Week 2: Progress, despite challenges!

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If you're new to the site, please check out my first post "The Plan," which explains the blog. 

And consider pledging a donation!  The more, the merrier!

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The Weekly Update: 

Current $/lbs = $45!
Current Weight = 146.7
Total Weight Lost = 6.3 lbs.
Money Raised = $283!

 2.9 pounds lost this week!  Given the circumstances, I consider that a huge success!  Here's a photo of Rags, giving me a congratulatory kitty-five.  Or he's punching me.  It's hard to tell.

This week, there was a lot on my plate.  More figuratively than literally.  Work was crazy hectic (which means less time to pack meals and eat appropriately), Dan and I went on a road trip to help a friend move (which means fast food and dining out), and I was working very hard to complete a last-minute writing commission (which means I'm almost entirely sedentary in my free time).  That's was tough combination for me to overcome.  But, I attribute this week's success to the following factors:

Moving SUCKS.

      Last Sunday marked the day that our dear friend Chad returned to the states for good, having lived in Germany for the last three years.  This picture, from left to right, shows Brenda (Chad's gorgeous and talented wife, another good friend), Chad, and Dan.  It was taken on our last night of Dan's and my vacation in Frankfurt.  Oh, how the apfelwein flowed.  Good memories!  So, on Sunday, Chad landed in the MSP airport.  A little tired, a little jet-lagged, but feeling pretty good.  We picked him up and drove him down to Iowa, where he's going to law school in a few weeks.

      "What does this have to do with weight loss?" you may wonder.  Well, on Monday... we helped him load up a van with two heavy, wooden dressers, their drawers, a chair, and other apartment accouterments.  Then we carried them up several flights of stairs.  Did I mention it was 100 degrees?  So, yeah.  That was our workout for the day.  It wasn't all that much in terms of lifting, but the heat and humidity made it a veritable sweat-fest.  And I think I did pretty well watching my portion size... even when we went to a Chinese buffet.  Quite the challenge!

Beat the Food-Doldrums with VARIETY!

      Another challenge this week was the slow creeping up of the "diet-food-depression."  That's when you find yourself thinking things like, "I can't ever eat anything tasty..."  "This food is SO boring," or, "Can't I just put butter on it...?"  These thoughts can be a diet-killer for me.  But, luckily, I married an amazing cook!

 <--- This dinner features made-from-scratch mushroom-thyme risotto (using our own grown herbs!), stuffed and roasted gypsy peppers, and fresh, made-by-Dan's-own-hand semolina bread.

(Shameless plug:  If you are interested in bread or home-baking, check out my husband's awesome blog at baritonebread.blogspot.com.)

Needless to say, it was delicious.

 The photo on the right is of the aforementioned "Zucchini Crab Cakes" (from Week 1's post).  Cakes on the left, Tabasco in the middle, and Trader Joe's tomato-red pepper soup on the right.  I must say, I was very skeptical of the recipe, as I have absolutely no love in my heart for zucchini.  But, after tasting these... I am a changed woman.  They were awesome.  Really awesome.  Like, stupidly good.  I highly recommend them to vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

My lunches are much less interesting, but they do well with helping me to manage my calorie counts.  These include:  1.) Steamed mixed veggies with a little nacho cheese dipping sauce (because that makes everything better), and 2.) Light tuna mixed with a tablespoon of Dan's super-tasty Dill Dip (light mayo, light sour cream, fresh dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and magic) and served with Better Cheddars.

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Well, that's my week!  My deepest thanks go out to all those who are supporting me in this charity-weight-loss effort.  It's been wonderful motivation for me.

Please, continue to spread the word!  I need at least $5 more per pound to meet my goal.  Email any donation pledges to skinnyforkitties@gmail.com or in the comments below.  

Thanks again!  See you next week!

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