Slow progress is still progress

I am still losing, but it seems to go so slowly!  Normally it would be discouraging, but really, when I look at what I've been doing, there's usually an explanation.  For the last 7 days, I've been bouncing between 140.5 and 141.75.  My average last Tuesday for the previous week was 141.43lb, and this week it's 140.89lb, so yes, I am still shrinking. 

Saturday I had some whipped cream to test my dairy allergy hypothesis.  I used some Ronnybrook cream, and I did add some sugar.  It doesn't seem to be bothering me as usual digestion-wise.  I have been dog-sitting an extra pet in the house, so I'll have to try my dairy test again when I don't have anything else that might be bothering me.  Also, I had a spinach knish on Sunday, which has of course potato.  It did cause a little bloating, which is coming down now.  Funny how I didn't ever notice this until I got serious about being low-carb.  I also made sure to drink more fluids than usual yesterday, to try to bring up my hydration levels.  I had a lot of bacon on Sunday morning, so the sodium also brought up my weight.  I also walked more last week, knowing that the weather was going to take a turn for the worse starting today.  It's snowing outside today, so except for going out to buy lotto tickets, I won't be going very far today.  Maybe I'll do some stairs inside.

I tried on my third pair of "the same size" wool trousers, and they were wearable, but snug.  The tighter pair that I've been able to wear felt practically roomy in comparison!  Also, the front of my pants is almost flat now, a teensy roll that probably only I can see is almost invisible now. So, although the scale just isn't moving as fast as I'd like, I am focusing on averages and clothing instead of new lows.  They will come soon!

P.S. I noticed I mentioned a scratchy feeling when I was at the Austrian restaurant last week, and was waiting to see if I had that same feeling after having whipped cream in my test.  I don't remember having that feeling at all on Saturday, so it might have been the wheat from the Apfelstrudel dough...  I will try to make a note of any odd immediate symptoms when I try this test again.

A major and a minor, and dairy allergies

Yes, my older daughter turned 18 on Saturday!  How time flies.  We celebrated her birthday at an Austrian restaurant, where I did not stick to my diet 100%, but I was mindful of what I was eating.  I ate Goulash as a main course, but requested a salad on the side instead of spaetzle (similar to gnocchi).  The sauce might have had some flour in it, but it wasn't much.  For dessert, I couldn't decide what to do, so I went for the Apfelstrudel.  Lots of fruit, some dough, but it's not cake.  I also ate 2 servings of whipped cream.  And one glass of red wine.  Result?  By the time I left the restaurant, I could feel my insides tingling, as if something was scratching me as it went down.  The wheat?  I popped some simethicone before I bloated too badly, and weighed in at 141.25lb on Sunday morning.  I should have been under 141lb on Sunday, but it was my choice to eat this.  It could have been worse, and I still seem to be shrinking!

So it is also a little bit of a test on whether whipped cream is as allergenic as milk for me.  A friend of mine who has a milk allergy can eat whipped cream with less problems than if she drinks plain milk.  I also did some investigating, and it turns out that the cows in the U.S. and Finland produce mostly A1 milk, which is more allergenic than A2 milk (France has mostly A2 cows).  For more information on A1-A2 dairy, please read this and this (which has some interesting charts).  So far, I don't seem to have the same digestive issues after having the whipped cream, but I'm going to give it a try again this weekend, while not eating anything that could remotely have cow dairy in it. If I have that same scratchy feeling I'll know it's the whipped cream.

Monday morning I weighed in at 142lb.  Boo!  I did have the Mesquite Wings from Costco, so I probably got an excessive dose of sodium.  This morning I was down to 141.5, feeling a little puffy.  I did walk at lunch and after work, so better news tomorrow.

Finally a new low!

I weighed in at 141lb this morning, which means that I am under 64kg! I am now 7lb from my goal.  I've continued to stick to my diet.  Yesterday I did have some red wine, but I guess because it was early enough and I had food with my wine, I didn't have any sleep disruption.  My second pair of office pants are feeling more comfortable, but the other two pairs are still not wearable yet. Other than that, nothing else to report right now.  Just plugging away at my elder daughter's college applications...

January Jeans Club 2014 Results

I was hoping to merely not gain weight, but I was fortunate enough to lose! Okay, I only lost 1.75lb, but that's something new for me, to lose during the holidays. My starting weight as a January Jeans Club 2014 member was 143lb, and on January 2, I weighed in at 141.25lb. I kept hovering around 143lb for over a month, and finally dipped below 143lb on Christmas Day, and I have stayed below it ever since. Being a member really helped me avoid sabotaging my diet, and I am so grateful I started reading Marion's blog! So far in 2014, I've spent all but New Year's Day under 142lb, and my measurements are still decreasing, as they have consistently since at least the middle of December (I didn't keep track in November).

Right now, I am on track to reach my goal of 134lb in February. Frankly, I'm not getting overly hooked on the dates, as long as I keep shrinking. I still have three food challenges coming up:

Jan 11th          Saturday       My elder daughter's Birthday (18th)
Jan 23rd         Thursday      My younger daughter's Birthday
Feb 14-20th                           Trip to Paris

I don't foresee problems  at the two birthdays, but I'm going to break my diet at some point on my Paris trip.  Granted, we usually walk hours each day , so some of the extra food is burned off.  I'll try to be smart about it, i.e. not waste the extra calories on food that isn't worth it.