Gigi, it's wonderful to hear from you. I'm glad to hear that you are doing well. Good for you for doing self care. It's so important.
Allison

: Hi everybody,

: Who knows when I last posted, I know
: it's been months. Sometime last
: spring or early summer things
: became so unmanageable and
: overwhelming I decided to rake
: everything off the table except my
: mother and my job. If you've
: forgotten - I am my mother's
: primary caretaker, she's 95 and I
: live with her so she can stay at
: home. She's in pretty good health
: all things considered. But it's a
: huge responsibility and I've had
: to work really hard to keep from
: getting crushed by it. We have a
: home health aide now three
: mornings a week and that has made
: a huge difference. She's like a
: member of the family.

: I never let go of the program. I came
: here to read whenever I could and
: stayed with breakfast, lunch, good
: snacks, and a light dinner. Sugar
: keeps fading little by little. But
: even though I have not done this
: by the book, taken many detours,
: tried things "my way",
: experimented - I feel very good
: about my food these days. I think
: all the trial and error was
: necessary to find my way. I'm not
: "there" yet but I can
: comfortably maintain the progress
: I've made for now.

: The big change lately has been a gym
: membership and hiring a personal
: trainer. I've never been a lazy
: person but I've never exercised at
: all except for a little walking.
: So this is a big commitment for
: me. I frankly didn't think I would
: last a week but now a month later
: I'm loving it in a perverted kind
: of way. ( I hate to sweat!)

: I've spent years working on my diet,
: I always thought that what I ate
: was the source of all my
: craziness. Food is a lot of it but
: not all of it. I've completely
: neglected exercise and I finally
: decided to get off my butt and do
: something about it.

: The good news is it's working beyond
: my wildest dreams!! I have more
: energy, I'm thinking more clearly,
: I don't get so upset over every
: little thing. I know these are
: also symptoms of my sugar
: addiction but I think sugar is
: only part of it for me. I have to
: do both.

: I don't know how much I will be able
: to participate here, I've missed
: being part of the conversation and
: I want to do as much as I can. I'm
: so glad you are all here and I'm
: so grateful for this website and
: all the support and help and love
: that's here.

: It's good to be posting again!

: Gigi

: PS And thanks Kathleen! If not for
: you I'd still be a miserable lump
: of humanity!