Thanks for the encouraging words. I have done well today with my protein day. I do hope this is all just water due to extra sodium from eating out so much.

Renee-That's got to be discouraging that you have to wait so much longer now to have those tests done. Hang in there! I'm excited for you and your loose pants

Grady-Is it okay that I still call you Grady? Old habits are hard to change Your plan of eating sounds good. I wonder, though, if maybe you've been keeping your carbs too low? I felt stuck at 30g for soooooo long, and never could quite figure out how to raise them, although I never felt quite right at that low of level. But when I finally just cut back a little on the calories and jumped my carbs (not incrementally) up to 60g per day, I found that the weight fell off, and once my body got into fat-losing mode, I was able to significantly raise the calories as well. It might be something to consider, b/c I don't think it is something you've done before, but I could be wrong

Unity-Welcome! It's very nice to meet you. I am not that much different from you in age (26), but I am single and don't have any kids yet That's great that you homeschool your kids. I am a teacher. A lot of people here who have difficulty getting in their protein have used protein powders to help make sure they get enough. You've come to a great place!