It Has Been a Long Week! 263.3 pounds. - 0.3 pounds today, - 0.5 pounds this week, + 2.9 pounds this month, - 16.7 pounds since May 1, - 69.7 pounds from my all-time high of 333 pounds.

It's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder, and like a bear, my body seems to be preparing for hibernation like a bear. Some estimates state that bears can double their weight as they prepare to sleep through the winter. While I have never been in the state of mind, or body, to double my weight, I definitely feel the urge to settle in and eat more than I should at this time of the year. Yesterday was a prime example of that.  We had big plans of getting out yesterday and going to a fall festival in Stillwater, Minnesota. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. The temperature was in the 40s and the wind was howling, making it feel even colder. On top of that, it was raining off and on. As an alternative we chose to stay home and huddle in front of the television and watch some NFL games. We also watched a scary movie called Fall, about two women who climb a radio tower. Think Jaws, but on land. Watching others be active isn't the same as being active yourself, especially when you eat while watching them! Yesterday was perfect soup weather and my wife made a wonderful gazpacho soup. I ate more than I should, and then I had leftovers last night. All of that led to my weight gain. When I stepped on the scale this morning the only question was not if I would gain weight but how much weight would I gain. Well, I gained over a pound, which wasn't surprising.  Today is going to be a great day. I have a full day of work to keep me busy and I'm excited to get back into the swing of things with eating. If I can eat a normal amount of food today and also keep from eating after 5 p.m. I am confident that I'll lose weight. I need to keep that in mind if my body starts having hibernation hunger. We'll see what happens today and we'll see what the scale says tomorrow morning!

Yesterday was a tough day for the momentum I had going this week. I broke my streak of 4 days in a row losing weight. There are a number of reasons why this happened, but regardless of those reasons I need focus on not having one "bad" day turn into another.  Yesterday I went to a football game in the afternoon and then I went to a concert in the evening with my daughter. I expended enough energy that I was pretty hungry right before I went to bed. I hadn't eaten since 4 p.m. so I looked in the fridge and found some leftovers to devour right before bed. This wasn't the wisest of moves and I realize that if I had simply gone to bed I probably would have lost weight on the scale this morning. I'm regretting that decision last night, but I need to learn from it. I was so close to the finish line and I stopped short.  Today is going to be another great but challenging day. It is the weekend and I don't have structure. We are going to a fall festival where there will be food trucks. If I can keep myself from overeating and not eat after 5 p.m. I should do well. We'll see what happens today and we'll see what the scale says tomorrow morning!