Can't seem to get control of my eating.

I am guessing you feel pretty overwhelmed and discouraged after having such great success and losing it due to the disruptions of life. Fortunately, you also have the foundation of a powerful belief system, which includes the concept that your body is a temple, and also the concept that you have been blessed with abundance, and are called to steward it wisely. You have been promised to "run and not be weary, to walk and not faint, to soar with wings like eagles."

As mentioned above, one of the best ways you can gain control is with structure. Break your goals down in steps, with the most important first step to just to log everything you eat, accurately and honestly, for a week or so, even when you give in to impulses or don't make the best decisions. This way you can pinpoint your problem areas, and have it set down in stone. Since you have done this before, I am sure you already have a pretty good handle on that, but still, start disciplining yourself to take the first step of honest and detailed logging.

Second, figure out what your biggest problem is--ice cream, cookies, cake, chips, whatever, and focus on taking that bull by the horns. Maybe you can moderate it, maybe you have to clear it out of your house and keep it out for a while--whatever is going to be best for you. Rather than taking on all the problem foods at once, tackle them one at a time, and when you feel you have the first one mastered, take on the second one, etc.

Third, take a broad look at your eating patterns and habits, and figure out where you can start instituting new patterns or habits, again, taking it one at a time. If you are eating a really crappy breakfast, get rid of the crappy breakfast and stock your fridge with 0% fat plain greek yogurt and eat it with some blueberries and a 15-gram drizzle of honey (45 calories), and a banana on the side. Or whatever you happen to like for breakfast that would have an excellent nutritional profile and fits your goals. Get into the groove of having an awesome breakfast, set that habit, than take a look at what you want to do next: develop an awesome snack habit, clean up your lunches, etc.

Finally, take a look at where you can add exercise back in. It doesn't have to be the gym....it can be a long walk, or even a short walk, or doing some circuit training when you are at home in front of the TV, doing x number of jumping jacks each time a commercial comes on...or even bring up 30 day shred or whatever other program you like on Youtube, and do that. Each week, commit to establishing one discrete exercise habit: week 1 can be fitting in 3 30 minute walks each week; week 2 can be adding in 20 jumping jacks at each commercial break, etc. I notice you are also a gardener (as am I)...hardcore gardening over and extended period of time can provide a considerable calorie burn, so keep in mind of you are digging, carrying pots, flipping compost, etc you are also getting gym time. Maybe this is a good year to expand your garden and grow extra food to donate to the food bank.

Maybe try to fight one personal "demon" and establish one awesome eating and exercise habit each week, and really focus on it, and since you are logging everything every day, I think you might naturally start making better decisions in other areas because you are facing that daily accountability.

If you can break it down into steps, and master each step in a week (or whatever amount of time you need), hopefully that will help give you more of a sense of control, rather than trying to do everything at once, freaking out, and failing. (And, you probably already know much of this, but sometimes it helps to hear someone else say it).

Another thing that might give you consolation as you feel stretched thin and overwhelmed is to read Proverbs 31 and the description of the hard-working woman who efficiently raises food, feeds her family, takes care of everyone's needs, has arms that are STRONG for her work, and is honored and respected in the community for the hard work that she does, and by which she blesses her entire family. I work full time, have 2 young children, sit on a couple of boards, and am responsible for 7000+ square feet of garden(s) and it gives me a lot of inspiration when I am overwhelmed.

I hope some of these ideas are helpful to you--good luck on your journey.

First off, GREAT for you and winning your fight with your addiction to meth. I have a sister who all of the family wishes she would do the same. Bless you!

First thing I would suggest is to ease into a diet. 90% of the time if just cut out everything you aren't going to succeed. Take baby steps! Your first few weeks, cut your sugar in half, once you are comfortable with that, change something else. If you simply can not quit everything cold turkey, then don't! Take baby steps in the beginning!

Hi Girlbee, you have done so well to win the battle against your addiction. I cannot stress that enough.

I totally get your control issues. I am having them at the moment. I keep blaming my period, the weather, my office environment.. and yet it sits with me. I am struggling to log properly - but the key here is that I will not give up logging.

Even if that's all anyone can ask of you right now, keep logging. Sometimes it's embarrassing, yeah. I find that. But if you consistently log, chipping away at the idea that you can eat whatever you want, then you can start to zero in on bits to change. Like... I don't know, say I am going to cut out eating a chocolate bar in the afternoon. In fact, yep, here and now, I'm going to pledge not to eat a chocolate bar in the afternoon. It's going to save me around 200 calories.

And then I'll take another small step.

And another.

And we'll get there, tiny step by tiny step.