I haven’t checked in with everyone on my progress since just after Christmas, so I figured I’d give you all a heads up on the weight loss struggle. It’s been a bit of a mixed bag with positive leanings.

I don’t remember being this hungry all the time when I approached my goal weight in the past. Is it weather related? Have I actually burned more calories shoveling snow than my Active Link has given me credit for?

FYI – Active Link is Weight Watcher’s version of the Fit Bit. It tells me how many activity points I’ve logged which I can turn into additional food – or adult beverages – on a daily or weekly basis. I personally think it’s messing with me.

All I know is I feel hungry ALL THE TIME. I’m not starving myself, I can tell you that. I eat regular, well-balanced meals with snacks of fruit or light popcorn in between. I save a couple of points for a Weight Watchers or Skinny Cow ice cream treat at night. I drink lots of water and cups of hot tea.

And I occasionally can’t stand it and totally fall off the wagon. This has been one of those weeks.

I craved pasta last weekend. I know WW says it’s OK to have pasta, but 3 oz. of dried whole-wheat pasta (not even the good stuff) is 8 points, almost 1/3 of my daily allowance. And I lack discipline when it comes to pasta; I want the whole f&^%$#@ pound. I restrained myself to the 3 oz. with shrimp in a light sauce, but I blew it on the martini I had before dinner. Oh, well, back on the wagon tomorrow.

More snow, more shoveling, and finally a break for lunch. Steve wanted to relax with a beer somewhere. We tried The Pour Farm Tavern in downtown New Bedford, a beer-lover’s paradise with a two-page beer menu, one page of drafts alone. You can’t order a Michelob Ultra in a place like that. You just can’t. Noah, the most excellent bartender, pointed out that they do sell a lot of Budweiser, but buying a Bud at The Pour Farm is like ordering a vegan dish at Peter Luger’s Steakhouse. Plus I think there’s a law…

So along with my Two Roads Saison draft I ordered what I was sure was going to be a sub-par bar food sandwich. I stuck with a sandwich as the only thing scarier than bar food when you’re on a diet is the though of what a salad might look like coming out of a pub kitchen, if there even is one on the menu. I was totally wrong and would have no doubt enjoyed the salad even if it were only half as good as the Cubano sandwich I ordered. The Cubano was delicious, and I’d highly recommend it, but it’s not the best choice for a dieter with full fat cheese, meat and a bunch of bread. So, vegetable soup for dinner that night, and scale avoidance the next day, but I have to say I was actually full for the first time in a while.

I will give myself kudos for abstaining from eating any of the raisin tarts I brought to my visiting cousin’s house, here from Southern California in the middle of the snowiest stretch on record. The tarts are my mom’s recipe and a mainstay from my childhood, as well as one of my favorite things in the world. I didn’t even have a bite, because this weekend is Valentine’s Day. Steve is taking me out Friday night to avoid the Saturday night V-Day craziness as well as the impending 34th snowstorm of the season, but he won’t tell me where we’re going. I have no idea how WW friendly the place will be, but my plan is to eat lightly during the day to mitigate the evening’s damage. And pray the weekend snowstorm cancels my Weight Watcher’s meeting on Sunday morning.

So how have I done since Christmas? I had gained 0.2 lbs over the holiday. The following week I lost 1.2 lbs., two weeks later lost an additional 0.2 lbs., and this past week I lost 1.8 lbs. I’ve lost 30 pound total (this time – if I count up all I’ve lost in all the years of dieting it’s probably more like 318), and I’m 7 pounds away from goal weight. Progress feels slow, even though the loss has been about a pound per week which doctors and nutritionists say is the healthiest way to do it. Throw in two 2-week vacations on cruise ships in Europe, the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I should be absolutely giddy at my progress. And I do realize there is no off switch once the weight loss happens; that’s when the really hard part begins.

I guess I should be happy about all the snow I’m shoveling as it’s building up my muscles. I’m gonna need all the strength I can get.

My stomach is growling; I need to go find an apple.

Deborah