Year One, Week Sixteen: Down, Doo-bee-doo, Down, Down!

The plateau has been broken!

My last goal was 325 pounds, and for ages I was hanging at 326 pounds. Finally, after some constructive coaching and shortening of eating windows, the weight was coming off- WOOHOO!

After the holidays came my birthday, and after that hurdle, I'd lost even more weight. Everything was falling into place.

This week, I got sick. I did two monumentally dumb things. I still tried to do my fasting, and I ate when I had a fever. Ugh! That 'starve a fever, feed a cold' thing has serious merit, folks! The next few hours were spent being quite uncomfortable, bloated, and unable to fully rest.

The following two days, I ate lightly, but I kept the windows fluid simply because I needed to eat with some of my medication and because I desperately needed to drink my homemade cold and flu killer tea at 4 am.

I stepped on the scale, hoping to see further loss (I should've lost since I was sick...right?), and saw I'd gained three pounds. I still don't understand the logic. No matter how sick I get, I always gain weight! 

Maybe because I'm dehydrated, bloaty, and constipated from the meds? Maybe. But there's still a loss- and a pretty significant one at that!

Let's take a look, shall we?

                4 weeks ago:                    Now:                       Difference:       

Weight           326                          317                        -9 lbs.

Bicep           19-1/2"                     19-1/2"                     same

Chest           58-1/2"                     58-1/2"                     same

Waist           55-1/2"                     54-1/2"                     -1"

Thigh           29-1/2"                        29"                       -1/2"

Neck            17-1/2"                     17-1/2"                    same

Hips                63"                           62"                        -1"

Nine pounds! How awesome is that? I'd gotten down to 314 right before I'd gotten sick, but it's still a significant dent on the scale. Unfortunately, I can't get pics at this time because my husband is working and my daughter is also sick, and I'm not about to wake her for a photoshoot.

I'm on the mend, and I went back to my fasting schedule yesterday. I'm feeling better already!

I have two things to say for those of you who have stalled. Don't give up. Ask for help. Do these two things and find out the why behind your plateau because you're too close to often find the solution on your own- trust me! I've lived on a plateau for almost a year.

I should have asked for help a lot earlier than I did. But I won't dwell on 'could-haves' and 'should-have-dones'- I'm using those lessons as stepping stones to move forward!