This month was a tough one and it shows. I weighed in on Friday and my weight-loss for the month was just five pounds. I know that is still a perfectly acceptable number, and I know how hard this month was, so I am trying not to beat myself up over it. But I can help but be disappointed.

The big thing is that my boyfriend is working out of state for 3 1/2 months. While he is gone, I plan to occupy my time without him by reaching one or maybe two major milestones. With a 29 pound weighloss, I will have lost 100 pounds total. But if I step it up a notch, and shoot for 41 pound weightloss, then I will be under 200 pounds for the first time in probably 15-16 years. So.... five pounds toward that goal. NOt bad. BUt it could have been better.

So... what was the issue. The hardest thing was the water retention. It was just flat out strange this time. I had a hard time with food, and sometimes struggled with liquid. The weird part is that I suddenly started experiencing acid reflux. After about two weeks, I was finally ready to go for an unfill when suddenly one day I went to the gym, I was down five pounds, I could eat, and the acid reflux went away. Which says to me.... water retention hit me again.

During this two weeks, I drank a lot of liquids. Some protein shakes, some flavored waters, a lot of chocolate milk and juice. I was trying to keep my blood sugar up. But I think there is every possibility that I drank too many calories?

I also had a very busy couple of weeks..... getting boyfriend ready for Alaska, spending all the time I could with him, and after he left...... working, taking care of my house, his house, the house we just bought, the veggie garden..... the kids just got out of school for the summer.... so it has been a little nuts around here. Which means some days my workouts are a little bit of yardwork. And I am the kind of person who doesn't lose weight without 5 days in the gym.

Those are the two biggest things I can identify. So..... this week, I am trying to get my life back to normal, which means all five days at the gym. And, I will try to increase my water consumption. That is super hard for me because I really hate water. That will only help slightly with the water retention, but I can't do much about the hormones.

My next weigh-in is July 9.....four weeks. This is another thing..... need to keep my eye on the next four weeks only.... not the 15 until the boyfriend comes home. Just four.