33 percent stronger than last week

That would be my biceps and triceps.

Yep, my inner badass took over at the gym yesterday. I went a teeny bit heavier on the Nautilus/Cybex machines, did pyramids on the ones I could easily change the weights on (Cybex makes it pretty handy) and did curls and kickbacks with 15-pound dumbbells. I thought I was awesome last week using 10s. Rawr.

I had a 10 a.m. meeting with a client and went to the gym afterward. I didn't eat before I left the for the meeting and I didn't eat at the meeting and I didn't eat after the meeting. By the time I watched 75 percent of an episode of Glee walked for 36 minutes on the treadmill I was completely outta gas. So I stopped.

I also had some horrible cramping when I was doing crunches on the exercise ball. Managed to do 50 percent of my goal of 50 before I had to stop.

[An aside, while we're speaking of percentages: Don't you love it when weather.com says there's a 20 percent chance of rain and it's absolutely POURING outside? Ah, but it will be sunny and 60 later today. At least that's what they're saying.]

Your comments really helped me yesterday. They always do, unless they're spam. But you don't leave spam. I love your comments. Feel free to leave more! It always helps to know one is not alone in one's frustration with one's weight. That's what this weight-loss blogging is all about, right? We're in it to win it – or in this case, to lose it – and we're in it together.

Gingerzingi, I studied the paleo plan and decided I wouldn't be able to live – yes, that's right, I would DIE  – without dairy. It isn't that I slug back big old glasses of milk at every meal, but I do enjoy yogurt and cheese, which are permitted on South Beach. And because my yogurt and some of my cheese is homemade by me in my kitchen with milk from the grass-fed cow down the road, I feel good about this choice.

It's not difficult to find whole-grain cereals, pastas and breads nowadays, but I clearly need to limit them. Heck if one is trying to lose weight, one should limit them. Starches = calories. And I have limited them. My weight was down two pounds this morning from yesterday, not because of anything I did yesterday (believe me, I made up for the lack of breakfast later in the day!), but because as we all know, weight loss is HARD. Oh, and it fluctuates on a daily basis.

I will never do everything perfectly as far as food and exercise go. I won't even pretend that's a possibility. I will continue to treat myself respectfully and know that, eventually, I will be rewarded.

Yeah, that sounds like a load o' crap, but it's a good message. If I don't remember it, maybe you'll be able to use it when you're in a tough spot.

You're welcome.