From Friday: Follow the Rules (FTR)

Note: this post is out of order.  I had hand-written some thoughts at work, but never had a chance to type them up.

I've been following the rules of this challenge about as best as I can.  That is their motto: FTDI (follow the damn instructions). Certainly, I haven't been perfect... getting up at 4:30 am for a 5:30 am work out makes it pretty tough to do my ESC before breakfast, so I've been doing the ESC after work, before dinner. I've followed the nutrition plan almost perfectly... some days my schedule gets "off" and I'm not eating at exactly 2/3 hour intervals.  Having a full time job makes it challenging to stick to a perfect schedule, but I've done my best.  I have also not cheated on the nutrition plan, even once... no Halloween candy, no coffee drinks, no wine! So where has all of this rule-following gotten me? Well, the first week, I was down 5 lbs, which in my book was pretty darn good. Leading into the weigh-in for week 2, I'm a bit nervous... what if the scale hasn't moved? what it it's only 1 or 2 lbs?  I finally stepped on my bathroom scale, and it suggests a loss of 4.5 lbs for the week, if that's what the official gym scale shows, I'll take it, gladly!

Tonight will be another test of my will power and resolve. Earlier this week, I passed the football banquet test (made and frosted brownies without even a lick and bypassing an entire table full of treats).  I also passed the Halloween candy test (not even a sniff of the kids' candy bags). I passed the book club test (no wine and no appetizers).  When the Planning Department here at work had their open house,  I avoided the donuts and other sweet treats. On Veteran's Day, I didn't take a piece of pizza or any cake. However, tonight is a wine tasting event at the club.  Tomorrow is weigh-in and I don't want to do anything to jeopardize the work I've done all week.

I'm proud of myself for FTR and FTDI.  Have I been spot on perfect... no, of course not.  But I've done the best that I can do given all of my circumstances.  I need to keep going. As long as I keep seeing results on the scale, that will be great motivation for me.


*** UPDATED ***
As noted above, this post is out of order, so here's how Friday night and Saturday went:

I did awesome at the wine tasting. I didn't have any food or wine. I kept my wine glass full of sparkling water. Afterward, when some friends came back to our house, I nibbled on a few cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower.  I know that's not following the rules, but it was after mid-night by that point.  Having gone to bed around 1:15 am, unfortunately, I did not get up for the 7 AM workout or weigh-in.  I was disappointed in myself, to say the least.  I did do a longer ESC walk.  I followed the meal plan pretty well, except because I woke up later, my meals were pushed back a bit and I never ate dinner... it would have been at 9:00 pm.

I went to the 7 AM class on Sunday, and as I mentioned in another post, I was only down 3 lbs for the week.  Disappointed, sure, but better than the alternative of a gain or 0-2 lb loss.