What is That Smell???

Honestly, it's me. I guess I've really let myself go lately. I mean, before the ward party the other night I took a shower, covered the dark circles under my eyes, put on a real bra and a little lip gloss and I got multiple compliments on how nice I looked. That should tell me something, right?

I'm not so sure that I smell bad, per se, but I will admit that most days it seems to be late afternoon or evening before I get my shower in for the day. This is so strange. I remember when I first started staying home with Erin, lo those many years ago now, and I was shocked when I would hear moms say that they didn't get a shower in that day! What??? How could that not be the first thing you do?

Well, fast forward a dozen or so years and I sooooo get it. I mean, what's the point of showering when doing so requires either a sleeping baby or the lowering of your standards to include said baby pulling himself up on the toilet bowl, maybe licking it, and being oogled by the dog all the while. Thanks but no; I'll wait until the babysitters get home from school. Besides, there's a good chance that the kid will throw up on me right after I get dressed for the day anyway. Better to save myself from the laundry and not waste the prettying up on just anyone. One thing I have learned; nobody at the elementary school cares whether my hair is done (that's what hats are for) or whether I have shoes or a bra on when I drop my kids off. I do brush my teeth, because morning mouth is just disgusting and even I have standards; they're low, but they're there.

Actually, the real reason I find myself putting of the daily shower has to do with exercise. I have learned that if I shower first thing in the morning, I am less likely to do my exercise for the day. Let's face it, any little thing could be the tipping factor in this whole venture. So, if you see me running around in the same workout clothes, day after day, just know that it is my own little way of trying to keep exercise on the to-do list.

All of this talk about smell has kind of been a meandering introduction to the real purpose of this post.... the update on the diet. I'm sure you've been waiting. I think I've even heard a few of you snicker over the last few weeks. So to all those enquiring minds who want to know, and to those of you who simply stumbled upon this blog by accident, I am down......... 11 pounds. This is right on track with where I need to be if I am trying to lose 1.5 pounds a week to get to the ultimate goal of 100 pounds lost.

So how do I feel about this whole thing? Well, I haven't quit yet. I am still religiously logging my food and have even, dare I say, made exercise part of my daily routine. It's still not my favorite, but unlike previous attempts, I do not, at present want to kill everyone in my family and I am managing to get some housework done. Last Sunday, I even chose to go on a walk, in the cold and the dark, just because. Weird, huh?

The Body Bugg has been great. If any of you have looked into it and are wondering how it works, I would highly recommend it. I love that it counts ALL of the calories I burn throughout my day and not just the measly 200 or so that I nearly kill myself to get during a workout. Let's be real, I am not in the best physical shape, so killing myself doesn't take much. Therefore, it can be very discouraging to try and stick to a plan that doesn't seem to produce rapid results. I have been watching my sleep with this little tool, as well, and I have to say that I do believe my sleep efficiency plays a role in my overall health. I average about 65% efficiency. According to sleep specialists, that's not enough. Hopefully, as the weight comes off and I can breathe easier at night, that number will get better.

A few things I've observed.

• I need new shoes. I'm looking for some that are supposed to feel like bare feet? Anybody have any suggestions?
• My favorite meal of all time is over 1,000 calories. Farewell regular-size Wisconsin Mac n Cheese at Noodles & Company.
• Cleaning the house really does burn calories.
• I am not giving up my morning McDonald's run. I can get my breakfast for 469 calories and the other day, I had oatmeal that was three calories short of that.... not worth it, and I don't love oatmeal enough to eat it without some sugar.

So there you go. I am hoping to make it through the next couple of months and be down another 10 pounds by the start of 2012. Will I make it? I don't know, but I do know that for the first time, I am not trying to sabotage myself and am being completely honest about what I am doing in pursuit of this goal. That's got to count for something.