Hi Folks;

Good thoughts Birgie and your past experiences. Between us we sure have had our intermittent flings with weight loss. There's no question it has a lot to do with what goes on in our brain and emotional baggage from the past.

As they say, "you can never go back", so it is best to look at that which we have control of. That takes me back to goals and genuinely looking at yourself as to what you want to look like. It is that image that will strike the appropriate chord for success.

Writing down what goes in your mouth sure causes you to pause. Reducing calories to around 2500 a day will guarantee weight loss. But it means you have to know what every bit is that you are eating. It is keeping food intake on a conscious level all of the time and never deviating. We are actually not talking about a weight loss programme but a way of life forever and indeed that is scary. Some things that I have always enjoyed, I simply can't do anymore. I remember writing about salami at the early stage of the blog. I always had a good stash of it and I know that I will never eat it again simply because I won't stop. Fortunately I took sugar out of my coffee many years ago and I have switched to diet drinks, likewise a long time ago.

Dessert menus are gone and I must admit that that hasn't been too bad. One day I will probably tackle drinking wine but not just yet.

As Birgie said, sometimes we fall off the wagon but it is important to get right back on and not succumb to giving up. Don't feel guilt when this happens; feel joy that you have beat "slick" and you're back on track. It's your life that you are saving!

Ham