We never know what incidents will trigger us to keep going. Yesterday I got up , got dressed. I put on a cami and discovered it was too tight. A Cami ! I tried another, it was also too tight, I dug around and found an old one that did work OK. I thought I had gotten rid of all my "fat" clothes. I wondered what I would wear to go shopping, I really didn't want to go out in the sweatpants with the hole on the knee I was wearing , back to the closet, I found a pair of cords although a little snug would work. The sobering thing about the cords, they were a size larger than I normally wear.
I will not go buy clothes in a larger size. I refuse !!!

Oh, bargoo, I feel your pain. So sorry about the clothes not fitting. I, too, got rid of all my fat clothes and some of my pants and shorts are way too tight for comfort. I'm wearing my "middle" clothes--most of which I don't like, but I have no choice.

So, I've now lost 4.5 pounds in a week. I'm happy with that.

Jenn~have fun in Vegas. My brother used to always go to the CES but not this year.

bargoo - I refused, too! Agreed, tight clothing is a make-or-break moment. I'm currently wearing pants that are *just* too snug - bit of side-pocket gap and the uncomfortable thought that panty lines could be drawing negative attention. I am not going to beat myself up for it, but neither will I be lenient with the little naughty afternoon-snack voices. They've caused enough trouble already.

silverbirch - when I was taking measurements, I used to do them in centimeters for much the same reason. Progress can be proportionate!

glory - thanks for demonstrating the power of planning! I hope you had a magnificent meal that was worth the splurge. You had me drooling at the sashimi.

jacqueline, welcome!

My one-pound per week calorie target is 1533. Yesterday, my first day of tracking, ended up being 1787, due mostly to the head chef using up a couple of very ripe avocados to make his incredible guacamole. I've planned to undershoot equally for today to make up for it - it was worth it.

I found a Buddha's Hand at the grocery store yesterday while stocking up on good stuff. It smells terrific, and I have no clue how to approach it. Anyone eaten one before? It smells lemony, and the skin looks thick - I'm not sure how much will be left if I peel it. Off to the internet!

I ended up eating the rest of the tapioca last night (it wasn't that much after DH got into it earlier in the evening!). Now the house is once again full of only healthy foods.

I told DH that tomorrow morning he has to boot me out of bed. I was wide awake at 5:45 when he got up, but had one of those "It's cold out there and I want to curl up in the blankets" moments, and ended up rolling around in bed for another hour. Oops.

Glory, that looks like one of those steak houses in NY where the hedge fund guys eat when they come in from CT to meet with their old buddies on Wall Street. It's not targeting their wives or girlfriends or, God forbid, female coworkers who aren't out to indulge. At least, not on the surface. Still, I find such places are accustomed to the presence of costly, well-maintained ladies and that your waiter will understand your situation & your desires with a few well-timed, well-chosen words. The thing I always tell myself about such places is that I am never the only person in history who's ever visited their restaurant and decided that she wanted to eat more healthily than what is on the menu.

I would not go totally off-menu, but this is when I'd become the annoying person at the table who asks if her broccolini can just be steamed. I would definitely get the maitake (hen-of-the-woods) mushrooms, asking them if they'd go light on the butter. And my entree would be the sea bass, or loup de mer, which I suspect may be prepared the way Italian restaurants do a whole branzino.

ICUwishing, I had to google Buddhas's Hand as I was unfamiliar with it. I am going to the grocery store tomorrow, I am going to look for it.

I love this post. Costly well maintained ladies made me giggle wildly.

I know I should be good and order fish, but I think I am going to order steak, I love it so and when do I get a chance to have a 60.00 steak? With the whole house buying thing, Jason and I have been on a budget forever (we jokingly refer to it as FINANCIAL LOCKDOWN said with a firm hand gesture and an ominous DUH DUH sound effect).

Hmmm....I seem to recall seeing Buddha's hand prepared on an episode of Chopped, but that's all I've got.

Down 4 lbs from my Sunday weigh-in. Gotta love dropping water weight....wish I could drop fat lbs as easily.

Glory-- enjoy your steak! Let us know how it is so we can vicariously eat a $60 steak through you!

ICUwishing- I've never heard of Buddha's Head either. We have an Asian supermarket and I bet they have it there. Let us know how it is and what you do with it!

Hm. So, a Buddha's Hand is basically a big weird-looking pile of zest. No juice, no seeds - just peel and pith. I found some good ideas for teas, flavored sugar, "Buddhicello", and nice-smelling odd table centerpieces. Supposedly it freezes well when sliced thinly. The most intriguing option (since I have a leftover roast chicken to work with tonight) is to mince and simmer in some chicken stock with garlic and/or onion, and reduce as a sauce for the bird. I will try that tonight.

Glory, I'd have to go with the steak too. Fine restaurants get their hands on grades of beef that the rest of us just can't access without connections. Mmmmm!

midwife, I love that first week whoosh too!

I'm down 4.5 for the week and I don't feel any different. My pants are still to tight and I'm too jiggly.

I'd do the steak as well, Jen. Every once in a while we splurge and go to one of the great steak places here (we have about 5 or 6 to choose from). It's always a treat. Last time was almost two years ago for our anniversary.

midwife, good start !

I only nipped out for a couple of hours and the whole thread's exploded!

I have a clothes emergency too.

It looks as though we'll be invited to a wedding in Italy in July. I want to have la bella figura by then. Please remind me from time to time.

I want to continue to maintain my weight and stay the course with exercising. I'm sick of all the starts and stops the past few years so I'm ready for 2012 to be the one year where I stick to it.