Stepping stones

I've been using very small stepping stones to keep myself on track with the whole diet thing.  Some days are better than others.  My goals are based on numbers ending in zeros and number that are in increments of 10 from where I started.  So my first goal was to get from a number ending in four to a number ending in 0; second was to get from that number ending in zero, to the first lower number ending in four.  Does that make sense in writing?  I don't know.  I just know that it works in the everyday world.  It's nice having small goals, so I'm not so over-focused on the big goal.  That can get discouraging.

Anyway, this morning, after a few days of living as if I'd never even heard the word diet, I figured I'd better step on the scale.  I had crossed the first zero number several weeks back, and had snuck up on the first of the 'four' numbers just a few days ago.  To my surprise, this morning, the scale told me that I've crossed the second of the zero numbers, so I'm down 15 pounds!  Yeah Me!

I should say that I am trying to do this deliberately  slowly.  I know that I lost the 60 pounds way too fast back in 2002, and never did complete the maintenance portion of the program.  This time, I'm working in bits of maintenance as I go.  The plan is to lose for a month - 5-8 pounds - then just maintain for a month.  It may take a full year this time, instead of 6 months, to lose 60 pounds, but I feel much better about this.  In 2.5 months I've lost 15 pounds.  That is a wonderfully sensible 6 pounds per month, with built in maintenance and a really strong sense of being able to see this through to completion.  I haven't had that at any time in the previous 3-4 years.  I can do this and it feels really good.

The only downside to all of this, just happens to also be an upside.  I'm going to end up needing smaller garb!  Luckily, much of the period stuff is rather neutral in sizing, so it will see me through quite a few pounds.  I'm a little leary of sewing anything really fitted for a while, like say a Tudor kirtle, but there are other things that I can work on while I head towards my healthier future.