Plateau or progress?

As expected, the speed of my initial weight loss has slowed as I get used to this new cavewoman lifestyle. I knew I couldn't sustain weight loss at a half pound per day forever (though I wouldn't object ot it...). When I actually saw the scale go up a pound this week, of course my initial reaction was to feel discouraged. But I just knew that I shouldn't feel that way. I have been doing everything right for almost four weeks now. I cannot be gaining weight.

So, as any other obsessive person would do in my situation, I went straight for the internet for affirmation that this lull was really my body getting used to things...or gaining muscle...or any other random hypothesis that would suit my needs. And I found plenty of them! Some of them are probably true, I suppose. I bet I am gaining muscle. It would be pretty amazing if I hadn't gained any muscle after a month of running three times a week and lifting weights. But that's not the real point.

The idea behind the changes I'm making is to lead a healthy lifestyle -- and I'm doing that! I'm succeeding! A month ago, I was stopping at the Burger King drive-thru for breakfast. Just over a year ago, I was smoking. Just last week, I couldn't run as far as I ran today. And damn - I'm already down 50 pounds from my weight at the beginning of 2009, and I'm down 14.5 pounds from a month ago! So what if I didn't lose much (or any) weight this week? I just put on an old pair of pants that isn't tight anymore. I ran longer and faster today than I did all week. My friends are amazed at my persistence. My husband thinks I'm sexy, and, well - I just feel good!

And today, I say -- that's plenty reward for me.