Nutrition

I have been struggling with my weight for the past year.  From June 2020 to September 2020, I was able to drop 17# through eating cleaner, no sugar and no snacking between meals.  This amounted to about 1 pound per week and seemed healthy and sustainable.  My A1C dropped from 6.1% to 5.9%.

Around mid October 2021, I started to fall off the wagon and found my weight climbing back up to 185# by Thanksgiving.  I crossed 190# in January 2021.  Gaining about three quarters of a pound per week.

Since then it has been a roller coaster of crossing 195#, panicking and approaching 190#.  This is not sustainable or healthy.

The expression is 99% is a bitch and 100% is a breeze.  My undoing felt like the following:

• I am at a healthy weight now, a Snickers bite sounds good
• Lots of good treats for dessert, I will have a bite
• I can't believe, I am past 190#, I will have to start exercising more when the weather warms up
• It is just a brownie bite
• I will start tomorrow fresh

These are common excuses and certainly a mental sticking point.  The fact of the matter then and now is that I cannot exercise my way thin.  It is OK to be hungry.  I am still learning how to have a healthy relationship with food.  Hurdles aside, I do not need sugar to be happy.  When I avoid sugar, my gut health is improved, I am less bloated, I feel fresh and energetic.  When my weight is lower, I can perform pull-ups, hand stand push-ups and other body weight exercises successfully.  I can run faster.  When my metabolic profile is improved, I am more likely to live healthier longer.

I need to approach a healthy relationship with food one day at a time.  I can be more useful to my fellows if I have a higher strength to weight ratio.  I can bring happiness to my family if they are not worried about my health and wellbeing.

I can wake up everyday and have a plan for my meals.  A breakfast of under 500 calories, a sandwich and piece of fruit for lunch, a dinner of vegetables and meats.  If I am hungry before dinner, I need to have a salad.  If I am hungry after dinner, that is OK and I can have a larger breakfast.