Well, this is my last self weigh-in before the BIG weigh-in (Friday) for my company’s “Biggest Loser” contest.

And actually, I’m doing okay!

I probably only lost 5-6 pounds total for the work contest (which puts me in dead last among the women!), but I’ve lost 12 pounds since Christmas! So I’m really happy about that. I finally fit back into my regular clothes comfortably. (**Deep sigh of relief.**)

So no crazy juice fasts or anything for me (and no big-bucks winnings!), but I feel like I’ve made some progress.

And even though the Biggest Loser competition ends Friday, I really have to keep going. I’ll set another 10-pound goal and go from there.

Good habits I’ve adopted that I have to keep going:

– Exercising every morning! — Yes, I truly kept it up! I didn’t think I would. I might have skipped one or two mornings here and there, but overall, I did a half hour of an exercise DVD at least 4-5 times a week. And the best part is that I actually enjoyed it. Who knew?

– Protein in the morning instead of something sweet — I think when I eat something sweet for breakfast, it puts me on a bad track all day, and I want lots of sugar and snacky things. So I began eating protein in the morning (egg or Greek yogurt), and it’s really helped. I’ve got to keep that up, too!

– Fruit desserts — I’ve got such a sweet tooth, it’s terrible. But I’ve been really enjoying lots of fruit lately instead of indulging in sugary snacks, and it’s making me crave the sugary stuff less. Ricky and I have discovered the joy of frozen grapes! We freeze two big bunches each week, and are basically battling each other for who gets to eat them first. Also, strawberries or bananas (with a just a tiny drizzle of chocolate if I’m wanting chocolate) are a delicious dessert. And cherries, which are in season now — yum.

Things I still need to work on:

– Exercise longer. To lose the next 10 pounds, I’m definitely going to have to bump up the exercise, at least by 20 minutes. So I’ll either get up earlier, and exercise for 40 minutes instead of 20. Or I’ll keep the same 20 mins in the morning but add another 20 mins in the evening (doing something different). Hmmm…

– Predinner snack. I need to come up with a good ready-made snack for after work, but right before dinner. This way, I won’t snack the whole time I’m making dinner for the family, and I won’t be so ravenous by the time dinner is on the table. Maybe a salad? veggies? almonds? green beans? I’ve got to find something.

The Biggest Loser competition has been really fun at work — I sort of hope they do another season. If so, I’m in!