Week 29. About seven months in. Two weeks ago I had my first up week, and I followed it up by being really regimented with exercise and food, and it worked. This week was a different story.

The food

This week included a shawarma poutine (delish), and for the first time since March I went back to my favourite restaurant, Oddbird in St. Catharines. Alright Robyn and I split a chicken sandwich, "sweet and sassy" the way she likes it, plus truffle fries. Their fries are awesome. There was also a wild pork French toast dessert. None of this sounds like Health Happenings, does it?

There were healthy meals too: fresh local lettuce and carrots in salads, and steaks and chicken on the barbecue with the Right Choice crew.

The result

Up about two pounds. I'm not where I want to be, and I don't want to see the 180s again. I want to get into the 170s and fluctuate there.

Perspective

I had some great conversations with people this week who told me: don't beat yourself up over a little fluctuation. We've come a long way, around 70 pounds. Before this journey my diet was probably 80 to 90 percent junk and 10 to 20 percent healthy. This week tilted a little more toward the unhealthy side and it showed right away on the scale. That's actually useful information.

This up week isn't going to pull me down. I'm going to recover from it and do my best to improve this week.

Joe is not a doctor or a dietitian. This is his personal journey. Talk to your healthcare provider before making big changes to your diet or exercise.