Weighty subject - support blog - introduction

Hello Everybody
You have been invited to this blog as part of my circle of friends. I decided to start a blog to assist me with my weight loss objectives.

Over the years, as you have observed, my weight has gone up and down. When I met Chris three years ago I was 178lbs - today I am 234.5lbs as of this morning on May 3, 2006. How did I get here again?

Well I got here for one reason only - I choose to eat too much, not to exersize enough and that adds up to weight gain. I can't say I don't know about good nutritian, or I don't know how to exercize. I've lived a good healthy life style before, and it worked. What I do know is that I use food as a drug - to make me feel good. If I'm stressed I eat. If I'm worried, I eat. Some people smoke, others drink alcohol - I started to use food when I was a young child around age 7 as my addiction, and unlike other addictions I can just stop eating, instead I need to look at my behaviour and create an environment that is supportive and limits temptation.

I've learned about my "trigger foods" what foods I crave, Foods I dream about at night (yes I really do dream about eating - eating a big piece of chocolate cake is one of my favourite dreams!) and what foods send me off onto a binge - and I've found some common denominators

1. They are carbohydrates
2. Sugar Sugar Sugar
3. Flour - especially white flour - any bread, pastry, pasta product
4. Rice, Potatoes, Corn (in other words startch!)

When I eat foods from these categories they trigger my system - I've started to learn about inslin levels - and the glycemic index - and from what I've learned, I've discovered how sensitive my body is. I've also learned that aspertame (though I love it) triggers the same chemical reaction in my body as sugar.

I've yet to crave broccolli, or asparagus! When I eat a diet low in sugar/white carbs I feel better, I have more energy and I'm healthier! It's not rocket science to put one and one together to make two! I've experimented with more diets, more nutirian information that anyone could imagine - if there is a book out there - I've read it. It now comes down to doing what is right for my body's reaction to food to live a healthier life style.

I also have come to the opinion that I have to treat this as an addiction. Last summer I cut out sugar, flour, rice, starchy carbs and I lost 20lbs, felt fantastic. Then on September 24, 2005 I had one drink a rum and coke (sugar sugar sugar) - just one inocent drink to join in with family and friends and my system went into addiction mode again - and it was down hill from there. I denied it for a while, but there is no denying it now (I've gained 16.5 lbs from that day).
So why have you been invited to this blog?

Well, Another source of my past success has been support, dialouge, communication. I went to weight watchers - found out that I paid $18 per week for someone to weigh me (which I can do) and the point system was complicated. Weight Watchers didn't address the carb/sugar cravings, and in general did not suit my body's reaction to food (I believe every body is different - what works for one is not necessarily right for another). Weight Watchers didn't seem to work for me. Then I got to thinking about my last great success story - a time when I was feeling in control for a very long time - and it was when I was communicating through a web site that someone started at home. At this site you weighed in each week and submitted a digital picture. What motivated me was the accountablity - knowing others were watching and supporting. I could follow my success (for me) and I could see my body size go down as the weeks went by. When that web site went "out of business" - I kept going on my own for a while, then I slipped.

I also use to belong to an e-mail group called CWGBeaches - and that conversation about life, the universe and everything was very supportive .

I thought I'd learn from those experiences and invite people I know, who have the conversations with me about health, weight, lifestyle to watch me through this experience, and give a contact point for conversation, ideas, friendship around a subject a few of us have discussed many times.

I'm not sure how this will unfold - I'm not even concerned if you follow this blog at all - the fact that I am actively writing something - being open, sharing is what motivates me. I can only hope that my sharing will be somewhat interesting to others, and maybe create a circle to talk about our "opportunities" in general.

Though I'm talking about my weight here - this has nothing to do with how much I weigh - it's about life - how I deal with life, how I interact with others, how I precieve the world around me. My weight is reflecting my inner dialouge - and how I am coping (or not coping) with life around me.

I'll be adding other blogs on different topics that I have gathered - I offer up the opportunity for others to send in their information to share. Respond to enteries - have conversations with each other etc...

So enjoy, and I thank you all for your support.

Betsy
Attached picture is me at 178 (goal)