Still alive & kickin'! Not giving up!

How crazy the last several weeks have been! Far too much to write about (and some too personal). Needless to say, surreal would be a good description. Rollercoaster is another. Some was under my control; much was not. Many were positive; a few were negative; the rest remains to be seen.

Old friends and loved ones have returned to my life and new ones have been added (especially my 2 new kittens!). Our foster kitty has returned to her family and I have stopped taking some medication that has been causing some difficult side-effects. [ Don't worry, the meds weren't anything I had to take. I'm fine. :) ]

I have been slowly clearing out many of my ol' "standbys"; foods that I have relied upon in the past that have artificial sweeteners or other chemicals. I've also been weaning myself off of most high sugar / high simple carb items and have lowered my intake level on the few I'm keeping in my diet (like honey in my tea). This means that my morning coffee has become a thing of the past. No artificial flavored creamer; no coffee. Strangely enough, I don't miss it much. I have a slice of multigrain toast with some natural almond butter and berries, my chai tea with a little honey and unsweetened almond milk (another change) for a quick breakfast before my workout, then a small protein-heavy snack immediately afterwards. Its a satisfying way to start the day.

Unfortunately, there is one change that I'm not very happy about... Many of you know that my family has struggled with financial difficulties over the last year which caused me to leave Weight Watchers last August. As of the beginning of March, I have been forced to once again leave Weight Watchers until our financial situation improves. But, this time, unlike my multi-month lapse last autumn, I have set myself up for continued success! I have started using My Fitness Pal, a free online site similar to eTools or Sparkpeople. The main difference is that MFP is calorie-based: calories in (eating) vs calories out (exercise). You track your food; the system counts your calories, fat, carbs and protein. It gives you a calorie limit for the day based on your activity level and how much weight you want to lose each week (up to 2lbs). You get more calories to spend if you work out/get activity in. Pretty simple, eh?

MFP also offers an online community, so if you have questions, need advice or support, there are folks out there who can help. For me, it's not as good as going to WW meetings, but for now, I'm grateful. I hope to make it to WW for a meeting and weigh-in about once a month (more if possible), but we'll see.

Oh, I've also come to realize that I need a good scale; one that is easy to read (prefer a digital readout), accurate and reasonably priced. Any suggestions or recommendations?

The clock on the wall reminds me that it's very late, so I'll end here. I hope to blog more often as this new part of my journey continues. Until then, my dear readers... May all of your goals be reached! :)