Candy and Cookies and Cakes, Oh My!!

     Tis the season!  As I have said before, the battle of the bulge has been my lifelong nemesis.  This season is especially hard.  Not only do you have get togethers and parties, but goodies are often delivered to my place of work.  Sinful confections seem to surround me everywhere.  I mean seriously, "Visions of sugarplums danced in their heads".  I can't even escape in my sleep. 
     Thanksgiving already did me in.  Two separate but equally LARGE meals took place and the result was a few pounds taking place on my hips, thighs, stomach and the other wherevers of my body.  And to my detriment, the official Christmas goodies haven't even started yet!  (Jillian would be so disappointed)
     All of that strength and determination I found a few months ago has seemed to have abandoned me and left me in search of instant gratification in the form of SUGAR!  Oddly enough, I went with my best friend to a nutrition class and learned a very important fact.  Sugar is the enemy when it comes to inflammation.  And I, my friends, suffer from chronic inflammation.  I have a hip problem that keeps me in some form of constant pain.  So, vicious cycle goes like this:  Overweight-hip hurts- hard to exercise- no weight loss- depression from the the things just mentioned- food to comfort- weight gain!!  I had recently turned it into a cycle of : Overweight- hip hurts- push through and do moderate exercise- feel better- eat better- weight loss- less pain- more exercise- better overall feeling!  Which one to pick seems like a no-brainer, right?  Well, I have discovered there is a big problem with the obvious.  SUGAR!  Try as I may, to stick with the healthier lifestyle, I keep going back to the enemy.  Why?  I wish I knew!   Habit? Maybe.  Addiction? Probably.  An old familiar friend that feels and tastes good? Definitely!
     Since this blog is a record of the things I am learning in life, I have come to realize a couple of things.  I will never completely eliminate sugar from my diet.  Doing so, is the thing that pushes me straight to it.  But everything in moderation.  So with that said, I am hoping to shoot for a regular schedule at the gym, time spent for relaxation and de-stressing, modifications to my diet that include healthy choices, and yes a little bit of sugar every now and then.  Wish me luck, and we will see how this goes!!