Recap: The good, the bad and the ugly

Hello all! I would love to say that I am a svelte 200 lbs., and everyone was so amazed at their wonderful health, they all switched out to Paleo and Crossfitting. No such luck. Let's start with the kids. Both came through unscathed. The Peanut is still a major sugar junkie. He did find out the hard way that grains hurt his tummy. He thought he would be slick and sneak a cookie. He got caught by his PaPa, then the little booger ran up to tell me that he offered PaPa a cookie, and that PaPa tried to give him one. Oh what a tangled web we weave... He did eat the cookie he snatched, and got a day long belly ache for his trouble. The Pookers on the other hand, was a trooper. He doesn't have a sweet tooth, so the lack of sweet treats weren't such a big deal to him. He just kept track of the days until Hardcore Paleo was over, and took everything in stride. We broke HP with some Paleo cinnamon rolls (OK, all that sugar isn't even close to Paleo), and the determination that sugar is a factor in wild child behavior is confirmed. It was bad with both of them (the Peanut more so). The kids really thought that when "Mom's Paleo kick" was over, they were back to toast, sandwiches, and treats, boy were they surprised. As for me, I let daily stresses rule me. Instead of being logical, I was emotional. I let old time habits take control, using Paleo foods. I did stay sugar light (only fruits), so much so, that my favorite chocolate bar (74%) was far too sweet, and didn't taste very good. I am still staying away from sweet foods (although the cinnamon rolls were tasty, with tons of butter...). My exercise program went kaplooey, mainly due to knee pain. Jillian is a great workout, but she is hard on knees. I can do 30 seconds of jumping jacks with no stops (good), and now I can do plank jacks too! When I wasn't doing Jillian, I did Burpees, with some modifications, adding plank twists and plank jacks. I worked up to 9 Burpees, and would like to be able to do more, so I will keep at them. I also used bicycle crunches for an ab workout. As far as weight loss goes, I am no better off. Still hovering at 224 (that sucks). I only lost inches around my shoulders, which seem to just move to my belly. Where to from here? In March, I am doing another round of hCG. In the mean time, I am going to revamp my menu (again). I am subtracting eggs from my diet. I am also going to continue to stay away from sugar. I have been drinking coffee excessively, and am going to add more water, reducing the amount of coffee I am drinking. Winter is a hard time to increase water, which I think is more mental than anything else. With the cold weather, coffee just seems better, and water is for when it's hot and you are thirsty. But, in all actuality, we need just as much water during the winter as we do in the summer. Gurgle, gurgle... I am also going to limit my portions (ever hear that one before????). My food will consist of lean proteins and veggies. I am going to keep my fruits limited to 2 servings (oranges or strawberries), and go fat light. I tend to use too many condiments, in large servings. I do love my condiments. But, like sweet treats, baked goods, flavored coffees, and all other yummy goodies, they aren't going any where, and I can have them again some other time. You can't live with an everything or nothing attitude. Sure, I have removed grains from my diet, but have found substitutes that I can enjoy on a now and then basis. We always hear "moderation is the key". Yes and No. Yes, treats and such can be moderated to a point. For me, food is my drug of choice. I have to eat, everyone does. For me, there are tons of foods that I have to moderate, then there are foods that I can go to town on, mainly, veggies (the green type). Food is always a work in progress. Some are good ole standbys, again, veggies. Some are necessary, but must be limited, starches and proteins. And some must be avoided, but with reason, for me, it's grains, legumes, sugar, and most processed foods. In the end it's all about common sense.