Turning a Corner

It's been nearly two weeks since I started predetermining what I was going to week.  The first effort took more than two hours to plan out four days of meals and snacks, the second effort took nearly two hours to plan out an entire week, and yesterday it took me less than an hour to plan out this upcoming week.  A friend coincidentally gave me a Weight Watchers cookbook just last week (I've always read the magazines for their recipes when she brought them into work) and I am going to try out three new recipes in this upcoming week.  I'm looking forward to seeing if they're as good as they sound in the book.

I feel like I've turned a corner in my weight loss efforts.  I realize I am still in the honeymoon period of this new effort but it honestly feels like planning my menus in advance was the final step I needed in this journey.  I have been eating healthy for nearly six years now but couldn't seem to control my portion sizes or stop the fast food habits (for any real length of time.)  Then when I began working on my Masters degree I added the habit of late night snacking and eating--which really hadn't been an issue before--and I couldn't seem to stop that either once I got my degree.  All of these issues: the overeating, fast food and eating after dinner have just stopped.  I just can't explain it other than to say God placed the final tool I needed into my toolbox this year and I am finally doing what I need to do to lose weight.

I'm super hungry right now but in less than I half an hour I am meeting my friend Lynn, for our weekly Saturday morning walk and breakfast outing and I can wait until then to eat.  This decision making power seems somewhat new for me in the diet/healthy eating arena of my life but I experienced the same thing last night too.  Lynn and I have both been having rough weeks (I had a flood and her mom's had head surgery) and I now plan for an "open" meal on my Friday evenings.  I texted her to see if she wanted to eat at La Palapa and she said yes.  Before I got there I predetermined that I would only eat five chips and half of a cheese enchilada plate with the rice and beans.  I love cheese enchiladas--they're Mexican comfort food as far as I am concerned--but even with the chips and salsa and the cheesy-gooey enchiladas I ate just what I planned and took the remaining food home to Ian.  He ate it and when I stepped on the scale this morning I was rewarded for my choices.

According to Lysa Terkeurst at about week four she hit a wall.  If that is typical of most who join her on her Made to Crave journey then I should hit that same wall in another week or so.  Hopefully having three solid weeks of eating right and losing weight will help to arm me against the struggle that is upcoming.  She says that as quickly as the struggle started it ended but the battle still has to be fought.

So here's to turning a corner in the right direction--finally--and to facing the wall when it comes.