There is nowhere else to put this, so I will say it here.

I’ve achieved my first weight loss goal.

I’ve lost 10% of my body weight, just shy of eight weeks in to starting Noom.

I wanted to see a certain number before our annual fundraiser at work and this morning I finally did.

For the most part, this journey has not been “fun.”

Here is the annoying advice you’ve already heard that has worked for me:

• Logging EVERY SINGLE STUPID PIECE OF FOOD I CONSUME and trying to be honest when I have to guess
• Weighing myself everyday (When several days go by with no movement it puts me in a true funk, but now even a little movement down keeps my motivation up)
• Smaller plates
• Drinking a lot of water (with lemon when I can) and tea
• Weighing and measuring my food (yes, I bought a food scale)
• Eating when I’m hungry, not at certain times of the day
• Eating more protein
• Lifting weights (at home and the gym. I found two sets of weights for super cheap at a thrift store)
• Interval cardio (makes riding a stationary bike way more interesting)
• Online workouts (don’t knock free shit on YouTube)
• Running (Go SLOW when you start. Your body really will naturally speed up a bit after awhile.)
• Yoga (seriously helping me sleep)
• Less salt
• Not letting myself get TOO hungry
• Trying to focus on what I CAN eat, not what I should probably not
• Eating foods that will fill me up as opposed to letting myself have a treat that will inevitably leave me unsatisfied from a fullness stance and hungrier a lot quicker
• Reading labels
• Not drinking alcohol (this hasn’t been a super conscious decision because I’d already cut back on drinking a lot, but I have gone to bars and just sipped on soda water with a lime. I just don’t want to have to account for the calories because it’s already hard to stick to 1200-1400)
• Not depriving myself entirely (I’ve eaten cheeseburgers, cheese fries, pizza and wedding cake and still managed to keep it within my daily calorie budget. Obviously not on the same day)
• Putting on clothes that were tight before; trying on clothes in a smaller size

Look, dieting is the worst, but for anyone who’s been doing it for as long as I have, we already know what to do. I mostly hate that these things are true, but I can’t deny the progress.

I’m not even halfway to my ultimate goal, but I’m feeling pretty good and hope I can keep this up.