Update on a month after getting started...

I have been food-journaling, and daily-weighing, and Boot-Camping, for 4 weeks now.  One of my recurrent themes is... how tired I get by mid-day!!  I am trying to sleep, both more and regularly.  And in bed.  I can sleep like a champ in my recliner, til about 1-3AM then... a round of housecleaning or computer catch-up after vainly attempting to get some real sleep in bed.  I've had decent luck taking a word puzzle to bed and working on it there.  The cats all gather around, so we have that social time, and pretty soon, I'm dozing.  I still sleep at work some days at lunchtime.  Have found the hang-over effect with sleep-aids...

BIG NEWS: I am participating in Jeremy & Sarah's Summer Makeover!  Start out with a Free Month of Boot Camp and if I lose big-enough weight, then I go on to the next month.  Lowest numbers have to persuade their friends etc.  Realistically... I haven't lost big numbers.  I am really appreciative of this opportunity though, and aim to stay positive and kinda hope the competitiveness spurs me on the definite success!  livelifeready.com

Notes to self along the way this month:

• I like food-journaling in a notebook, rather than a pre-formatted book.  Tried fit-book and Andrew Lessman's Daily Wellness Journal.  I liked the sturdiness of the fit-book, nice plastic cover though the wire-ring binding did poop out after awhile.  Didn't like AL's thing at all, waste of space.  I just wrote my foods over-top of everything else that he pre-printed.  Didn't write much about my moods and my BMs...
• Been trying to exercise multiple times a day - BC and something in the evening (usually time in the basement with the TV, thank God, or with Leslie).
• I really shouldn't overeat so much that I'm painful...
• Thought for the day: What you're gonna be HAPPY you did, was get out and walk.  What you're gonna WISH you did, was not spend much time at the computer.
• Monday, May 9: feels like my belly fat is softening.
• Eating out is hard... (whiny voice).  So easy to over-indulge.  SO much better to prepare your own food.
• Don't ever STOP TRYING with appreciable effort.  Expend great effort for great reward.
• Monday, May 16: Rings feel loose.
• Tuesday, May 17: leg muscles feeling MUCH stronger!
• Jeremy advised not to regularly consume more than 1,400-1,500 cals/day.  I searched for Vitabot recipes and meal plans.  This is doable.
• Bagels and cream cheese can put a serious dent in your food budget!  Plan on 450cal for a single Brueggers bagel with cream cheese.
• Not sitting in front of the TV is better for my food cravings!  It's easy to get the munchies.  I'm prone to all the suggestions.  Word puzzles can be done at the dinner table, too.
• Guacamole is my FAVORITE!  Very simple recipe with all that "good fat."
• I struggle with feelings of "food entitlement."  I had a long day, I'm tired, I worked out and had a good burn.  These become reasons to overeat.  =(
• Pep Talk From Kate: STOP focusing on "why you don't deserve this" (opportunity at BC).  THEN have a Plan of Action.  Put into place all their suggestions, and ASK FOR HELP.  Keep aware of your goals.  Put habits into place to succeed.  
• Sarah & Jeremy suggest logging food in VitaBot daily, so I don't get out-of-hand with cals.  Correct daily.  Plus they have a book on emotional eating.
• I am not too fond of push ups, but on Ben's site I learned about a site where you train yourself to complete 100 push ups in a row, in like 7 weeks.  THAT would be a challenge!  I'm looking into it (clearly not ready to commit!!).  hundredpushups.com