After a hot start in my first week of Food Blogger vs. Fat, things slowed down for me as my weight stayed the same between Weeks 1 and 2. Week 3 was all about getting back on track.

The Successes

For the first time since I started I current wellness plan, I recorded seven consecutive days of exercise – a total of 15.14 miles walking for the week.

It started on Saturday – weigh-in day. After a flat week, I decided to start off in a big way: a 3.67 mile walk along the Rebers Bridge Connector Trail.

Starting from the parking lot at Rebers Bridge, we walked west along the trail to the entrance of the Blue Marsh stilling basin. It’s a hilly walk with about 120 feet in elevation change, but a rewarding one as well.

We stopped short of the ascent to the Visitors Center, about another .25 miles further along the trail, saving that for another day.

The weather this week could not have been better, and it was evident along the trail with the beautiful flowers that were starting to poke up.

Following up on our Saturday success, Julie and I ventured out on a 3.5 mile walk on Sunday.

We were visiting my parents in Robesonia so we did a walking loop that we used to do when we were still dating, climbing the hill around the former Robesonia Furnace property before descending along Freeman Street and returning by the Conrad Weiser Middle School.

I walked every day during my lunch break at work, except Wednesday when Julie and I instead did a 2.5 mile walk into West Reading.

The Challenges

On Tuesday night, I was at Citizens Bank Ballpark for my first Philadelphia Phillies game of the season.

I was in a Club Box with my colleagues from work, staring at a mini smorgasbord of cheesesteak, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken fingers, potato salad and coleslaw.

With my Lose It app by my side, I made the healthiest decisions I could – vegetable dippers for an appetizer, two sliders, one chicken finger and a heap of coleslaw: 800 total calories. I did so well with my afternoon walk and my lunch that I was able to splurge for a slice of brownie for dessert.

Thursday night, I had to navigate another minefield at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Avoiding the hot dogs and churgers, I opted instead for a bowl of chili and chips from Pauline’s Soups, leaving me with enough calories for a hot chocolate to warm up with.

The Results

So did the exercise get the job done? Or did I overdo it at the ballpark?

Current Weight: 182.6
Weekly Weight Loss: -3.8
Weight Loss Since Start: -6.8

After a slow week, it was a fantastic result. But I would prefer to be losing at a more gradual pace. I was almost 2,000 calories under my weekly budget. This week, I want to be much closer to my goal number in hopes to be closer to the one-pound mark.

The Week Ahead

Weigh-in day is Saturday so I consider it the start of my new week. That means Easter Dinner (or more appropriately, two Easter dinners) on Sunday. And Wednesday evening I will be at a networking event at Dave & Buster’s in Plymouth Meeting – not exactly the healthiest place to grab dinner.

There’s also a little more trouble in the forecast with rain expected, especially during the second half of the week. That could slow down my walking and force me to use the exercise bike (blah).