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Happily, I report a 2 pound loss this week. This brings me to a loss of 11 pounds since starting this blog. Hooray! What has been working for me is a combination of things that I’m still working to perfect. First, I’m getting more sleep. This is big for me, because I have sleep apnea. I’m still working on this aspect, because getting more sleep means that I’ve been late to work more than ever lately, despite the fact that I go to bed earlier than ever.

Another thing I’m doing is moving my meals away from bedtime. This helps with the apnea, as well. I’m not perfect at this yet, because I’ve had a longtime habit of snacking just before sleep. I’ll keep working on this.

I’ve basically stopped using sugar, with the exception of a small amount (less than 1 tsp.) in coffee or tea, which I only have once a day. There are a few cans of Coke in my fridge, but they’ve been there since before Christmas. They’re only in there because, for me, a Coke craving is like a chocolate craving — nothing else will do. Luckily, I get these cravings very rarely.

As mentioned, my coffee consumption is down to 1 cup or less per day. More often than not, in fact, I skip it altogether. The only reason I still drink it at all is because it’s brewed constantly at work, and knowing that it’s there draws me to it. Now that I have the hot chocolate containing 15 grams of protein, I find that having this instead not only satisfies the coffee desire, but it does so in a way that satisfies my hunger for the next 2-3 hours as well.

I have recently started using my stationary bike, too. This is what’s going to put me over the top when it comes to weight loss. Not only am I using up calories, I’m building muscle and getting back into the exercise habit. Now, if I can find a way to eliminate the lingering amount of fatigue I still feel due to the apnea, I’ll start going back to the gym. I really want to get back there, but need a bit more energy before that will happen on a regular basis. (I tried a CPAP machine. Couldn’t get used to it.)

The final thing I’m doing is eating every 2 hours, having 15 or so grams of protein each time. This is accomplished quite easily because of the products that I use. The variety is quite good. There are shakes, bars, soups, drinks, cereals, and the aforementioned hot chocolate, along with custom supplements that provide what my body needs to function well. There is little or no prep time, and that makes it very convenient to have during the work day. This system is working for me.

Weight: 188

On the way home today, I thought about going to the gym, something I haven’t done in quite a while. When I got to the spot where I’d need to turn left towards the gym or go straight towards home, I found myself making the turn. “Yeah, right,” I thought. “Who am I kidding?”

A few doors down from the gym is a great little Chinese restaurant that serves steamed chicken and vegetables, with sauce on the side instead of mixed in. It’s a great choice for dieters, and I get it fairly often. The veggies are still crisp and full of color, making them a much healthier choice than stir-fry. I feel good about this choice, and I figured that if I got to the gym and couldn’t get my body to go inside, at least I’d be able to pick up some healthy food for dinner.

I drove into the parking lot that services both the gym and the restaurant, parked, grabbed the book on the seat next to me, got my treadmill sneakers from the trunk of the car, and found myself walking towards the gym door. I checked in, changed into my sneakers, got onto the treadmill, and opened the book. As the belt started turning, my feet started moving, and they didn’t stop until an hour later! The time flew by, because I was lost in my reading. That was a nice surprise. I hope I do it again, soon.