thanks cadwell. The first phase of this program was a "detox" phase, where I ate all I wanted of certain foods to help cleanse my liver, etc...so that might have something to do with it, too. Thanks for the well wishes.
After trying so many diets in the past (and having them all eventually fail...), I am cautiously optimistic about my current effort. Like I said, I want to maintain my health and not go completely nuts about this, but I also want to look a lot different when the time rolls around for my brother's wedding (July 29). Thanks for the help and the support. I've been so inspired by everyone's success here!