Second week in and still going strong. I didn't go to the gym as much this week, but I did continue the eating plan I explained last week- primarily fruits and vegetables for 2 meals and a reasonably healthy meal once a day. Yesterday was a little more lax because it was my mom's birthday. My husband and I drove home to surprise her. Although fun, a day of mexican, pizza, brownies, and ice cream played out. I did actively try to manage my portions and I didn't feel nearly as guilty as I thought I would. (This has been a huge problem before.) I know that I have been doing well and I know that I have what it takes to continue doing well, so there was no reason for me to feel like I ruined things for myself. The best part is that even with yesterday, I still lost weight this week! It wasn't nearly as much, but it is still a victory! In total, I have lost 8.2 pounds. I will admit that I am a little bit apprehensive about this week, as I started my cycle yesterday... which usually lasts about a week. I seem to binge eat most during this time every month, and find it harder to exercise. I'm just going to do the best I can. :) I'm hoping to go into my history a little bit more in the next few blog posts as well. Today I will just say that I have been struggling with this for a while. My current motivation to create a healthier lifestyle is in hopes for having a healthy pregnancy down the road... my husband and I aren't planning on having kids for a least a couple more years, but my health and weight is something I need to start working on now.