I understand that most new year’s resolutions are broken by Valentine’s Day. Last year I stayed resolute for three months and lost about 20 pounds. My resolve dissolved in San Diego where I soaked up more than sunshine. I get derailed so easily, and it takes MONTHS to get back on track especially when stress eating is at the heart of the derailment. I have just got to get past this, but I can’t think of anything to ramp up my resolve that I haven’t already tried.

I went on my first date diet at 15, and it was an INSANE regime! I think 1963 was the year of Metracal liquid diet meals and maniacal diet doctors who dispensed diet pills and starvation eating plans to any and everyone – including teen girls who didn’t want to start high school as plump sophomores.  So Mom took me to Dr. Diet who handed out the pills that curbed my appetite and transformed me into a version of the Energizer Bunny. (My sweet mother can’t believe she did that, but at the time it seemed like a good idea!) In 3 weeks I managed to lose 19 pounds – which is all I needed to lose at that time. And so started the 47-year YO-YO saga.

In the elusive quest of stabilizing my weight, I’ve ventured UP and DOWN so many paths. Here is just a sampling!

• Weight Watchers – MANY times
• Jenny Craig
• Nutri-system
• Fen-Fen – Yes, I know that was BAD but couldn’t have been worse than the 1960’s Diet Doctor’s magic pills!
• Atkins Low Carb Diet
• SlimFast
• L.A. Weight Loss
• Posting “skinny” pictures
• Posting “fat” pictures
• Announcing my weekly weight loss to the church ladies of the Relief Society
• Posting weight loss on a friend’s healthy eating blog
• Recording what I eat
• Exercising
• Posting pounds lost on a chart hanging in my bathroom
• Reporting in to my husband, mother, friend(s)
• Praying – still do this
• Weighing often
• NOT weighing at all
• Changing the focus from losing weight to being healthy – this IS the best approach, BUT I still fall off the wagon like the food-a-holic/choc-a-holic/sweets-a-holic/carb-a-holic I am.

I seriously don’t know what to do other than NOT giving up. Last night as I worked on this blog, I saw Dian Thomas on channel 2 news. She authored ROUGHING IT EASY in the 1970s, appeared on Johnny Carson and many other talk shows of that era. Anyway, she gained 130 pounds over the course of that career, but 6 years ago decided to take off the excess weight. It took 6 years – the turtle system, she calls it, BUT Dian is confident that it’s OFF for good.

Then this morning I noticed my friend and neighbor Debbie launched a blog just yesterday to support her quest to lose weight and become healthier. THIS GRAMMA’S GOIN’ DOWN is sure to be inspiring AND fun as she is one hillarious writer!

SO, with this added support, I’ll keep on truckin’.  AND maybe someday I won’t have to hide behind frog statuary to disguise my double chin! Have a great day!