that we conquered the biggest challenge of this whole process - Thanksgiving Feast. It feels good!

Hooray for surviving Thanksgiving without cheating on the diet! Medina and I came prepared and stayed strong all day. We stuffed ourselves with veggies, both raw and cooked. We made our own diet-friendly version of mashed potatoes and they were delicious. We stood in the middle of people stuffing their faces with many, many wonderful things. And we stayed strong. No cheating! It feels good to flex that kind of willpower muscle.

Official Week 7 Results

Down 3 lbs. for the week
Down 45 lbs. total

Tonight is the last meeting before Thanksgiving. I think we will be fine. We're going to the family gathering at my Aunt's house in Lexington, so we will stock up on good food to take with us. The plan is to eat a bunch of good stuff before we go, and take extra in case temptation strikes. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that it is worth it to stay strong. The results are worth it. The pumpkin pie is not worth it.

This weekend was busy, so we didn't have much time for exercise. Luckily, I got lots and lots earlier in the week, so I met my minimum many days ago. But after two days of no working-out, I was feeling bad. The link between exercise and my mental health has been made explicit since we started the diet. I've always known that I felt better afterwards, but now I can see that I absolutely need to exercise to maintain a clear head.

So to that end, I went to the gym this morning. And I walked on the treadmill for two hours. Now my head is clear, but my feet feel like they've been stepped-on by elephants.

I reached a personal milestone last week: 20 pounds lost overall. The past 6 weeks have been tough, but definitely worth it. We still have 7 weeks to go and I am encouraged that I will see a significant difference at the end. And the end is only the beginning; the beginning of a new, healthier life. Getting physical activtity has been the hardest part for me, but even that is becoming less of a struggle. I used to look for an excuse not to go to the gym. Now when I get home from work I immediately change into my gym clothes and just make up my mind that I am going to get some sort of physical activity. Now it is a priority. I don't think I could have made it this far without the support from my husband. His determination is inspiring and sometimes just knowing that we are in this together is the motivation I need to keep going. It feels incredibly empowering to finally be doing something about my weight instead of just complaining about it.

Official Week 6 Results

Down 5 lbs. for the week
Down 42 lbs. total

I am very happy to have lost another 5. I wasn't expecting much and was very pleasantly surprised. The meetings are starting to get tedious, and I think I could do without most of what they cover. But it is good to have some accountability, and good to go weigh-in every week. I can put up with quite a lot if I keep seeing these kinds of results.

Like a high school girl wearing her boyfriend's class ring, I now have masking tape wrapped around my wedding ring to make it fit. I want to wait until I am done losing weight to have it resized, but as it is right now, it won't stay on without help.

Week 5 - 17 pounds lost overall. I am more motivated now than ever.

Official Week 5 Results

Down 7 lbs. for the week
Down 37 lbs. total in four weeks

That seven is pretty remarkable considering the fact that I have been sick the better part of this week. I've had some of the worst cravings of the entire diet this week, but with Medina's support, I managed to keep myself from cheating. I'm extremely pleased with my progress, and I can't wait to lose more.

I haven't been in the mood for writing lately. Actually, I haven't been in the mood for doing much of anything other than hibernating. It's getting cooler outside and all I want to do is eat and sleep. As you can imagine, this is not good for my diet. So the past couple of weeks have been tough. Plus, I got sick last week and my cravings were torturous. But due to my wonderful support system (thanks, babe) I managed to make it without caving in. To get us through, we made homemade chips which were delicious and legal (yes, it is possible to have both). That eased my suffering quite a bit. The downside to chip making is the tedious process of washing, peeling, soaking, and baking. I am way too lazy to do all of that on a regular basis. I'm down 14 pounds so far. Tomorrow I'll find out my week 5 number.