Week 5 - .2 pounds

Weigh in: 227.1
Total loss: 18.2

No. I didn't cheat on the diet. I've got PMS bloat. Just part of the fun of being female. My doctor said that most of the women on the diet have the same thing happen. Then next week should be a big loss. That is something to look forward to.

I've hit a comfort level with the diet. I don't really crave other foods. I'm pretty satisfied overall with the amount of calories I'm getting. I'm into a decent routine with my exercise. Now, I just need to hang in there for about 7 more weeks. After that I go through an adjustment phase where I gradually get back regular foods. Then the hard part begins... maintenance.

Every week they tell us that this is the easy part. Maintenance is hard work. They are starting to educate us about calorie control and portion size. One of the keys to success will be eating volumes of healthy foods (like fruits and veggies) with small portions of protein and grains. I will need to come up with some new vegetable options to try. I'm looking forward to trying some vegetarian recipes too. I'm determined to make this work.