I Survived the Holidays... and all I got was a smaller waist!

Yes, I know I've been AWOL for a while.

I have been busy on a couple writing projects.

First and foremost, I'm a professional freelance copywriter. That means that I write for money and then I keep it. I don't share with a boss. :-)

That takes up an inordinate amount of my time but I've finally reached a place where the job is legit. I make good money at it and I subsequently have to give it my full attention most of the time.

I'm also in the middle of writing two books: one fiction, one non-fiction.

That's how a blog falls by the wayside.

Anyway, I thought I'd give an update.

Yes, I'm still losing weight.

I'm down to a 38 waist now. I was in high school the last time I was a 38.

Now, that's impressive in and of itself but there is something about it that makes it even more impressive.

I was in a holding pattern for a while. I was a size 40 waist for a good four months.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that my pants were once again getting baggy so off I ran to Savers for some new-to-me 38s.

What's significant about this is that I dropped a pant size smack dab in the middle of the holiday season.

It was as if my body was mocking the wall-to-wall food, gallons of hot cider, egg nog and cocoa along with the non-stop parade of pastry, candy and yuletide treats.

I didn't eat a single spritz cookie.

I didn't have so much as a sip of cocoa.

I didn't lick a single candy cane.

No desserts.

No carbs.

Meat and veggies from Thanksgiving straight through New Year's Eve and beyond.

You bet your ASS I wanted those things.

But I STILL want to be well more than I want sugar and carbs.

So, the more I resisted, the more I slapped away the cravings, the more times I literally said, "NO!" out loud to the ton of Halowe'en and Christmas candy that piled up in this house, the further off the plateau my body climbed.

I'm finally feeling well enough to exercise and I'm at the gym about 4 times a week now.

The ankle still won't let me walk on the treadmill but I'm doing weight training and swimming.

And I'm losing weight like crazy again.

The holidays are over. I win. Again.

It can be done.