My Progress in Operation Chubba Chubba to Hubba Hubba!

A couple of posts ago, I talked about my newly energized motivation and efforts in to doing something about my weight.  This is a work in progress.  Some days are much better than others.  I am learning/realizing new things or "long buried somewhere deep in the recesses of my conscience" things about myself as I go about figuring this stuff out:

- I am a compulsive/stress/emotional eater.
-Zumba is a TON of fun, though I am clearly one of the idiots that is seriously lacking in the coordination department, hence the reason I stand clear in the back, behind those other people that make it look entirely way too easy.
-One of the worst times of day for me is in the evenings after Hallie has "hit the hay".
- One of my new favorite motivational quotes is "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail", this has led me to meal planning and the subsequent grocery lists I find myself making each week.
-I have noticed that a positive consequence of meal planning and attempting to stick to a budget has given me a new feeling of contentment as I look at my grocery haul each week and realize that I am buying less and less processed foods with "nutritional" labels with ingredients that only the great God in Heaven and hard-core scientists can pronounce.
-Cooking is becoming a new favorite pastime. I like seeing what I can do in my own kitchen and being able to ensure that we are all eating much healthier.
-Working out is not always running, or doing the elliptical, there are days when just getting a move on feels great, like on family walks!
-My blood sugar levels have come way down, WAY down meaning I am starting to feel some semblance of what it feels like to actually feel "normal", with the exception of a few low blood sugars here in there.
-Fruit salad is one of my new favorite things. I am loving this time of year with all the crazy fresh berries, grapes, etc.  They make for a kick-fannie salad!
-Quitting caffeine 3-4 months ago is one of the best things I could do for my health, now I'm focusing on quitting carbonation altogether.  As a diabetic, my kidneys may one day be considered a precious commodity if I don't start taking better care of them.
-I am strong enough to resist delectable and delicious temptation.  In the past few weeks I have had some family come to town and take us out to yummy restaurants, and I have been able to resist ordering dessert.
-This last week I have been able to seriously cut back on nighttime cravings/indulgences, but believe me it hasn't been perfect.  Losing weight and facing your inner food demons isn't all sunshine, daisies, and perfume, neither is it an exact science.
-Eating healthier helps all the guilt that comes with eating the naughty foods both as a person wanting to lose weight and as a diabetic take a vacation from the forefront of my mind.

So needless to say, I am feeling better.  The weight loss is slow and steady, sometimes even as slow as a funeral dirge, but hey, I only want to go up from here (metaphorically speaking, and no way in hell weight-speaking) ;)