Who's hiding the Cookies??

I am not one for adding dieting to my New Year's list. I have always found that as soon as I use that nasty four letter word, I F A I L, and fall completely on my face. Maybe it is because self control has not been a good friend to me. Maybe it is because most of my friends were always so thin and in shape, I figured I wasn't going to be the one to be looked at so I succumbed to the extra donut. I was always the same size when in high school and it wasn't until I met Donnie that I really started to eat. His family loves to cook wonderful food and lots of it! They hold the old fashioned way of life that a good day never starts without a good breakfast. His family actually eats really well and doesn't do much junk food. My problem is that I had never tasted food so good, I couldn't help myself. After we were married we lived next door to his aunt who was the main cook for all of the dinners...I hit the jackpot!! We ate over there almost every night until we moved. I am not saying that my weight gain came from there, no way! I am saying it was the first time that I felt freedom with food and good food at that.



Now that I am getting close to 30, 2 kids, and 9.5 years of marriage under my elastic pants, I think it is time for a change. I don't feel as good as I think I am supposed to, diabetes is creeping up on me, and quite honestly I think God is tapping me on the shoulder inviting me to find a better way to live. In High School I lived off of coke and cigarettes, and I am still pretty bad about drinking them more than other things (I did eventually give up smoking though)



So now Donnie and I are trying our best swallow this pill. We are trying to not only get our bodies into shape, but our finances as well. Well, let me just tell you, all it took for me to grab my coat tonight was for him to mention the words chips and cheese dip! I was ready to put that yucky fish back into the refrigerator and hit our favorite Mexican restaurant. But then I remembered just how hard we have been working and one slip to the flesh and it would be a landslide! I would be drinking cokes and eating donuts by the handfuls. My self control would be non existent. Did we go? No, because not only did I not want to blow it there, we really need to be in more control of our spending : AKA eating out.



So here we are into a week of eating better and exercising just like so many other Americans, but I am not looking at it from the view that I have to do it b/c of this or that but b/c we are choosing to do this for our family. We are tired, and want to run and play with the kids. I want to be able to buy other things but can't b/c we eat out too much. But most of all, I let the Lord live in this temple for many, many years and be surrounded by dripping caramel, smoke stains, and caffeine. That is no way to treat something that is a pure gift.



I am not thrilled about trying to exercise with 2 children and a dog trying to get on the treadmill with me, but it has got to be done. Am I glad that I have not had a coke in days let alone some really good dessert? No way. Does this mean that I never will? Absolutely not. I am at the point where I have to step away from the dessert bar for a while until I can gain control over myself. I am telling you, I am a complete sugar baby...but there were no twinkie trees in the garden of Eden, so I guess I should not over indulge in the things that are man made.