Inspired

My New Year's Resolution has generally been to not make any resolutions. But I just finished reading a fellow blogger's post that has inspired me to get back in control. I haven't totally lost control, but I am losing it! Unless a person has known me for at least ten years, it is hard for them to believe the path I have been down. October 1997, I tipped the scale at 210 pounds. This was at the Doctor's visit that led to the cancer diagnosis. Chemotherapy left me with mouth sores that kept me from eating. I survived on Cream of Tomato soup and lost about 30 pounds. For some reason, chemo also changed the taste buds so that for awhile chocolate or anything sweet turned my stomach. Over time, I gained back about 10 pounds of what I had lost.

Eventually, I saw a copy of the Adkins diet book. I couldn't do Adkins, but I did cut out a lot of the sugar and other carbs. Over a period of about 14 months, I dropped down to 128 pounds. That was a psychological milestone for me. I remember being a chubby kid and being weighed at the end of 5th grade and weighing 128. As an adult, I was too thin at that weight and looked sick. I added some more carbs back to my diet. For a long time, I stabilized at around 135 and that was great. I tried to watch it pretty closely and stayed within a 10 pound range (130 - 140).

For the last several months, the sugar addiction has been hitting in full force. I am a closet addict. People normally do not see me eat the sugary things I love, but the results are there for all the world to see, like any addiction. I have not hit 145 yet, but if I do not regain control, I will. Then 150 and then, who knows. So, for that reason, I am breaking down and making a resolution for 2008.

I resolve to regain control of my addiction to sugar. I will return to what worked for me. I will "graze" on fresh fruits and vegetables during the day and eat a balanced meal at night. I will maintain my weight within my acceptable 10 pound range. When I was "grazing", I developed great metabolism and was able to indulge now and then without going off the deep end. I want to get back to that point. No, I will get back to that point.

Here's to a great 2008 for all of us!