2 weeks later...

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I last posted here. What's been happening? Am I still on the diet? Am I losing weight? The basic answer is yes. The detailed answer is that last week I wasn't feeling well, and neither was my computer.

I started experiencing stomach problems on Oct. 23rd after my birthday dinner. It was a delicious dinner, but I felt so miserably full, and the feeling stayed for hours, until the food exited my stomach (in the wrong direction). Problems continued for a couple of weeks so I decided it was important to check it out. After seeing a doctor I am on the way to feeling better...but not there yet.

As a result, my exercise was limited and I haven't followed the same eating rules as before. When your stomach is easily upset, diet rules go out the window. The only thing that matters is what works. I ate foods that felt right, and I ate the amount that worked. Tracking carbs or calories was pointless, but my food diary included the amount I ate, what time, and how I felt afterwards. Since I couldn't eat a lot, I wasn't in danger of regaining weight. In fact my weight loss stayed about the same.

Exercise was a different matter. After one workout in which I did a different abs exercise my stomach hurt for a few days. It was hard to tell if my stomach pain was a result of my abs work or the stomach itself, so I stopped working out. And on some days I just didn't feel well enough to go for a long walk or attempt a good workout.

Things are looking up. A prescription for Prilosec has settled my stomach. So far, all tests have been negative. The hope is that the Prilosec will get my digestive process back on the right track. My current situation is that I feel fine as long as I eat small amounts, slowly. It is hoped that eventually I will be able to eat normally.

I really can't complain. Eating small amounts is the perfect prescription for weight loss. This experience confirms that it isn't What you eat, but how much that counts. It's true that I prefer the Atkins/low carbohydrate-high protein diet. It is easy for me to monitor my carb intake, and my body responds better to proteins than to carbs. I also find it hard to know what my calorie intake should be for good weight loss.

Now that I'm feeling better, I am back on track with my walking and my workouts, much to the happiness of my dog. I can get back to eating what I usually eat, just in small amounts. The downside is that I have gotten back to nibbling, which I was really trying to avoid. As for the weight? I am under 140 for the first time in years. I've bounced between 137 and 139 for two weeks now, but I haven't seen 140 in a while. That is the best news, to me!

And my computer? After we fixed the router it was happy once again. My computer is happiest when it can reach out and touch the world. Just like me.