(Note to readers: This is not a "starting over" post because I have not stopped anything. It's a "knuckling down" post.)

See that headline up there? That's totally what I should have named my blog because THAT IS WHAT I DO. And it has gotten me nearly nowhere.

I say "nearly" because I am crushing it in the strength training and working out component of all this, and I have actually gotten smaller. People who haven't seen me in awhile say nice things, to which I reply:

"Thanks? I guess?"

Every now and then I'll step on the scale and jump off all angry. It has not budged.

So, why.

I'm a big fan in the laws of thermodynamics because

So, my guess is there are too many calories going in and not enough going out. I'm not even gonna B.S. you with the "muscle weighs more" or "the hormones" or every other excuse I've used over the years.

Why do I say "highly distracted"?

Gurl, have you

seen my

home office?

Those are all fitness and diet books and workout DVDs.

There are a few quote-unquote diet gurus I really trust, one of whom is Dr. Ian Smith. Yes, he's on TV a lot and writes a lot of diet books. But he's a Harvard/Columbia/University of Chicago-trained physician and his philosophy is delightfully nonsense free. 

I decided after "winging it" for too long that I need to follow something (and not for three days). 

So I'm starting Day 3 of Dr. Smith's "Shred" book. There's nothing magical about it, but what I like about it is that he switches the size and variety of the meals around, which makes my ADD-addled brain happy.

 Plugging a random laundry list of healthy food into My Fitness Pal is absolutely fine if you're maintaining your weight or trying to get a handle on how many calories you consume in a day. I'm doing this because I need to trust his process right now instead of my "non-process."

"Hmm, what can I eat?" as I stare into the fridge, and like some saddlebagged Glinda the Good Witch I reply "Why, you can eat whatever you want within reason, dear!" 

"You've always had the superfoods -- now go sprinkle hemp seeds on everything!" 

As Dr. Phil says "How's that workin' for ya?"

It wasn't.

So now I have a plan, in a book full of bookmarks. And I am promising myself that I will follow this plan for AT LEAST a month (not three days) to see if it works for me. I never really give anything enough time to embed into my life because I want miracle results now. (Aaaaand, I get another diet book in the mail that promises to be THE ANSWER). 

OK, Dr. Smith, you're with me this month. Let's see how it goes.