Two weeks!  I’ve been working my program for two weeks, now.  I’m happy to report that it’s been two successful weeks.

There are a few areas where I could stand to improve; for instance, drinking enough water.  I go by the 1/2 your weight method; drink half your weight in ounces each day.  I weighed in at 334, so that means 167 ounces a day.  That’s well over a gallon.   I don’t think I’ve hit that magic number, yet, although I do manage to get close to a gallon in on most days.  It’s just something I need to work up to.

Overall, though, I’ve done well.  I’ve been using MyFitnessPal to track my food and exercise; I like that it has a phone app for my Blackberry; it’s convenient for me to track my food when on the road.  I have gotten in the groove with food and exercise, and things are getting easier for me.  I haven’t had any issues at all with cravings, to this point.

I am glad that I’m choosing to focus on my body’s reactions rather than the scale.  So far, it’s helping me to take a different look at my own progress.

Changes within my own body, just two weeks in, have been very encouraging.  While I love that my clothes are starting to fit better, more important things are happening.  Such as:

• Nearly daily issues with IBS have nearly disappeared.  I’m not nearly as concerned as I was about having to leave the house in the morning and possibly being out of control.
• I was experiencing some heart palpitations; I have a very mild arrhythmia.  (I understand this is pretty common among women.)  The palpitations have severely decreased in volume.  While I’m not about to proclaim that they’re gone yet, I haven’t experienced one in probably close to a week.
• I was experiencing hip pain and discomfort when having to sit on hard surfaces for long periods of time.  That has decreased quite a bit.
• I have plantar fasciitis in my left heel; that is improving.

For two weeks’ investment, I think I’ve gotten a lot in the bargain.  I hope that reminding myself about these positive changes will help keep me on course when the inevitable mental challenges come.

I also have some added incentive, mentally speaking.  While he will probably never know about the particulars of this journey, I think what really motivated me to start improving my life was my oldest brother, who is currently fighting cancer.  He’s seven years older than me.  We are all hoping for the best, and that’s my fondest hope; but his battle reminds me that I’m wasting my time being unhappy in this body and just letting the moments drift away.  If I don’t have to live like this, I should do everything within my power to change it.