Freezer Monsters
Originally published November 2006Sometimes I like to revisit these articles to remind myself of where my head needs to be.Learning to eat right and control how and when I do it has been difficult, to say the least. Many times over the past few years I have wished I could quit eating altogether.  It would be easier than trying to manage something that feels, on a good day, like a test and on a bad day, like an addiction.My demons don't have horns nor do they breathe fire. They are often found in the freezer section of the grocery store, bearing names like "Coffee Heath Bar Crunch" and "Pistachio, Pista

Yard Sail
Last Thursday I was coming out of my house with my arms full, lugging a suitcase behind me.  It was early so it was still dark.  It was raining.  Two steps out my front door, my shoe caught a divet on the concrete of the top step of my front porch.  I did nothing short of a backflip.  Ok, maybe it was a flop with a half twist.  I'm not exactly sure, but I'm glad there is no chance of it ending up on You Tube.  I felt my ankle bend.  I mean really twist, as I was going down.  (If you imagine the slow motion, horrified fall, you probably get the idea.)  I ended up flat on my back on my wet lea

Boo! I'm still here.
Another week gone.  Still not off the caffeine, although I've cut back significantly.  I'm not in the groove.  Just not feeling it.  The upcoming holidays seem intimidating to me for the first time in years.I'm looking forward to the holidays themselves because we have great plans with the kids this year.  Could be the absolute best Christmas ever.  It could also prove to be stressful and full of holiday temptation.  Lately one of my biggest joys has also become one of my biggest challenges.  We spend lots of weekends on my boyfriend's farm with his family and this almost invari

What a headache
I have to be careful of what I proclaim here.  A couple of weeks ago I declared I would never keep a food journal.  I am now attempting to keep a food journal.  Two days ago I claimed that there was nothing that could make me give up caffeine.  Yesterday I underwent more exercise testing at the clinic, fully caffeinated, and Chris discovered that my metabolism is resistant to burning fat (it prefers to burn carbs) and the caffeine might be a major player in that equation.  He's still crunching the numbers but it might be a clue as to my slow progress.  He would like me to get off caffeine so we can do another test next week.  Good grief.  W

Blood, sweat and tears, heavy on the tears
Here we are again.  Another day in the life of a fat woman on a diet.Chris and I have been locking horns this week.  He's really dissatisfied with my progress.  He's busting his hump trying to figure out why things are moving so slowly and I'm willing to admit I'm not exactly taking it easy on him.  The problem:  He thinks I should have made much more progress by now and I would like to have, but I am pleased with progress I am making.  It's progress.  It's slow, but we have managed to turn around a trend that lasted 18 months and cost me a 40+ pound setback.  The conflict stresses and frustrates