So, I started keeping track of weigh-ins at the beginning of last week. I was pretty appalled--I let myself creep back up to 188. Ick. What a waste of almost 15 lbs. I still haven't made it to the gym much, but just a shift in my daily schedule seems to be making a bit of a difference. I'm staying at school (where I have no snack food) in the afternoons now and grading, and then going to swim practice, so I'm not getting home until after nine. Even with a couple of trips to fast food restaurants for dinner (I've been pretty good, getting salads and wraps instead of burgers and fries), I've lost a few pounds. I weighed in at 184 this morning. Not bad for only a couple of workouts the past week and a half, and considering I had Mexican food, pizza, and steak this past weekend. I think the significant change is just that I'm actively moving around longer in the day (instead of parked in the easy chair watching TV in the evenings), and also I don't have any snacks available. I just need to keep that up--no storing food at work, at least, nothing snackable. I've been eating Healthy Choice meals (the small ones, under 300 cal) for lunches and some dinners, and the only interrim food I have is 100-calorie bags of microwave popcorn. Those really do hit the spot, and I rarely get tired of popcorn. I know I need to drink more water, so that's the next step. Also, now that I'm settling into a routine with swimming again, I should make workouts a little more regularly. Next week I plan to start up my mornings again. On the days that I go to practice, I will go to the pool before practice and swim. On the days I don't have practice I'll hit the gym on the way home. Along with the weight loss according to the scale I need to see improvement in my fat percentage and a change in the fit of my clothing.

Cross your fingers; this is where the ride starts.