Starting weight (7/15/08):    279.8    (1/8/08):    285.2
Calories/Carbs Goals (limits):       1400  / 30.0
Tuesday’s calories & net carbs:  1364 / 24.5
Yesterday’s calories & net carbs:  1076 / 33.5
Tuesday’s exercise:    40 min. ex. bike / 10 min. elliptical
Yesterday’s exercise:    40 min. elliptical
Weight Tuesday:  249.6    Weight Yesterday:  248.4    Today:  248.6
Change today::  +0.2 lbs.   Loss-so-far:  31.2 lbs.  /  36.6 lbs. 

As I’ve mentioned before, I quit smoking on New Year’s Eve, 2006.

Last year when I was going through the stages of quitting smoking, I got invaluable information and incredible emotional support from an online forum at stopsmokingcenter.net.  It made all the difference to me and my quit - the site helped me to know what I needed to know to STAY quit, to never succumb to the temptation of that horrible addiction ever again.

This year, in going through the stages of weight loss (so far), there have been many similarities.  For this journey, 3FC has been my source for information and support.  Just like last year with the quitting smoking, the bits of information I have internalized have solidified my resolve to move forward.  I can’t un-know what I know now.  Just as I will never again see cigarettes the same, I will never again look at food the same.  I can never again just eat whatever I think I want with abandon and NOT KNOW how many calories, how many carbs, how much fat, or how little nutrients I’m ingesting into my body. 

For the rest of my life I will be AWARE - and that’s a good thing, because it means this loss will be permanent.  Ain’t no yo-yo here.  This weight is going and it’s never gonna come back.  Oh, I’m not just spewing what I *HOPE* to be true, I’m stating with certainty what I *KNOW* to be true.

Anyway, I was thinking tonight and I remembered something that I learned during my quitting-smoking-journey, something that was very helpful to me at the time, and it occurred to me that it applies to my weight-loss efforts as well.

H.A.L.T.  It stands for “Hungry Angry Lonely Tired.”  The idea behind it is:  When you feel a craving for a cigarette, take a moment to evaluate your current state of mind.  It’s quite likely that you’re either hungry, angry, lonely, or tired - and if you just address that current state - the crave will go away.

The same thing applies to eating!  When I get a “crave” (or just the urge to eat outside my plan), I stop and take stock - does my body or mind need something else?  I would, however, like to add another “T” to that acronym.  H.A.L.T.T.  Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, Thirsty.  Often when I want food, what my body really needs is just a drink!! 

By the way, I visited the stopsmokingcenter forum today and realized that I’ve now been quit from cigarettes for 668 days - and that I have NOT smoked 20,065 cigarettes so far.  Wooohooooo!

CARTOON OF THE DAY

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