The "D" word

ElaineCrume

Anyone who has dieted as long as I have (and that probably includes most of us) knows that diets don't exactly work. At least not the ones we start every Monday morning and break before Tuesday night. Of course with sufficient motivation a "diet" does work for a while. In 2005 I weighed 300 pounds (or maybe more, did not get on scales until I was a bit into the diet). I was very successful, losing half my body weight and treating myself to a tummy tuck and a divorce. Kept it off very well for three years but gradually the discipline of fat flush lost to a new man in my life who loves my cooking. I find myself in 2014 with a new husband, 50 extra pounds, and suitcases filled with size 8 and 10s that do not fit.

Being so happy is wonderful but I still have some work to do on me. I am an certified enabler so I am still taking care of bills for my alcoholic ex husband who is not really angry, but is in the dictionary under "passive-agressive". I have two wonderful adult sons who support their mother 100 % and two grandsons that I see fairly often. My youngest is a 32 year old girl who disowned me when I left her dad. She is in the hospital tonight having her third baby. I have not seen her and she has not spoken to me in three years except for that one email wishing me dead and in hell. It's very difficult accepting that I will never meet this child who is flesh of my flesh. There were tears today, but I have not let it affect the food plan I started a few days ago.

I am aware I am an emotional eater. Eating when you are already fat certainly is not logical, so perhaps we all are emotional eaters. I do know how to lose however. When I took all the weight off before people asked me frequently how I did it. I had an answer. "Eat less, exercise more, and don't take any *kitten* off of anyone. Still believe it's the answer but to give me a bit of an edge this time I asked the acupuncture doctor I was already seeing for some knee pain if he could help with weight. He said yes and proceeded to work his magic. It has been really helpful as I have lost more than I normally do in the first week of a diet with less hunger and more energy.

If anyone else has taken this path let me know how it has worked for you. I'm pretty sure I have been down almost every other one over the years. I have some strong motivation in the form of a wedding where my husband's ex wife will be in attendance and a perfect new dress I bought that will fit if I get 30 pounds off. Would appreciate any encouraging words and will be glad to give hugs in return.