This is a literal snapshot of the progress I’ve made since my surgery in January. As you can see, I’ve lost 28.2 pounds.

You can tell by looking at the graph that my weight loss rate has slowed, which is no surprise to me. Since I began Stage 5, which is pretty much all foods except bread, I’ve had difficulty staying inside my calorie range.

I attribute the difficulty at least partially to my change in job status. Now that I’m teaching again, I have far less time for tracking food and habits, so my records are a lot less accurate than they had been. I actually lost my 72-day tracking streak, and have had to start over on a new streak. I’m on Day 15.

I’m perpetually exhausted because I can’t tolerate my mask for more than a few hours a night.

My appetite has returned, so I find myself hungry more often, even if it’s more of an emotional type of hunger than the real thing.

I am more stressed out, which sometimes drives me to eat more, as well.

Working full time, I feel I have no time left for anything else. While I’d love the ability to work part time instead, it is just not a reality for me.

I do still go to the gym almost daily.

I see plenty of non-scale changes, such as clothing sizes, belt notches, and the shape of my face. Stairs are easier. I can bend forward to tie my shoes and put on socks without getting winded.

In conclusion, I am still losing weight, but at a much slower pace than I was initially. I’m doing my best to boost my rate by tracking, but I rarely finish the day under 1100+ calories. I continue to notice non-scale indicators of progress.

The End

By Leah Taylor