What's changed?

Well, that is a tough one because in order for me to answer that, I have to go back and look at the past posts. Because, I am not really concerned with change anymore. Obama can screw that up, I mean, worry about that for me.

• I changed my chili recipe. I use it as a main meal now because I can prepare it in quantity and keep it frozen until needed. If I am lazy that day, or just need to do something else, I can grab it and heat it up in a few minutes without fuss.

My chili recipe doesn't have sausage in it anymore. I had to switch over to turkey or chicken sausage, and I don't really like either one that much. I will buy and eat other sausage in my other meals, but not add it to the chili.
I also don't use two different kinds of beef. I use ground beef now because I like the way it works smoothly into the chili. I still make up a batch with just beef cubes, but I don't mix them.
I don't add spinach to the mix anymore. I will make a stew with spinach, beef cubes, and beans, but it won't be chili.
I do add celery, onion, and carrots now on a regular basis. I also still use Lima beans and corn once in awhile. I can use them in other foods separate from chili now.
Chili was my main meal every day for awhile since it had all of the main food groups in it, and it is easy for me to prepare, but now, I am working towards incorporating other foods into my diet.

• I started to lose weight again. My plateau is now over. This is the first plateau, not the last. I started cutting back on quantity of some meals. I standardize some meals, and change things only once in awhile. This works for me, so I do it.
• I don't bother with the scale as much as I did. Since I started working out, I am not concerned as much with weight as I am with fitness. I want to feel strong and feel good.
  
• I am not too worried about my looks. I have some sagging, and I can see that I will have a lot more to worry about soon, but I am looking so much healthier than I did. I've seen some folks lose weight too fast (non-bariatric people) and they look like death warmed over, even though they are healthy. I am concerned with making sure I lose at a rate that doesn't allow that to happen to me. I will worry about cosmetics in the future. Not my concern now.
• I passed another round of blood tests with flying colors. I am now a fanatic about making sure I stick to my diet, and vitamin/mineral plan in order to be the best that I can be.
• I really am starting to believe that I can finish this successfully. This is the first time I can remember feeling like this. I am sticking to my exercise plan, and not feeling like I'm going to die anytime soon. Yippie!

So, what's next? Well, for now, I will continue to move forward, and not worry about when I'll get there.