I said I wasn't going to do it - weigh myself that is - so I wouldn't get discouraged. I couldn't help it. I was signing up for the President's Physical Fitness Challenge http://www.presidentschallenge.org and it asked my weight. I assumed it had stayed the same, but I got on the scale and noticed that it was 5 lbs less than I predicted. Wow!

I love the bread and olive oil. But I side with you. When you're hungry and bad service paints you into a corner, it's hard not to fill up on the prelim stuff.



Subconsciously I lie to myself about it, too. "Oh, this doesn't count. It's not the meal yet." It took me a while before I realized I was doing that. I still do it (rationalize), but now I catch myself more often.

Jason, regarding your tip #2 - Eat complete, lean protein each time you eat.



My plans include eating more fish. Beef doesn't always appeal to me, so I tend to ignore beef as a protein source. While I like chicken, I'm getting bored with it. Chicken enchiladas, chicken soup, chicken whatever. It's everywhere and it's boring me. Boredom is a big reason to fall off a diet.



Last night, our family went out for sushi, which has a lot of different choices for lean protein, both cooked and raw. I'm getting brave about trying new seafood, too.



Sushi can be deceiving. One thing to remember -- if you're looking for omega fats, farmed fish is not as good as wild. Eating fish for health reasons takes on an extra challenge, because cooks and chefs don't always know if their fish is farmed or wild. I've asked and I've gotten a blank look at times. "Fish is fish," was one response.



Another issue with sushi is that you can eat a lot more than you plan to, because it's so tasty. There's too much consumer-generated misinformation out there. My friends often say sushi is low-cal. Yeah, that's not universally true. That statement is just a license to overindulge. Not all sushi is low-cal. In fact, if you're ever been to Monster Sushi in California, you know what I mean. Talk about creative ways to layer on tasty goodness, including gobbling up several fried sushi creations.



Anyway, that's my rant for the day...the sushi was yummy!



~ Kim

http://twitter.com/mincedmedia

Yeah, that was tough. There was a huge potluck and a ton of desserts of all kinds. I walked back and forth to/from the dessert tables a couple of times, talking myself in and out of it. Finally, I mustered up the courage and walked away!



Say, I got an email from WebMD. It had a link to a helpful article titled



6 Weight Loss Obstacles to Avoid

http://tinyurl.com/3398j2



Hope this helps folks in the group!



~ Kim

Last night was prom, so while the teenager was out partying with her friends, we took the opportunity to go out ourselves. We don't do it very often -- go on a "date" -- but we decided we needed a treat after a long hard work week.



Our meals were brought to the table and we dug right in. Like always, the restaurant portions were too big, but the food was sooooo delicious. A light went on in my head! I asked the waitress for the "doggy bags" before I continued eating.



At first she said, "Just eat what you want and I'll pack up the rest." I politely insisted that she bring the containers to our table now rather than later.



I ran my knife down the middle of the plate. One side of my plate went right into the container. I closed it up and put it out of my mind.



My Bonuses:

1. Finished my plate without getting "seduced" into eating a huge portion in one sitting

2. No bloated/full feeling at the end of the meal

3. Time to relax and savor each bite - I was not rushing

4. Intake - less calories overall

5. Feeling of pride that I had the self-control at that very moment and made the right decision for myself

6. Left-overs for lunch the next day -- Yum!



~ Kim M. Bayne

Author / Writer / Web Community Strategist / Social Media Evangelist / Content Developer / Interactive Project Manager



http://www.twitter.com/mincedmedia

http://mincedmedia.blogspot.com

I have had moderate success on Weight Watchers. What I lacked personally was enough physical activity. This weekend, I join walkers from See Mommie Run for 1-3 mile walk through Sabino Canyon.



~ Kim

Why am I here? Three main reasons:



1.) I received a wedding invitation from cousins I haven't seen in a while. All I could think about was how everyone from my mother's side of the family will see me. I want to look my best. I'm putting off buying clothes until a week before the wedding. My goals are to lose a little weight...I'd be happy with one dress size for now.



2. ) I'm also remembering that I sleep much better at night when I exercise more. Go figure! I'd like to stop the insanity and the insomnia.



3.) Finally, I want my teenager to learn by example. If I can do it (improve my health and fitness), so can she. I want to model good behavior...but I plan to cheat with chocolate once in a while.



Traineo is my motivator and Twitter is my community.



Kim

http://twitter.com/mincedmedia

Hi, there! I'm Kim and I started this fitness group for Twitter users who want to get in better shape, lose weight and lend support to the Twitter community.



Add me as a friend on Twitter.com. My profile is http://twitter.com/mincedmedia/. You can also read my occasional ramblings on my blog Minced Media



~ Kim