Doing Something Right

I am not sure what I am doing differently this month, but I am definitely doing something right.  The other day, I stepped on the scale and expected it to read around 240 or above.  Every month, when I enter the last week of my cycle, I start retaining fluids.  And that can mean a weight gain of 3-4 pounds (it used to mean a weight gain of 7-10 before surgery).  But what I saw was 239.2 (followed the next day with 238.8).  I am trying to figure out exactly what I am doing different this month from last.  I have to wonder if I am just that much more active (I walk to and from work almost every day now and don't necessarily go directly to my office).  Although that explanation doesn't seem like it would be the answer since I just returned from Florida over Thanksgiving break and I spent a total of 5 days in the car (very little activity, indeed!). 

The other thought that has occurred to me is the epiphany that I had last month about carbs and the end of my cycle.  Now that I am fully aware of those cravings, am I now being more careful about what I eat?  Is it possible, that even though I am allowing myself to enjoy those carbs, I am somehow changing the way I consume them that prevents the bloating and water retention?  I am not really sure about that.  But I am not going to complain or try too hard to analyze it.  If I can managed to continue to lose weight all the way through my cycle, instead of having that backstep for a week that reverses itself when "Auntie Flow" arrives, I will be happy indeed.  As it is, I have understood that for that week every month, I just had to wait it out and as long as I had a net loss after the beginning of my cycle, all was good (and yes, all 7-10 pounds would literally drop the second "she" arrived - it's a very disconcerting cycle).

At any rate, I am quickly approaching having lost my high school weight!  Less than 6 pounds and I will have lost what I weighed for most of my high school career.  Now, I will never again weigh what I did then, it is below my healthy weight range.  But I am thrilled to know that I am gaining on where I need to be.  As of yesterday, I have less than 75 pounds left to lose (wow, I didn't figure that out until just this moment!).  I am fast approaching what was my highest weight before I married the first time.  Once I reach and surpass that weight, I will KNOW I am in the homestretch!  It's so hard to believe all that has changed in the last year!