Turning a corner

108.8. That's what the scale read this morning. I haven't weighed that amount since the mid '90s. That's what make it feel extremely surreal. I should be overjoyed, and I think I am, but still, a fog surrounds it. I definitely like how the weight loss has changed my shape and allowed my muscles to be more pronounced, but I know I still have further to go. I've lost the weight by living on fewer calories, among other strategies like exercise and following a certain numbers of carbs, protein and fat. My current calorie range is 1,300 - 1,400 which is not a lot and requires strict adherence to the right foods which I'm still experimenting with. Typical bodybuilders eat the same things day after day, leading up to a competition and I thought that sounded really dreary. But I believe I now finally understand it. It's very difficult to consume a day's worth of food and stay on target in all areas. So eating the same meals each day that are properly composed of the right nutrients subtracts any uncertainty, guesswork and error. Also, Glenn has preached blandness to me and I thought I could prove him wrong, that I could find tasty add-ons for flavor to make things more palatable. Wrong! I tried teriyaki - no! it has sugar. I tried salsa - no! it has sugar. Really, the only additions I can use are vinegar and mustard. That's it. Food for fuel, he says. Fine, I'm there. It's taken me about 5 months to wrap my head around this notion but I've arrived at last. I'm not thrilled about it either. But I'm going to keep reminding myself that this is a finite period for which I need to adhere to these rules. It's about 12 more weeks, taking me to the second competition. My energy level is dropping, so I need to adjust to that, too. I see naps in my near future. And tylenol. And mood swings. And more bitching here. I've been warned about all this, but being the perverse person I am, I thought I could dodge it somehow. Not a chance.