Week 3 in the books....and scale said...199.0. Officially below 200...again, but a smallish loss of 1 lb brings my total to 6.2 lbs. Not unhappy, but I think I know why it was only 1 lbs....I have gotten in the habit of having a couple of low carbs beers each night the last 7 days, which only 5.2 total carbs each night, but that may have slowed me down. This week I will again cut out all alcohol and see if I drop more.

Besides the low carb beer, I was good last week, with the only other deviation being the sightly sweet salad dressing the DW makes with balsamic vinegar on occasion. I worked out pretty much on schedule, and my energy levels during the workouts seems to be consistently better now.

As I have gone up and down between 230 ( at my worst) and 185 several times, I know all the milestones.
- Above 220 36 pants no longer fit and towards 230 38 pants can even be snug. Stomach is prominent and my face starts to show the weight. Thank good I have only been there once, but I have 3 pairs of 38 pants to prove it.
- Between 210-220 36 pants start to feel snug to uncomfortable, and my gut starts to protrude out past chest and the love handles are, well, handles.
---------The above I will definitely never visit again---------
- Between 205 and 210 36 pants fit, and the gut and love handles, although present, can rationalized.
- Between 200 and 205 is where the gut starts to retract, a faint outline of the stomach muscles starts to appear, and the love handles begin to look smallish.
- Between 195 and 200 is where the stomach starts to look 'flat', stomach muscles are more noticeable, 36 pants start to have a little extra room, and love handles are now fading.
- Between 190 and 195 the stomach muscles are visible (3-pack ), the love handles are nothing but small rounded areas where the torso meets the hips, and at the lower end 34 pants start to fit.
- Between 185-190, I look very fit, 34 pants fit well, 3 rows of stomach muscles are visible, and my face ha thinned slightly.

If someone told me I would stay below 200 for ever I would be satisfied, but below 190 is where I should live. I just need to keep making the right decision once I get there, step up on the scale a few times a week, and look at myself honestly in the mirror in the morning (if definition in my stomach is fading, the weight is adding).

Well, enough of my cathartic rambling. On to week 4.