Measured today...

So, I make my first goal, and in a moment of stupidity, I indulged in some Paleo crunch and ham (remember I wasn't going to eat pork or processed foods?), then, just to make things TONS of fun, my girly time kicked in 2 weeks early, all this culminated in a 5 lb. gain! Suddenly, my first goal is in the garbage, and has to be regained (in a losing manner). Of the 5 I gained, I lost 1. Oh boy, I had my work cut out for me. On a weird note, although I gained, I lost. I am thinner, even with the extra weight/bloating. I am now into my size 16s (the bigger 16s as opposed to my smaller 16s). This morning, I woke up to a 2.8 lb. loss! I went ahead and took some measurements, and I am down another 6.5", bringing my total inches lost to 26" overall. Very exciting! Today, we are taking the boys to their skating lesson, and will stay for a skating session. I haven't been this thin on skates since my teen years (I'll be 47 next month), so this should be interesting. There are a couple of caveats to today's plans. First: the 2 hours of skating (a very good cardiovascular exercise and good for core strength) will probably cause me to retain water in my muscles (causing a weight stall) and second: Today is a skip day, which notoriously causes me to stall for a day or two. I use the skip days (days I don't take my hCG, usually once a week) to make sure I don't become immune to hCG. So, as I stand now, I have just over a pound to lose to get to my first goal(again), then I can head to 191 and beyond. It can all be so frustrating. On a positive note, I am not so bummed about the pork and processed meat, as I can truly see the damage it does to my body now. Seeing what happened after what seemed a minor cheat, makes me more determined to stay the course, and stay POP (perfectly on protocol) for the duration of my hCG. In May, I will reevaluate whether or not to invest in another bottle of hCG, and extend my round to 80 days. I feel I have to get to at least 175 (I feel 160 to 175 is optimal for me), on this round. Maybe, I am just being greedy, but sometimes you have got to extend yourself a bit (not in a dangerous, health threatening manner), and be brave enough to jump the shark (Happy Days fans will know what I mean). Remember, focus (not willpower) is the key. Keep on keeping on.