Today, I am back up to 220.4.. I am not sure why, but 220 seems to be as hard as 300 was for me. I spent 6 months there. Of course being stuck at 220 is better than at 300 , but since I was 221 in October 2011, I gained 60, and lost 60, and my lowest is 218.6.. so not much movement.. well actually LOTS of movement, just none of it new..lol.

I have decided that now that I am exercising more, I am going to loosen up a little on the ole diet. I have been so strict, that I am starting to think of " forbidden " ... well, fruit, actually. Mostly bananas. Other food too. It is starting to feel like deprivation, so I am adding a few things back in like more cheese, nuts, and bananas ( just 1/2 of one at a time ). I have been slipping down to 20 net carbs a day, and after a week, I cheat.. usually at 220 lbs, and the next day I am 225. Then repeat.

I need a diet I can stick to for 2-3 months between cheats. My current diet has helped me lose the last 80 lbs, so I am just tweaking it a bit. A little less butter, and eggs, but add 1/2 a banana. Still having chicken, tomatoes, and onion.. just cut the chicken by by 1/3 rd ( 1 lb a day )..I added 4 days of no salt peanuts, and 3 days of cheese as snacks. I was just eating 3 big meals. My fat has dropped from 66% to 54%, my protein went from 27% to 33%, and my carbs from 7% to 13%. I am eating more fiber, so still averaging 40 net carbs a day, and my Na intake actually dropped to 829 mg a day average.

Hopefully this will keep me from cheating, which is how I got past 300. I need to eat on plan for 2-3 months straight, not 1-2 weeks. I would rather lose 1 lb a week , and not feel deprived, than yo-yo, and be hovering around 220 at the end of summer.

Other than that, life is perfect. I feel great, and it is 67 and sunny. I took a walk for about 2.5 hours today, although that did entail me feeding some ducks with the last of my brother's bread. I did walk about 6 miles, but slowly, since my calves, and thighs still hurt. Pretty weak, with just body weight for calf raises, and squats, but it has been 6 months. So I figured I walked 3 m.p.h for 2 hours, and fed the ducks for 30 minutes. There aren't many better ways to spend a day. Maybe if I had a hammock, I could sleep in the sun?

I read A Walk In the Woods by Bill Bryson about him walking the Appalachian Trail, which I recommend reading.. Awesome. Then I read Heaven's Fury by Stephen Frey. it was OK.

I plan on not doing much else today, except read and nap, then watch Celebrity Apprentice. Have a wonderful day!