Success! Success!

Finally, movement on the scale (in the proper direction too!).

OK, it's only one pound but it's a start.

Last Monday I was on the phone with a friend and we got talking about my latest attempt to lose weight.  I mentioned this new app I had found and how helpful it was in calling my attention to what I'm eating, yada yada yada.

'Cept I wasn't losing weight.  According to the app, I should be fading away.

"I'm eating less than the minimum calorie count every day," I said. "The pounds should just be melting off me."

"That's why you're not losing weight," said she.  "You're body is going into starvation mode.  It remembers when you were so sick last year and lost all that weight the wrong way.  It's protecting you.  You must eat at least the minimum calories every day."

"But," I said, "most days, the only way I'd hit that number is if I add the wine back into my diet because I simply can't put that much food into me in one day."  (I know, hard to believe, isn't it?  But I only eat when I'm hungry, not according to any clock or any schedule.  If my tummy doesn't want food, I don't give my body anything.)

"Wrong," she said.  "You must eat that minimum or your body will hold everything you do give it.  Try it for two weeks.  Make sure you eat the required number of calories every day for two weeks -- don't shortchange yourself even one day -- and see if you don't lose weight."

"OK, I'll do that," I said.  "I've already got two days under my belt because I did manage it on each of the two days before so I will start the clock as of 29 October."

I wasn't very optimistic as the week progressed though.

There was not one iota of downward movement on the scale.

In fact, on Thursday, I was UP by two pounds (and not very impressed!).  But that might have been explained by the over-calorie intake that occurred on Tuesday when I was in the city (we always eat out and I miscalculated).

But this morning, I stepped on the scale and was delighted to see that I was down one pound from what I was a week ago.

So my friend was right. If I stick to it and pay close attention to my caloric intake, making sure to always hit that magic number every day, I will lose weight.

Only 18 pounds to go.