Why a blog?

I've been thinking a lot about my weight lose journey lately.

Do I know anything that can help others?

Is there someone who can relate to me and my story?

In case the answer to the two questions above is yes, I've decided to start a blog.

I've lost close to 200 pounds...I say close to because from day to day the number of pounds lost can change! For the most part I've maintained a 190-200 pound weight lose since 2006.

How did I do it?

I ate right and exercised....

I also had the help of a gastric bypass.

Was the gastric bypass the cure?

NO.

The bypass gave me a head start and allowed me to have hope, but when push comes to shove and you're a few years post op the surgery does you little to no good. I'm constantly reminded that to be at a healthy weight the secret is not a secret at all...

I need to eat right and exercise!

I exercise 3 days a week at the gym and I take a belly dancing class as another form of getting my body and energy moving.

For the most part I eat right.

Today wasn't an "eatin' right" kind of a day.

I've nibbled tonight. For me nibbling is a sickness. I lose count of what I've eaten when I just keep shoveling little bits into my mouth.

I feel good about my eating when I eat what my body craves. For the last few weeks it's craved vegetables. I made a vegetable stew. I made my own cauliflower soup and braised cabbage. YUM.

I don't always eat what my body craves.

Sometimes I succumb to what my obsession craves. My obsession never craves healthy things. My obsession craves sweets or crunchy foods. Because there is so many sugar free options, I can easily feed by sugar craving. For the crunchy demon I normally go for nuts...very crunchy and I rationalize that they are also protein.

The surgery "fixed" my stomach but not my mind. The food craving...obsession is still there. I must deal with it on a daily basis. That's what this blog is about.