This week was better in how it showed up on the scales. I dropped the three pounds that I had gained last week plus half a pound more. That's a total of 24.6 pounds. I am happy with this.

I am still having a problem with excess fluid. As I have said before, my naturopathic doctor and I have been working on this problem. I have the ability to retain over 10 pounds, up to 20 on occasion, of fluid at times. My feet and legs are horrible like elephant legs with piggy feet, and then given a few weeks the fluid goes down to a normal five pounds excess. Historically I simply have an extra five pounds of fluid all the time. I could get rid of it with daily doses of diuretics, but usually I just lived with it. In part of my medical wholeness, we have been trying to find the cause of this and other pain and fluid problems--it could be an autoimmune disease. It is more likely morphed Fibromyalgia. But we are working on discovering the problems. Part of what I am taking is suppose to reduce the fluid without depleting the body of things it needs--it is not a diuretic. But it has been doing its job because I have only three pounds rather than 10-15-20. I did finally take a diuretic last evening. If I hadn't, I would have had a gain once again. Therefore, I do not believe that .6 pounds is the true loss for the past two weeks.

Evidence: while I can't tell a difference this week in the weekly picture, I see it at other times.

• I have noticed that I have some bones in my shoulders on occasion.
• When I put on the same each weigh-in week blouse and skirt, I noticed that the blouse tended to fall straight down across my hips rather than show a bulge on each side.
• Movement is a bit easier; walking is not as big a deal. I had to walk the four blocks home from the bus stop a few nights ago and actually enjoyed it.

So I have lost almost 25 pounds. I am feeling good and pleased with myself, although disappointed that what I am doing is not showing up in traditional ways. I still have some fluid problems but am sludging my way through :) It is all about the journey, isn't it?