Dear Reader:

Here are some quick stats from today:

I had an all-day meeting from 9-2:45pm today.  I then rushed over to pick up the kids to get them to dance class (1/2 hour away) by 3:45pm and waited there for 2 hours.  I grabbed dinner on the way home (still cannot figure out how not to eat out as much -especially on Fridays after dance class).  I got the kids to bed and jumped on the treadmill for 30 min.

It's been two weeks since I started this blog and I have lost 7 pounds so far.  7!   I'll take that.   I'm cautiously pleased!

Today's calories consumed:  1376
Today's calories burned:  172

I also avoided the desserts at the catered lunch.  Epic win.   Here are my pics:

Breakfast (not having the piece of toast really makes a difference in the calorie count in this meal):

Lunch:

Dinner (I'd say that I used about a third of that balsamic dressing):

Unfortunately, I've gotten used to feeling as though I can't fully enjoy modest successes in case that "jinxes" future successes.   Brené Brown (I know, I keep bringing her up - because she is awesome) talks about how we are afraid of feeling complete joy, so we hedge our bets by thinking up worst case scenarios to keep us vigilant.  Not a great way to live.   But, it is paradoxically hard work to fully embrace a success or a joy.

I've decided that it might be a useful thing for me to keep lists of positive things (related to this journey toward wellness) that I can use in the future.   Mainly this is because I LOVE MAKING LISTS.   So satisfying.  So, here's the start of one:

Tastes/Textures/Foods that I love (excluding the ridiculously unhealthy stuff):

Lime

Cilantro

Strawberries

Raspberries

Blueberries

Any kind of berry in existence

Pineapple

Clementine Oranges

Sushi (Spider Rolls, Green Lady Rolls)

Sourdough Multigrain Bread from the Farmer's Market

Honey infused Goat Cheese (sorry, I have to pause for a moment to really think about this!)

Creme Brûlée (I will always think this is the best dessert possible)

Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans

Edamame Hummus (OF COURSE)

Banana/PB sandwiches

Wonton Soup

Any Thai Curry dish

OK, pretty much any Thai dish ever

I'm going to try and allow myself to have these foods in moderation and learn to SAVOR them again. And, I'll add to the list.  

Today was a good day.   So, I'm going to close up this blog post, stick a Jane Austen adaptation in the DVD player (yes, I am a walking cliché) and have a cup of tea before I go to bed tonight.  For those of you who are reading this blog faithfully,  I am now going to give you a completely unrelated treat. Sarah, this is really for you.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdphtMWjies

Enjoy.

Thanks for reading.