Posted by Dorine King on July 11th, 2026 in Cooking Through the Seasons, Weight Loss Journey

Dare I?

Beginning My Weight Loss Journey—One Choice at a Time

Dare I?

I’ve been thinking about this for quite a while.

I keep a food journal…until I don’t.

I faithfully track my meals…until life gets busy.

I lose weight…and then I gain some back.

Last week I lost four pounds.

This week I gained 3.8 pounds.

Jeeze-Louise!

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you probably understand exactly what that feels like.  Welcome to my weight loss journey.

So, I’m doing something that makes me a little nervous.

I’m starting a blog about my own weight-loss journey.

This won’t be a blog about perfection. It won’t be a blog where I pretend I have all the answers. It will simply be my story—the ups, the downs, the frustrations, the small victories, and hopefully, some lasting success.

For those who don’t know me, I’m a member of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). Several months ago I switched from my local in-person chapter to a small virtual chapter. I miss seeing everyone face-to-face, but joining the virtual group gave me something I needed: more focus and fewer distractions. There are only six of us, and we’ve become a wonderfully supportive little community.

This blog will follow my weight loss journey through the rest of 2026.

My goal isn’t dramatic. By December 31, I’d simply like to be ten pounds lighter than I am today. Slow and steady is perfectly fine with me.

This week I printed a TOPS Food Journal and taped it to my refrigerator door. I’m also continuing to log everything into Carb Manager. For now, I’m using both. I’m filling in my food exchanges, weighing and measuring portions, and trying to become more mindful of every bite that goes into my mouth.  I’m also counting the different plants I eat and aiming for 15 each day.

Will I do it perfectly?

Absolutely not.

But I’m learning that consistency beats perfection every single time.

One little note from my recent TOPS meeting is now hanging on my refrigerator. Before I grab something to eat, I’m trying to pause and ask myself three simple questions:

• Is this aligned with my values?
• How will I feel afterward?
• Is this building my restraint skills…or weakening them?

Those questions have become more important to me than calories alone.

Tools that Help Me in my Weight Loss Journey

Along the way I’ll share the tools that help me, the apps I use to track my food, sleep, movement, and weight, along with recipes, photos, and whatever else I discover that makes this journey a little easier.

Mostly, though, I’ll be sharing the truth.

Because I have a feeling I’m not the only one who’s ever lost four pounds one week…and gained almost all of it back the next.

If that’s you, welcome.

We’ll figure this out together.

This Month’s Diffuser Blend                   This Month’s Feng Shui Tip

Since I’m posting this on the New Moon, if you’d like to check out more about the New Moon’s Energy — Embracing the New Moon: A Time for Reflection, Renewal, and Self-Care