Day 25: "Nyquil - Nectar of the Gods..."

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it...but I don't feel good.

Still.

After five days.

I can see the end in sight...but I'm not quite there yet. 

Had to go back to work today - simply can't afford to miss anymore. My paycheck will be miserable as it is.  They had me working in the store's "Cafe".  Yep - they had me feeding people despite my cough and froggy voice.  I did my best to wash my hands even more than usual and be extra, extra careful about germies.  It was a shorter shift than I usually work, but that didn't keep me from being absolutely worn out at the end of it all.

On the "diet and exercise" front, my appetite has maintained, despite not feeling well for the past five days.  That is, until, today.  I prepared myself a decent serving of some broccoli, cous-cous, garlic and EVOO for dinner but, two bites in, I was done.  I just lost all desire to eat anything. Instead, I spent my meal break nursing a bottle of hot green tea.

After work, I managed to squeeze down a jello and half a pear, but I was barely able to consume my 1200 calorie minimum for the day.  (For those not "in the know", the average adult requires a minimum of 1200 calories per day - especially when dieting.  If not, your body goes into "starvation" mode and begins storing fat, thereby working against you.)

Coupled with the fact that I went to work today, where I was on my feet and moving around for 5h:15m of a six and a half hour shift, odds are in my favor that I lost some weight today.

One more day left in August, which means that I have less than 24 hours to reach my goal of 20 lbs lost for the month.  I've lasted this long on diets before...but I've usually struggled.  I've had "cheat" days.  I've had days where one little mess-up made me stop trying for the entire day.  I've hated the food, or I've struggled with hours at a time where I felt like I was starving.

I'm happy to say, for the past 25 days, the worst I've dealt with was going "slightly" over my calorie or fat goals for the day or having a craving for something salty which nothing in my house would satisfy.  However, even these issues I'm learning to overcome.  Mom has been on the hunt for healthy low-cal, low-fat snacks in order to beat the cravings and I'm getting better every day at calculating my calories and fat in advance.

My mom has totally become excited and involved in the project now.  Every night she tells me about new products she's found that we can enjoy.  She's reading every single label and asking me about what things are better for me or worse for me to eat.  She's entirely changed her eating habits now so that they much more reflect mine.  Dad is struggling a little bit with the entire change over, but he's making an effort and I respect that he has to do it at his own pace.  No amount of lecturing and nagging and pushing and forcing on my part will do anything if he hasn't come to make the same committment to himself.

I'm looking forward to September, thanks to the incredibly generous offers I've recieved from Lissa and Jennie, but I am still searching for somebody to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

Still no takers?