Weigh-In: 222

The end of the last three months are thus:
May-->225.4
June-->223.4
July-->222.0

I only restricted calories for half the month in June, and this past month was the first full month of restriction. I'm one pound over where I was the year before, when I lost weight from the stress of leaving my job situation at the time.

By the end of last August, I added 2.5 lbs, so the end of this month will be a moment of truth. If I go below 221 when I weigh in September 1st, I'll:

1. be the lightest in recent recorded history and more importantly, 
2. be breaking the cycle of losing weight in the summer and putting it back on through August.

I don't think I'm ready for another visit to the nutritionist quite yet, but I am a little disappointed by this result. I thought I would have lost more....and maybe I did. I increased the intensity of the free weights I've been lifting twice a week and my arms, chest, midsection and back have never felt sturdier - though you wouldn't be able to tell under the layer of blubber that smooths it out. Perhaps if I continue to gain muscle & definition as I lose weight, there will be a relatively sudden transformation when I go from:

After a bike ride a few months ago

to:

After lifting weighs, recently

So, I'm going to do two things:

• I'm going to reduce my calorie intake further to the nutritionist's original recommendation of 2,200-2,350 calories a day. In a few months, if I am not seeing the results expected (and I have not, in all honesty, busted my calorie budget more than a few times), I will seek another consultation.
• If I gain weight but lose fat because of muscle growth, how will I know? This is how. I wish I had a Tanita scale over the last 2 years to track the fat percentage ratio of my body, it might of made today's weigh-in a more celebratory (and definitely more data-driven and geeky) day.

THE COUNT: 2165
The first day of eating at the nutritionist's recommendation left me hungrier in the evening, but didn't prevent me from falling asleep.

AM SNACK: 8:30am, iced green tea, 25 cal

BREAKFAST: 9:30am,  Heritage Os and whole milk, 300 cal


LUNCH: 11:30pm, whole wheat spaghetti with sauteed spinach, homemade tomato sauce and turkey meatballs, 810 cal


AFTERNOON SNACK: 1pm, small slice of homemade wholewheat pizza, +/- 100 cal
Visiting C and her toddler daughter in Bed Stuy, came in just as they were pulling a pizza out of the oven they made together. Would have been the height of silliness to not eat with them just for the sake of the calorie count.


AFTERNOON SNACK: 4:30pm, kosher dill pickle, 10 cal


DINNER: 6pm, Stouffer's French bread pizzas, 7oz diet sprite, 740 cal


EVENING SNACK: 9:45pm, popcorn, 180 cal