Built in Accountability . . .

Today's Herald Journal, my local newspaper, contains my first Hiking to Health article. (Sorry, it's not on-line.) I'm pleased with how they laid it out and their photo choices. It's nice. And binding.

There in black and white is my committment to take two snowshoe/hiking outings each month and write a monthly report of my progress. No wimping out now. I'm committed. Which was part of my plan all along.

Why is it that a promise to oneself is easy to break? But a promise made to others is more likely to be kept? I disappoint myself all the time by not doing what I know is best for myself. (As in yesterday's bowl of ice cream.) But I'll go to great lengths not to let someone else down.

Clearly on my path to better health I need to learn how to make and keep committments to myself. Anyone have experience learning how to do this? Any handy tips?

Dream Simple

Maybe you've noticed that I enjoy coming up with monthly motivational phrases. Last month's was -- Shut your mouth and live your life! A reminder to live a fulfilled life that will help prevent mindless eating. Or something like that.

For this month my motto is -- Dream Simple.

We've all been told to dream big. But dreaming big often backfires on me. I have a very vivid imagination and really enjoy creating a fully illustrated alternate reality in my head. That's when the over-achiever side of my personality takes over and outlines a series of steps necessary to achieve said gigantic dream. Those steps then morph into expectations, and pretty soon reality kicks in, perhaps in the form of a malfunctioning thyroid or an ovarian cyst from Hades, or just in the demands of raising a family and running a household. It seems that sooner or later I realize that the gigantic dream I'd created for myself isn't going to materialize.

How do you feel when you've taken steps to reach a goal and come up short? I'll be honest. I feel crappy. Demoralized. Defeated. Depressed.

Hence my new motto -- Dream Simple.

Here's the thing, dreaming, imagining wonderful things for yourself, feels great. I don't ever want to stop dreaming. But I'd like to stop feeling like a failure. Looking at my past experiences with dream drop-out, I can see that I aimed for the stars and landed in my backyard.

But is the backyard such a bad place to be? Not really. It's where our chicken coop is, where we get three fresh eggs every day. It's where I play fetch with my dog while I'm out doing chores. Come spring it's where our lilac plants will bloom, where the strawberries will come on, where the grass will need mowing, where the kids will lay out a blanket and read in the sun. And I'm going to join them.

I can see that these alternate realities I've been creating for myself often neglect to take into account current realities: kids, chores, husband, church callings, genetic predispositions. If I'm going to stop feeling like a failure, I'm going to need to start dreaming with the backyard in mind. Dreaming simple means considering where you're starting from, thinking about who you are and what brings you joy.

Joy. That's what dreaming simple is all about. Instead of aiming at joy, I can see that my dreams have been aiming for recognition.

Old habits die hard. Our family is in the process of creating individual history pages to add to my father-in-law's personal history book. I've been asked to write a one page summary of my life up until I got married. Sunday I dug through boxes in the basement and found a scrapbook I kept from middle school through high school. It's full of straight-A report cards, awards and certificates of recognition for everything from camp certification to English Sterling Scholar and valedictorian. If it extended into my college years it would be more of the same right up until I graduated and began my career as an at-home mom.

No wonder I've been making myself miserable. I spent the first half of my life seeking and getting recognition while overlooking the joy of the jouney. There is very little recognition, awards or certificates of achievement given to mothers. But there are countless daily joys.

Dreaming simple involves recognizing dreams that have come true and acknowledging blessings and gifts. Sometimes dreaming simple means imagining your life staying the same. Wow. That's a new thought for me, but a powerful one.

I don't need to dream about having a different life or being a different person (i.e. a skinnier one). I can dream about where my current life is taking me, dream about the joys that lie ahead. But most importantly, I can be grateful for this wonderful, simple dream that I'm living.

I Need the Power of the Pen!

It's Monday. The day I usually step on the scale. Well, this morning the number wasn't good. And I know why. I haven't been writing down what I eat or tracking carbs/calories.

When I keep a food journal or track what I eat, I inevitably lose weight. But when I wing it, I gain weight.

It works inversely for money. If you don't track your money, you lose it. And if you write down or keep track of what you spend, you're more likely to watch your savings account gain funds.

I'm fairly good at writing down what I spend. I'll just have to apply those same principles to tracking what I eat. Knowledge is power!

Getting it Together: Mind, Body and Soul

I had fun writing that letter to my mouth that I posted previously. But it didn't seem to make a big difference, other than getting me to think about what motivates my overeating.

I overeat for a lot of reasons, but reading Potatoes, Not Prozac, helped me come to realize that my body is set up to crave carbohydrates and sugar. My doctor also has acknowledged that my genetics have combined to give me a body super sensitive to sugar and carbs. The more I observe my body's response to trying to eat a low-carb diet, the more I've become convinced that I am a sugar addict.

I am struggling to overcome this addiction. And I'm having a hard time keeping my life in balance. When I'm totally focused on what I eat, I neglect doing the things that bring me joy, that bring me fulfillment.

Alcoholics Anonymous encourages recovering addicts to call upon a higher power. I have come to the realization that I need to do that too.

When I read Elder David A. Bednar's talk "Pray Always" from October's General Conference, a light bulb went on. He talked of how the Lord created all things spiritually before they were created temporally. And Elder Bednar said that we could use those same principles in our morning and evening prayers. As I continued to read his words, I came to understand how that might work to help me overcome my overeating tendencies.

As I've knelt to pray the past few mornings, I've asked for help in spiritually creating a day where I don't overeat. Where I eat three meals in gratitude. Meals I savor and enjoy. Meals that utilize the many foods that have been created for our nourishment and pleasure. I also plead for strength to stop eating when I'm full, when I'm satisfied. In my prayers I ask for the Lord's help in creating a day spent in His service.

By implementing Elder Bednar's counsel I've learned important things about the Lord and about myself. For starters, the Lord knows me and cares about how I feel. He is all about life and living, and for Him, the quality of our lives matter.

A big part of my motivation to lose weight and experience better health hinges on my future plans of serving a full-time mission for my church with my husband. That's looking ahead to our retirement years. The Lord is helping me see that good health will not only allow me to serve Him later, but also better serve Him now. When I feel good, I'm happy. And when I'm happy, I'm outgoing and helpful. I reach out to others, including my family, and radiate joy. (When I don't feel well, I don't radiate joy. Sometimes what I radiate is more along the lines of snippy and grumpy.)

I'm hopeful that with the Lord's help I'll get myself together -- mind, body and soul -- and overcome the weakness I have for sugar and carbs. I may never be skinny, but I'll be happy and healthy.

Happy and healthy is enough.

Book Review -- "Potatoes Not Prozac"

Potatoes Not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. is an interesting book with a stupid name. First, you must know that the title does not fit this book. This book isn't about finding alternatives to taking anti-depressants, it's about stabilizing blood sugar as a means to overcoming compulsive eating patterns and sugar addiction.

DesMaisons does talk about how eating lots of carbs stimulates the production of serotonin and beta-endorphin. She also illustrates how those who are sugar sensitive (which includes alcoholics) often find themselves trying to balance the mixed up levels of serotonin and beta-endorphin within their bodies using sugar or refined carbohydrates.

DesMaisons uses the following example to determine general sugar sensitivity:
Imagine you come home and go into the kitchen. A plate of warm chocolate-chip cookies sits on the counter just out of the oven. Their smell hits you as you walk in. You do not feel hundry. No one else is around. What would you do?

A person who is not sensitive to sugar would not eat a cookie. But someone sensitive (or addicted) to sugar would definitely eat a cookie. And probably more than one.

I'm a sugar sensitive person who is in recovery. Unlike alcoholics who take recovery one day at a time, a recovering sugar addict must take life one choice at a time. A body can live without alcohol, but it can't live without food, and food choices are all around us.

Here are the seven steps that DesMaisons advocates in her book:
1. Keeping a food journal
2. Eating three meals a day at regular intervals
3. Taking vitamins as recommended
4. Eating the recommended amount of protein at each meal
5. Adjusting your carbohydrate intake to include more complex foods
6. Reducing or eliminating sugars (including alcohol)
7. Creating a plan for maintenance

I have been doing all but one of these steps as I've begun a lower-carb lifestyle. Prior to reading this book I hadn't been eating three meals a day. I'd been eating smaller meals and then having balanced snacks (meaning eating carbs in tandem with protein). DesMaison's reasoning behind only three balanced meals seems logical. If someone is already sensitive to sugar, eating three meals that include plenty of protein allows them to keep their blood sugar nice and level and minimizes the frequency of facing food temptations.

I've been trying it for the past five days and have found it helpful. The first couple of days were challenging as I figured out how much to eat at a meal in order to tide me over to the next one. But for the past three days I've really enjoyed this new way of eating. I'm finding it a lot easier to keep my net carbs low (under 100 grams) when I'm only eating three meals and not snacking. Plus, I'm not getting overly hungry and the afternoon slump I used to experience around 2 PM seems to be a thing of the past.

I also think that DesMaison's approach to limiting sugars is reasonable. She doesn't advocate eating no fruit or not eating starchy vegetables. Instead, she's all for eating whole-grain foods and fruits and vegetables with skins full of fiber. All in conjunction with adequate protein at each meal, which leads to slower digestion and steady blood sugar levels. This means that I can have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast along with a couple eggs. Yum!

If you're a sugar sensitive person who it trying to lose weight and regain health, I'd highly suggest you read Potatoes Not Prozac.

Can cutting out carbs fight Cancer?

I was reading the blog of Dr. Michael R. Eades (of 'Protein Power' fame). He had a link to an on-line article by Time magazine that I found fascinating.

The article highlights cancer fighting research being done in Germany. Basically, the researchers are using a high-fat, no-carb diet to try to cut off the glocose supply to fast-growing cancers that have not responded to other treatment.

When I read Life Without Bread I found the chapter on how low-carb diets can fight cancer interesting. This article from Time backs up the Life Without Bread conclusions perfectly.

Take the time to read the Time article. It's definitely food for thought.

Should've Stayed Off the Scale . . .

I got on the scale this morning. I shouldn't have. (I usually weigh myself on Sunday mornings.) The scale read 188.5, which is what I weighed before I went to visit my doctor at the end of August -- before I started reducing my carbs.

Instead of wallowing in despair and giving up on trying to gain better health through my diet . . . (Notice how I can barely even think about losing weight. It seems almost impossible lately.) I CAN:

Use the number on the scale as feedback. It's telling me that yesterday's Snickers bar, Laffy Taffies and eating in the evening aren't conducive to weight loss. It's also telling me that the limitless carb day of last week has caught up with me.

Weild the power of the pen. If I really want to lose weight, I need to write down what I eat. Every B.L.T. -- bite, lick and taste. It keeps me honest and in control.

Track my carbs. I do best when I'm tracking the net carbs I eat. My goal is to stay under 100 grams and to have those carbohydrates be mostly from dairy, non-starchy vegetables, fresh fruits, legumes and/or nuts and seeds.

Listen to my hunger signals. Instead of the 'head hunger' signals -- the ones that notice the candybars being offered at the PTA meeting and decide they sound good to eat. I need to listen and become atune to physiological signs of hunger and fullness. Then, I'll eat when I'm hungry and stop eating when I'm satisfied.

Enjoy the eating experience! When I actually take the time to eat slowly and savor the flavors, texture and smell of the food I'm eating, I eat less. Also, I need to stop multi-tasking while I eat. No more reading the paper during breakfast. No more munching while reading a book. Eating is a time to eat.

Avoid boredom. An an at-home mom who lives in a house with a great room -- a room that combines the kitchen/dining/living room all in one, I'm always around food. I can keep myself busy by writing, starting/finishing a sewing project, taking the dog for a walk, or calling a friend -- anything to keep me from mindlessly eating because I'm bored.

Forgive myself. No one is perfect. Especially not me. I'm not defined by my failures. If I keep trying, eventually I'll overcome bad eating habits. Dwelling on mistakes doesn't accomplish anything. Instead, I'll learn from them and move on.

And on. And on!

The upside of falling down . . .

Since I started this new low carbohydrate lifestyle at the end of August I've had three days of limitless carb consumption. Yesterday was one of those days.

I'm not going to make excuses for myself, and I'm not going to fall permanently off the wagon. In fact, I'm learning that my occasional falls back into old eating habits are highly illustrative of why a low carbohydrate diet is so necessary for my health.

I've learned:

High carb consumption makes me retain water. Lots of water. And water retention makes my joints hurt. Water retention also makes sleep more difficult, not just because I'm a side sleeper and my hips are tender, but also because my hands go tingly and fall asleep -- which wakes me up during the night.

When I eat a lot of carbs I'm more tired and fatigued. When I'm tired and fatigued, I'm snappy and irritable. (I'm a nicer mom on fewer carbs.)

After a binge of carbs -- especially carbs from bread -- I wake up with a stuffy/runny nose. I used to think that I had an allergy to something, and now I'm wondering if it's to wheat in large quantities.

I have 'hot flashes' after a high carb meal and facial flushing. I don't have rosacea, I have high carb rosacea.

The day after a carb-fest I experience carbohydrate cravings. Bad!

There you have it. Learning from mistakes is the upside of falling down.

In other news, I've decided that reading about eating makes me want to eat. And whether it's carbs or protein and fats, eating too much isn't conducive to weight loss. So for the month of October I'm going to stop reading Dr. Phil's weighloss book and books about low-carb living.

I'll simply write down what I eat and count the net carbs. I'm going to try the Dr. Atkins approach and try to stay under 25 net carbs each day. I'm hoping that by jump-starting my weight loss I'll be able to feel energized to walk more and be more active all day.

Life is for living, not for dieting and obsessing about weight.

Book Review: Life Without Bread

This is the book that changed my thinking about low-fat vs. low-carb.

The author, Christian B. Allan, Ph.D., draws heavily from the medical practice and original "Life Without Bread" book of Wolfgang Lutz, M.D. From what I can tell, that's the reason that Dr. Lutz's name is listed as an author.

I've only been a low-carb dieter for a month, but I've noticed many interesting results. I can lose weight while increasing my fat consumption. When I eat low-carb, I don't get food cravings. I stay full much longer. The water retention that has plagued me for over 10 years has virtually disappeared. Same with the hormone headaches that used to put a crimp in my style. In fact, my hormones seem to run on a much more even keel.

Reading Life Without Bread explained the fantasic results that I've experienced. Sometimes the author goes into scientific detail that goes over my head, but then he summarizes in lay-man terms that I understand.

Here's a sentence from the book that hit home for me: "The hormone serotonin is responsible for hot flashes and headaches after a meal." There in black and white is the reason that I've been experiencing hot flashes. Not because I'm perimenopausal, but because consuming carbohydrates upsets my body's finely tuned hormone balance. Now that I've reduced my carbohydrate intake, the hot flashes are gone, as are the headaches.

Both my doctor and I were perflexed when I lost 35 pounds on Weight Watchers and yet my cholesterol went UP. This book explains why that is -- because a low-fat diet doesn't drop cholesterol. Eating more fats acutally drops cholesterol, something I experienced only after my doctor had me take 3 fish oil tablets every day. (I'm very curious to see where my cholesterol levels end up on a low-carb diet!)

Chapter Six, Heart Disease: From Fat to Fiction, challenged my long-held beliefs in low-fat wisdom. I found the author's reasoning and use of studies/research overwhelming.

After reading chapter six I found myself feeling profound guilt about all the carbs (especially refined carbs) that my family eats. After reading the chapter, I bought half and half for the first time in years! And yesterday at the grocery store I also picked up whole milk. My thinking is, because the rest of my family doesn't seem to have all the carbohydrate issues that I have, if I start increasing the fat in the foods they eat, it will satisfy their hunger and result in them eating fewer carbohydrates.

I didn't love everything about this book. The author spent chapter eleven making assertions for a low-carb diet from the evidence of evolution. Basically Allan believes that "human physiology has not yet been able to adapt to this radical change in food" -- meaning that man's system is still geared for hunting/gathering instead of the agricultural society we find ourselves in today.

Here's the thing -- I'm deeply religious. While I can see the scientific evidence of evolution, I believe that God has a grand plan and design for this world and its inhabitants. If we now find ourselves in an agricultural society, that is reality, and part of God's plan. You can't fight reality. But you can live in it.

From what I can see, our American society has spent the past 30+ years trying to discount the value of fats in our diet. Maybe God looked down at us and thought, "Here they go again. Thinking they know better than I do. Don't they know that I give them EVERYTHING for their enjoyment, to be used wisely? I guess they'll have to learn the hard way."

And that's what's happened. The calories that we no longer got from fat were substituted with more carbohydrates. And eating more carbohydrates for the past 30 plus years has lead to the plumping up of America -- something that Life Without Bread demonstrates vividly.

Back to reality. I'm overweight. I'm sensitive to carbohydrates as are millions of other Americans. What can we do? Educate ourselves and cut back on carbohydrates. Eat more fat. And give thanks for ALL that the Lord provides for us to eat. Savor it. Enjoy it. Relish life and good health!

Yoda says, "Do or do not. There is no try."

At church on Sunday we heard from our Stake High Councilman, Shane Larson. His remarks were centerd around transition and change. Although his talk was aimed at spiritual change and transitions, I applied it to my new eating plan.

Brother Larson quoted Yoda in his talk (see title above). I reminded myself that I'm not trying out a new lifestyle. I'm making a complete lifestyle change.

Another quote he used that I appreciated came from Anni Macbeth. She said, "Resisting change is like holding your breath. And if you're successful, you're dead."

For me that meant that if I resist changing my lifestyle and persist in being overweight and addicted to carbohydrates, I'll probably have a shorter lifespan. But if I change my eating habits, I'll not only live longer, but enjoy those days and years in better health.

Reading and Planning

Right now I'm in the process of reading Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. It's the third book I've read in trying to learn about living a low-carb lifestyle. The other two were: Low-Carb Dieting for Dummies and The South Beach Diet.

I can't delay living a low-carb lifestyle until I've read everything written about low-carb eating. Nor do I believe that one approach is going to be exactly what I need. So far it's looking like I'll use a combination of approaches.

When I was reading the Dummies book, I wanted its approach to work for me. I could eat all the fruits I wanted (with the exception of bananas), and limit myself to five carbohydrate servings a day. Unfortunately, I can't just follow the Dummies plan. It includes bread, and bread is out for me. It causes me to crave more and get back into the whole cycle of carbohydrate addiction.

Dummies also counts legumes as carb servings unless they're substituted for meat in a meal. South Beach allows legumes as a high fiber, high protein, balanced carbohydrate food. I'm going to keep the South Beach approach.

Also, I don't like tracking specific carb servings. I'm fine with writing down what I eat when I eat it as a means to monitor what's working and what's causing cravings, but I don't want to be ticking off servings of food.

I'm finding that both Atkins and South Beach have stages to their plans. The first stage is the strictest -- no fruits or carb-rich foods (pasta, potatoes, breads, winter squash). But they both allow fruits and some whole-grain foods in their less-strict phases. And both say that the strict phases is important because it jump-starts weight loss and rids the body of carbohydrate addiction and cravings.

Am I ready to give up fruit and embrace a strict no carb eating strategy for a couple weeks? Or do I want to take a more moderate approach?

As I'm learning and practicing my new lifestyle I've noticed that I'm not so hungry. I need less sleep and feel less fatigued. My water retention has been drastically reduced, and I no longer take a dieuretic. When I avoid carbohydrates in bread and sugars I have fewer food cravings. And overall, I find that I'm less focued on food, and more focused on living.

I'm more committed than ever to living a low-carbohydrate lifestyle and living a healthy life!

How I can offset the 'fat gene' I inherited . . .

Remember how my doctor said that the way my DNA combined left me with a predisposition to store fat? You could say that I inherited a 'fat gene.' But I'm not alone. According to a news item by the Associated Press that you can read by clicking here, up to 30% of white people with European ancestry also inherited the gene.

But the good news is there is a way to over come it.

The bad news is that it involves 3 to 4 hours of physical activity EVERY DAY.

Apparently the only people to accomplish that in today's modern world are the Amish, who live a 19th century lifestyle. I may live on Belly Acre Farm, an acre and a half of land with a large garden and 18 fruit trees, but I don't live a 19th century lifestyle.

But I can use my wheel hoe more. Here's a photo of a man using a wheel hoe. Imagine that it's a picure of me instead. Because I have one very similar to it. In fact, I've often felt like a pioneer when I'm out pushing the wheel hoe between the rows of vegetables in the garden or weeding the berm in front of our house. It's a good, sweaty workout that reminds me that I come from hardy pioneer stock.

Hmmm. What else could I do to add more activity to my day? The other morning I got distracted and missed the turn into the right parking lot entrance when going to the bank. Instead of going through the drive through, I parked in an adjacent lot and walked over and inside the bank. My fritzy memory could help me get more activity.

I walked my daughter to school this morning. I could do that everyday, and we'd both get more exercise. If we're running late we could ride our bikes.

I could go on bike rides without my dog. She's young, energetic and loves to pull. Realizing this, I bought her a pink harness that allows her to help pull me on my bike without straining her neck. Boy can she pull! I usually start off on an up-hill route, as she always has the most energy at the beginning of our outings. I guess I could start out downhill. But I just don't want to. Her favorite stretch to run on is a grassy parking strip up the road that's at the end of my street. She really digs in and I encourage her by ringing my bike bell wildly and yelling, "Go Annie! Go!" I won't give that up. It is bliss on a bike. And I'm pedaling as fast as I can.

Do I have a wheat allergy?

I feel like I'm doing fairly well on my new low-carb lifestyle. I've dropped a couple pounds in a couple weeks and have been able to quit taking two medications. That's great progress!

Sunday evening I was hungry and too lazy to peel and chop veggies and prepare a low-carb snack. I ate a slice of bread. And regretted it. It didn't even taste that great -- too dry. But, it did open my eyes to something. I may be allergic to wheat.

The bread was two thirds whole wheat, and once I'd eaten it I started coughing and having to clear my throat. Then this morning I was puffy again (carbs were the culprit) and woke up with a stuffy nose which lasted through most of the morning. The only thing that was different was my slice of bread the night before. It made me wonder if I have a slight allergy to wheat. That would be weird.

I guess it's yet another reason for me to steer clear of bread. Any way you slice it, it's not good for me.

In related news, I baked a ham and cheddar loaf for my family's dinner. It smelled wonderful! As it was baking I thought about how I also enjoy the smell of coffee, yet I don't drink it. Just because I don't eat bread doesn't mean I can't enjoy its fragrance. There aren't any carbs the perfume of baking bread. Thank goodness!

What Low-carb approach will work for me?

Today marks one week of making low-carb lifestyle changes. I finished reading Low-Carb Dieting for Dummies last night and starting reading The South Beach Diet. The big question is . . . what is going to work for me?

I definitely think writing down what I eat in these first weeks of change will prove helpful and insightful. I also want whatever methods of low-carb living I choose to fit into my lifestyle as a mom. Low-carb living is not necessary or even healthy for kids, so mine will be eating carbohydrates. How am I going to stick to low-carb eating when surrounded by high-carb foods?

Right now I'm going to learn all about a variety of low-carb methods. I can even see that the Core plan with Weight Watchers might work for me at some point. I've checked out Dr. Atkin's book from the libary as well, but I've heard that he doesn't allow fruit. Right now that doesn't feel right for me. We'll just have to see.

After a couple days of higher carb servings, I can see that bread of any sort is out for me. It's just too easy and convenient to eat -- there for the slicing or toasting. And once I've indulged in a slice of bread it seems that I crave more carbohydrates. Maybe I'll do better with brown rice that must be cooked before consumption.

One thing is certain, my doctor hit the nail on the head when she diagnosed my water retention as being carbohydrate related. This morning I woke up supper-puffy, likely due to the carbs I've eaten in the last two days. I'm happy to report that after a carb-free breakfast (two-egg veggie omelet and grape tomatoes) my water retention is gone! Even though I forgot to take a dieuretic.

Instead of focusing on what I can no longer eat, I'm going to try to really hone in on the positive benefits I'm seeing with this new low-carb lifestyle.

Learning to live low carb

Momma called the doctor,
And the doctor said
No more eatin' starches and bread.

Actually, I did go to the the doctor yesterday, and although her word choice was a bit different, the message was the same. My days of eating limitless carbohydrates are over.

She spoke in a clipped, professional way, but what she basically said was that my particular pairing of genetics makes it easy for me to store food as fat -- especially when I eat carbs. She diagnosed my pervasive water retention problem not as a by-product of faulty hormones, but as a result of unbalanced carbohydrate intake. In other words, I got dumped on in the gene pool, and if I want to experience better health, I will need to eat drastically differently than I've been eating. Ugh!

I spent over a two years attending Weight Watchers every week. In the first seven months I lost over 30 pounds. But shortly after that I hit a plateau and slowly began gaining back weight. After more than a year stuck at the same weight, I stopped going to meetings in March of this year. In light of what I learned at the doctor's office yesterday, it seems that when I track my eating using the Flex plan from W.W. I still eat too many carbs. Dang it!

I'll admit to feeling a bit daunted after yesterday's appointment. Learning a new way of eating is hard! And if I've learned anything about weightloss, it's that there is no such thing as a diet. You can't restrict your eating for a set amout of time and then go back to the way things used to be and expect to maintain weight loss. If I want my weight loss to last, then the eating changes I make have to become a way of life that I can live for many healthier years to come.

Hard as it is, that's what I intend to do. I'm starting out my reading Low-Carb Dieting for Dummies that I checked out from the library. So far so good. I'll keep you posted on my successes, insights and mis-steps.

Cashew later.