Day 11

Weight: 208.2

Holding at this weight...my body is stabilizing.

Dieting is such a hard thing to do, but when you are successful, it is one of the most empowering experiences you can have. I know it's a simple issue of mind over matter. I get to choose what my body receives, and I can choose to make the healthier choices that will cause my weight to drop.

The hardest thing about dieting for me is finding alternative ways to deal with stress. My favorite way to deal with stress is to go to a fast food joint and pick up some comfort food. Yesterday, I encountered a major challenge when I left my job. I resigned from my old job and will start a new job next Monday. Yesterday was my last day with the company that gave me my first job out of college. I have a huge network of friends there, and it was extremely difficult and emotional to leave it all behind. Trust me, Taco Cabana was calling my name from across the street. One of the good things about my new job is no fast food close by, but there are lots of tasty options around my old company. So instead of indulging in comfort food, I went to Dillard's and bought some smaller clothes that I know I'll fit into in 6 months. Then I went to McDonald's and enjoyed a Diet Coke. Believe it or not, Diet Cokes are a big treat now.

In the past 10 days, I have listened to a lot of music, am reading more, and have taken a lot of hot baths. These little "treats" are great for relieving stress. I need to find the healthy options for relieving stress and anxiety so that I don't fall back into bad habits after the weight is gone.