Food fight!

No, I don't indulge in food fights in the usual meaning of the phrase. I have to fight what goes on my plate and, subsequently, into my mouth later to appear on my hips!

I had more than a year of undiagnosed anemia which changed my metabolism greatly. Naturally, the anemia made me tire easily but since I've always been a super active person, it just put me down to more normal activity levels and no one really noticed I was dragging that badly. I don't know about other people but when I get really, really tire, it just seems that if you eat something, you will feel better. That's how I put on some unwanted weight!

Once the anemia was diagnose and addressed, I was back to normal but couldn't shed the weight . . . because I was still in the 'eat something to feel better' mode. It was frustrating. Lent came around that year and I gave us any kind of soda cold turkey. An icy cola has always been a favorite so it was definitely a Lenten sacrifice. Easter Monday, I decided to see how long I could go without any soda. It's been over five years now!

A soda with a meal packs in up to another 250 or more calories to your day. A year after I went 'no soda', I noticed my jeans were not fitting right. I took a leap of faith and got the next size down and it fit! The next Lent, I eliminated iced mocha drinks from my diet and sadly passed by those coffee houses without stopping for six weeks. Again, on Easter, I decided to leave those calories behind and a year later, I went down another size in jeans.

Naturally, I still have to eat so getting down one, more size isn't happening. This Lent, I went into the old-fashioned fasting mode for ALL of Lent not just Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The first week, I was HUNGRY not long after I had had my one, small bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch was an ounce or so of cheese and all the vegetables I wanted. Lent is winding down and I don't get but normally hungry between meals. I've gotten used to only one helping at dinner . . . and I've finally lost weight!

Someone, trying to get me to indulge, said, "One piece of cake won't make you fat!" I agree, but it is the next and the next and the next that does! Frankly, I like the fact that I get most of my energy from real food and not artificial pick me ups with sugar and fat.