Six days into my campaign and already I have achieved my first milestone (-3 lbs.). I celebrated by eating half a lemon-filled donut in the morning and feasting on a bowl of popcorn in the evening (light on the salt and butter). As good as that donut tasted, I stopped halfway through and imagined how much better off I’d be if I threw the other half away. Bravely, I proceeded to do so. The decision felt like a victory the next day.

Since I’m not really following a specific diet, I’ve decided to stay away from using that term for now. Here are my self-evaluation grades for the first week.

Steps on Fitbit B+ (there is still room for improvement on the weekend) Additional Exercise A- (all seven days, hoping for warmer weather soon) Portion Control B (made some good choices with salads instead of pasta) Water intake B+ (added additional 16 oz bottle daily) Snacking B- (still fighting this one; overall good result for week) Cheating C (2 notable incidents; still able to limit the damage) Devotion C (room for improvement; credit for desire to continue)

Morale is high. I’m looking forward to see what the next week brings.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:24-26) NIV