My loss continues!  The black super-tight goal pants can now be buttoned and zipped.  Granted, it takes laying down on the bed and compressing important body organs, but I managed to do it.  AND stand up in them.  Yay!

Christmas is a couple of days away.  My daughter is driving in today, and has volunteered to make dinner, although I’m not sure if it’s tonight or tomorrow.  If tonight, my carb/calorie up cycle will extend into three days.  I’m spending a lot of time going back and forth about whether that’s the right thing to do, but that’s yet another mental game I play with myself.  I know it’s a good thing that I’m conscientious about how I spend those up-cycle days, but in the long run, one day isn’t going to make much of a difference.

I plan on having a few treats on Christmas.  I feel confident enough now that I know, with certainty, that when Monday comes, I’ll actually be grateful to go to the lower limit of carbs and calories, again.  I have to say that’s a really good feeling; while I have imperfect days, I don’t flog myself over them.  I just go on. I don’t feel denied, because on the weekends, I will allow myself small portions of things that I’ve been thinking about.  For instance, I love buttered popcorn; I have a box of microwave popcorn sitting in the kitchen cabinet, bought when I was thinking about it, but guess what?  It’s been sitting up there for a month, unopened.  I know, when I want it some weekend, it’ll be there.

I’ve also changed my attitude about how I eat on my up-cycle days.  Last week, we took my mother-in-law and brother-in-law out for lunch at a buffet place.  There was plenty of food to choose from; and pretty much all of it was bland, dried out,  and lukewarm.  That bothered me; I look at food and beverages, now, like spending money.   I don’t eat nearly as much, now, before I’m full, and if I’m going to invest carbs and calories, I want what I eat to be worth it. That also includes empty eating around the holidays, which so many of us do and then regret on January 2nd.

When January 2nd comes, and the inevitable throng of resolutionists crowd my gym, I’m happy to say that I won’t be one of those people who is dragging myself in and regretting what I ate over the last few weeks.  I’ll be months ahead of that with no regrets.

On another note, I have to also add that I think the addition of T3 (Cytomel) to my thyroid medication (in addition to Synthroid) has made a metabolic difference.  I think the weight is coming off easier.

Here’s the caution, though: I’m not relying on T3 to do the work for me.  You can’t just rely on any thyroid medication to suddenly make weight loss easy-peasy.  Instead, I believe what it’s done for me is twofold: first, it’s perking me up a bit.  Before, I had afternoon crashes; I’d feel overwhelmingly tired.  And when I forget to take my afternoon dose, I still feel that way.  But when I take the medication as prescribed, I don’t get that afternoon dip.  Because of that, I’m more active during the day, and even if that means that I’m burning just slightly more fat, that’s an advantage that will add up.  Secondly, I think it helps my exercise levels; I feel like I get more out of a workout, and when that happens, I probably am putting in more effort, which means more calorie/fat burn.

I’m putting in the effort, and adding the Cytomel is an extra little boost.  If I’m not putting in the effort, the meds aren’t going to help.

Merry Christmas to everyone!