Thanks

Amen to recent comments from Dan, and Kristin. I agree, I have been spiritually and emotionally more in control, because I have been in more physical control. This contest has been much, much harder than the first one, because some emotional issues with my eating have come front and center as I've gotten lower in weight than I have been in years. But I am persevering and pushing through it. I've tried to eat according to the rules of the game, but man, have I taken advantage of my free days. Apparently, I still try to anesthetize intense emotional pain with food. Thing is, when the package of _______ (fill in with your favorite anesthesia) is empty, you're uncomfortably stuffed, and feeling like crap, the emotional pain is still there, and possibly stronger, because you have completely let yourself go. Lesson....?

I joined Weight Watchers six years ago because I knew it was a way of life, not a diet. To raise the bar for myself this year, and only have a free day once a week has been really, really good for me. It's been good to have to exercise for points. I have exercised six days a week for nineteen weeks in a row. And this, through a bad sinus infection where I was exhausted from coughing for three weeks. It's been good to have a "no excuses" attitude about exercise because of this contest. It's been good to drink this much water. A friend I haven't seen for several weeks commented yesterday how good my skin looked. My skin is possibly my worst physical feature. I blame the water.

THANKS for letting me hone good habits in this contest! I'm racking my brain, trying to come up with a way to not completely let it all go until everybody wants to start something up again in the fall. I think maybe I'll give myself some cash each week I score a certain number of points, but make it fairly all-or-nothing, so I have to hold myself to the same high standard of the contest. Hope everybody else is glad they've done this - and I also agree with whoever suggested we get together to meet each other. I've had so much fun reading y'all's blogs.

Let's go out this week strong! The game's not over, so GAME ON!