It is too easy to be fat. Why, you can be fat without even trying. One day I was too thin an stressing over it, and now I am carrying more pounds than my little bones were meant to carry an I am stressing over it.

Does a person say, “oh, I think I will get fat today”?  If a person is responsible for the lbs that are creeping on, usually they are unaware of the little habits contributing.  Usually it becomes a daily habit of comfort. Stopping for the cappuccino or frappinchino or breakfast on the run at a drive thru.  When I was in my mid thirties I started having one Dr. Pepper each afternoon at work it didn’t take long to notice I was gaining weight. I stopped this an the weight came back off. Little habits can do you in, or they can undo all your hard work.  If I am at a restraunt I really think about the beverage I am ordering. You can have a healthy meal but the beverage can throw your calorie and carbohydrate count off. Refills come too easy. I think I will have water.

So many like myself have gained weight thru the medications they have taken and are taking. We feel powerless. Every time I do a round of antiobotics with steroids I gain 3 – 5 lbs a week. I have to use the medications quite often. This is what I have to contend with. Do I take this laying down?  No!  I try to stretch an exercise each day and eat a healthy diet. I do these things because overall they are in my control. If I didn’t do them I would be much heavier than I actually am. The fabulous thing is we must keep doing what is good for us even if it all seems to go without results, it is good for us. We must continue investing in our better selves. This optimism can help us to combat depression and a state of helplessness. We have to view our situation as temporary.  There has been times I was so sick that I entertained death and I lost the living attitude.  Emotionally it is painful coping with long term illness. It is too easy to give up on ourselves. We can not give up on living, we must just learn to live differently.

My situation is ongoing an I have accepted the fact it is ongoing. Coping with the effects of chronic illness is like learning to parent a very disruptive child. We must exercise love for the child, feed, nourish it and provide security.  It is not stuffing bad child with donuts to shut him up, which in turn will lead to worse behavior. Nor, do we treat ourselves with such unloving ways. Our mind and body needs to feel satisfied, safe an well cared for. That does not mean indulgence.  I like to thank Jehovah an to let him know I feel appreciation for the abundance of food available to nourish my body and that I always need his guidance to make wise choices.

How do I indulge?  I eat two little dark chocolate dove squares after my lunch. I eat them very slowly an I truly savor the flavor.  I am satisfied. Yum.