A winner at a loosing game...

I've never been the type to blog much about personal stuff - just my critters, garden, and projects, but this post is gonna be different.

{Warning - this could get long.}

I've always been the skinniest girl in my family, but never the skinny friend. I have a family full of health issues and my dad died 2 years ago at the age of 51 with clogged arteries, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. The family history of health issues runs a mile long.

I grew up in the south on fried everything with a glass of Dr. Pepper or sweet tea. I've always been a picky eater and veggies just ain't on my list of faves.

Every so often I would get a email in my inbox from my husband with a link to how bad sodas and high fructose corn syrup are for you. Sometimes I would read them, sometimes I would just delete them. He always encouraged me to eat healthier, but I'm the picky eater, always getting lunch to go in our small town. How was I suppose to eat better? I just didn't know.

He would always say, I married you for better or worse, in sickness in health, BUT I had rather not have to take care of you (because of health issues) or loose you early to preventable problems.

Those emails always showed how high fructose corn syrup was linked to pancreatic cancer and so forth and other health problems. (He has seen first hand pancreatic cancer in his family.) The emails also would tell how cutting out one soda a day could lead to 10-15 pounds of weight loss per year.

I have popped the top on a DP first thing in the morning for as long as I can remember (I don't do coffee). Then I would get a large DP for lunch and often a refill mid afternoon. I would drink water in the evening when I got home from work.

I remember sitting on the couch some nights and having heavy breathing. One day I read on the internet weight suggestions based on height, age, ect. and I was on the top end. Something needed to change...

So I tried to give up the DP's. I gradually let go, but not after several headaches. My work can get very stressful, and eating is often interupted, so a coke often filled in as a cure, a crutch. I will admit that I still drink a part of a DP for breakfast, but I make it a point to always pour part of the can out.

I would sometimes get sweet tea for lunch, but every place in town had a different tasting  sweet tea. Some were just down right gross. I would sometimes get 1/2 sweet, 1/2 unsweet, but that was a pain in the you know what, espeacially when someone else was ordering or picking up our lunch.

Finally one day I decided to go for the unsweet tea and you know what, I liked it! It does taste cleaner and fresher and better. I had decided if I was cutting out high fructose corn syrup, I should cut out the sugar as well to see if I could loose a few pounds.

I never thought I would loose much weight, maybe a few pounds, but never anticipated a noticable difference.

All along I battled with my dad's death and how eating habits led to health problems, some which could have been prevented. I knew I needed to make changes.

I figured out that I didn't have to eat at the same place where my co-workers ordered lunch from. (We usually order from the same place and one of us goes to pick it up and eat at work). I just didn't need a big ol' CFS or fried chicken from the greasy cafe. Subway low fat sandwiches became a favorite lunch time meal with baked chip and an un tea.

 I learned from my man, that I need to eat when I'm hungry, not because of the clock. If my body tells me I need something, I eat; but if I'm not hungry at night, I don't eat because someone says its "supper time".

I've try to make healthier choices, less french fries, burgers, and pizza...although they are still an occasional treat. Smaller portions are better as well and very little fried foods and less eating with the crowd. I don't deprive myself of anything and never consider myself on a diet.

Over the last 8 or 9 months, I have lost at least 26 pounds. I'm not sure my starting weight, because I didn't ever want to get on the scales. I have went from size tens and twelves to fours and sixes, DD's to C! A girl never tells her weight, but I will say that I weigh less than I did when I got married and about what I weighed when I graduated high school! But it's not just about numbers or a "diet". I feel better now and I know that I am trying to make a difference in my health. I can control what and how much I eat and how that affects me. So much sickness and problems are preventable or can be cured through what we put (or don't put) into our bodies. So I have made a decision to be healthier, to feel better, to look better, to care about who I am and be there for the ones that need and love me and that makes me a winner at a loosing game! I know I still need to shape and tone up...Lord know's I'm not perfect by any means, but I'm better than I was.

A year ago, you would have never caught me in a short dress and boots, but this year I have more confidence!

{Thanks for sticking with me to the end...I know this was long!}