I know you have been sitting on the edge of your seats

Remember about a month ago when I was rambling on about my visit to the doctor and the discovery of my high cholesterol levels and need to drop some poundage?

Well it has been a little over a month now and I just KNEW that you have been thinking, "Gee I wonder how Missy is doing on her Journey to Better Health?"

Your wish is my command.

One month and a few days in to THE JOURNEY and I am o-ficially down 9 pounds.

Not too shabby.

I have been exercising pretty religiously. I think I skipped three days out of the last month plus. Once because of cat trauma, and two days for illness. I have been trying to exercise for half an hour every day. That is 7 days a week people.

As far as diet goes, I am really not doing anything fancy. I found a free online calorie counter, put in my goal weight and the date I would like to reach it, the computer calculated how many calories I need to consume to reach that goal. I enter the food I eat and try to keep it at or below that number every day. It has been eye opening to see how many calories are in something like a breadstick. It has helped me get my portions more realistic and I certainly see now how my ignorance about how many calories foods contain helped get me in this mess.

Overall it has not been too bad or crazy making. I am not depriving myself. I have had pizza, and an occasional cheeseburger and fries. Now I eat less of those when I have them, and try to keep a low calorie morning and afternoon if I know I am going to indulge in that manner. I am also putting a big emphasis on eating the recommended daily fruits and veggies.

Now I have to remember to keep an eye on the cholesterol thing. In reviewing my progress, I have discovered that I have lost some sight of the need to control my cholesterol, and focused more on the calorie reduction and weight loss. Need to make sure that even though I can eat pizza and cheeseburgers occasionally and still drop pounds, they are not good choices to reduce the cholesterol and need to be very occasional foods.

I don't feel that I am obsessing as much now, and that is helpful. I tend to overestimate how much I have consumed at times and leave myself hungry at a meal in my effort to be disciplined, but do also enjoy that I can have an extra snack when that happens. It's like a little present.

The only thing I am really struggling with is when we go out to eat. I have done well choosing healthy options, but I find myself getting irritable and sometimes even angry when I watch others at the table consuming how ever much they want of whatever they want (read what I want!) Now I am not saying that I have had thoughts of stabbing someone with a fork as I watch them gobble up a plate of fries while I slowly chew my lettuce, but it might have crossed my mind.

So that is my progress for now. I know that takes a huge load off of the 4 of you who read this. You can carry on now.