Today is "Ready, set..." day. We have all done this before. How will this time be different? I woke up thinking about this today.

It's going to be different because in planning and tracking my meals--monitoring myself better, noticing how I feel after I overindulge, have just enough, or eat too little, I know better how to handle myself even during a holiday season.

It's going to be different because having seen that I just plateau when I do my normal exercise routine, I know I have to add some minutes most days--and take NO days off, but certainly have less strenuous days.

That last one was the biggest surprise revelation for me. Since Thanksgiving Day during the lull between challenges, my goal has been just to maintain. At first I was so into the "attack the fat" mode and so scared that the extra dressing & mac & cheese would usurp my progress, I was still exercising like mad, and managed to lose almost another lb. Then I fell into an "I'm good, I got this" frame of mind, and ate a bit more--still tracking but coming in at the upper limits--and even had some days off from the exercise. I would go hard one day and then be so sore I'd just say,"Got to rest up" the next day. Well, guess what happened, those few extra 100 calories or so and those "rest up" days got together and put that lb back on. I waited to see if it would go away, and lowered the calorie intake a bit, but still skipped some exercise days--Nope my weight is in maintenance mode; that regained lb is just content hanging in there.

So that's fine for now and for the experience, but beginning tomorrow, it won't be fine--IT'S ON! And I know what to do. And so do you. Lower those calories, increase the exercise, and hide the scale until weigh-in day. Nothing to it but to do it! LET'S DO IT!