205(-9.5lbs)

I am very close to losing my first 10 pounds and I have only been on the QWLC plan for eight days! The last couple days have been a little challenging because I have been fighting off a sinus infection and REALLY want a hamburger or loaded baked potato.

I was walking into the QWLC today before lunch and it just happens to be next to Yao's restaurant. The smells coming from the restaraunt were so tempting. Many of you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my chinese food and Yao's has some great food!!! I was seriosly wondering if the placement of the QWLC was intentional. There also happens to be a Pappa's BBQ with a drive-thru in the same parking lot - and YES! - I have driven through said drive-thru for one of those 5lb. BBQ baked potatoes.

Due to it being that time of the month, I felt for sure that today would be the day that I was going to gain back some weight, so when I went in and she said I had lost one more pound, I was very incouraged. Since my Mom, Cathy, is also participating in a QWLC diet, and has already lost 30 pounds, we get to chat about the way everything works. We both pondered the truthfulness of the "weigh-ins" since they are not using a digital scale and can pretty much tell you whatever number they feel like they want to. One woman at the center does not even know how to take my blood pressure correcly, but most of the staff are pretty friendly.

I have been weighing myself on my home digital scale, which was a gift from my wonderful friend, Sarah Andrews. I never weighed myself until I was about 26 years old. When I was growing up, I do not ever remember my Mom being overly self conscience and never really remember her weighing herself or talking about being "fat". Mom always hated her legs, and so I was usually more self consciece about my legs as well, but overall, I was never really "worried" about how my body looked. I think this has served me in being somewhat confident even with the extra weight, but it is time to be the fully confident woman I once was.

I have posted a picture of one of my goal dresses. I have hung three peices of clothing in different areas of my home to help me remember one of the top reasons that I am working to take this weight off. The dress is sliky, satiny number, a size 12, color-blocked with pink, black and white and has been hanging in my closet for months. I loved it sooooo much when I saw it, and even though the dress was too snug to wear then, I swore I would get into it "soon". That was last March! When I get under 100 lbs, I will be trying it on again to see where I am at. It is VERY fitted and will look fabulous when I get rid of my gut. I can tell I have lost most of the weight in my hips, belly/waist, and a little in my arms(and breast- but I did have a little to give there).

In closing, what I miss the most are my dumplings! I had just found a cheap place to buy them frozen and they were so easy to pop in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. I had gotten into the habit of having a few for an appetizer when I got home from work. Who the hell has appetizers at home??? When it wasn't sumplings, I would have cheese and bread, sometimes an entire bagette in one night.

Tonight I will be baking some chicken in that I have soaked in a homemade wine and tarragon vinegarette. I was told not to use any oil in marinades or cooking, so to get flavor in the chicken, I have to be creative. Please, post any ideas you might have for simple, fat-free, salt-free seasoning of meats/fish/chicken so I can try them!!

Love you all and thanks again for allllllll the amazing support. I never really grasped the magnitude of love that I am surrounded with. I am so very lucky and I cannot wait to find a wonderful man to share this beautiful life with.