The Tedious Nature of Consolidation Periods

I hit a yearly low this morning but by less than a pound; I remain maybe 1.5 pounds over a symbolic weight target. I could take it out if the new whoosh sustains another couple of days; the good news is my recent bounce highs are a couple of pounds off a long-time low. This year has been a struggle; I keep my daily weigh-ins on a spreadsheet, and I'm only down about 16 pounds since late February. While that's good, it's still a drop in the bucket when I need to drop another 100 pounds. Since Oct. 18, I've had a couple of bounces up maybe 2-3 pounds off the new low; the current drop is after 3 days of peaking off the latest bounce; I'll probably know in my informal late evening weigh-in if the whoosh will continue. If I'm down off my morning weigh-in, chances are it'll stick overnight. It's not a guarantee; I've been eating a late snack off my swing shift (lately, it's been sardines and a handful of nuts; other times I've sometimes make a soup using leftover chicken breasts with some shirataki noodles); I carry one or 2 protein bars during my work shift.

I think one of the most discouraging things is that I haven't lost enough for others to note specifically. There are slight changes in clothing I've noticed--I've had to tight my belt one or 2 notches and shirts I bought earlier this year seem to be a little looser around the shoulders.

I know I need to upgrade my exercise regimen. To be fair, I do climb the stairs up and down to the second-floor facility where I work. I've occasionally walked to and from another work facility a few hundred yards down the road. The temperature has cooled down from 3-digit daily summer highs (like 114-120). I'm getting ready to join a gym again, but I need to buy new workout gear, plus I need to study for a major certification exam soon.

I'm very skeptical, short of a food allergy or similar health condition, of banning foods from one's diet, e.g., the paleo diet's prohibition of wheat/gluten and legumes. What I do do is limit my consumption of said foods and usually combine them with other foods, like protein. I have developed some recent dietary habits like a teaspoon of coconut oil in my morning coffee and a dash of apple cider vinegar in my low-calorie beverages.