When a friend first brought this dietbet to my attention, I was interested, but had my doubts. I've struggled to lose weight for a long time and the progress has been VERY slow. So, I asked my husband what he thought and he replied "You can do it." I can't remember which of us brought up the following point: Whether I "win" the bet or not - I'll have lost some weight during the process, which is a win in itself.

So now, we're a little over 1/2 thru.. and it's been something. I'm working out hard and I'm watching what I eat like a hawk. I'm a foodie and in the past, I lamented when I didn't have variety (healthy, but variety!) in my diet. These last few weeks, I haven't really cared!! And it's nice, actually. I eat chicken every day, sometimes tuna. It doesn't bother me in the least. It tastes good, it's filling.

What I've found interesting is seeing how my body reacts to other foods. The weekend of the 14th was my bday. We ate out at a place that served a LOT of beef. Salty beef... it took me all week to get my weight back down to what it was before that dinner (cleansing that salt out). I did better this weekend - controlled myself at a party and only gained a few ounces the next morning. But a slightly naughty dinner added a few more.... salt is my enemy. Though, I realize it's a needed friend sometimes, too.

What I am learning is that when you do something like this contest, or those people that compete.. they can't slip up before the big day! If you're working to lose weight and want to see the big changes on the scale - then you have to make the big changes in what you eat. You do have to sacrifice.

I have to admit - I'm looking forward to the end of this bet. I need a break, lol. While I do plan on keeping up the intensity of my workouts, I'm going to increase my calorie intake a little for a couple of weeks. Right now, I'm thinking I'll be going up and down on it to keep my body guessing. But never below my BMR for more than one day.

I *really* want to win my bet because I just plain hate to lose (I won't even put a dollar in a slot machine at a casino). But, if I don't, I won't feel that bad because I have lost some weight and i have learned SO MUCH about my body and food. And I just might have broken some of the habits that I didn't like.