darbs, you are on your way. trust me, you are! it is an acquired habit for me, this being healthy business. and i definitely have my days...having some right now...but, it's about the overall context of your life. holistic health is what you are trying to find. and you are on your way.

hey sister, i already tried to post this comment, but i am on a vintage lap top in kenya, so i'm only giving it one more shot:

you are on your way to holistic health. as you develop a custom, healthy lifestyle it will feel less and less like a chore, and more and more like normal life. i am so happy for you, and i am totally rooting for you!

I can certainly resonate with your struggle. I think I was born with the mantra, "Mange, Mange (Eat, eat in Italian)!" Yet the struggle is worth it to feel well and gets more important the older I get. Any progress I make is better than no progress. I admire you a lot, Darbs--you struggle AND you persevere. You do not stop trying.

I love all of the things you listed above too. You left out a whole category of savory foods though... pizza, indian food, and all things salty.

MY physical fitness goal is to be able to work out enough that I can do all of those things and still be in good shape.

JK. I know that everyone has to find what works best for them, but for me I genuinely do feel more inspired to keep working out if I work those things into my life so that I don't feel deprived. I know a lot of people who can cut all of that stuff out of their life and throw themselves into exercising with wild abandon. When I try that, it doesn't take long until I am back on the "chips and beer for dinner" diet.

I love all that stuff, except I found a couple of typos:

I love ROOT beer. I love BUTTER rum lifesavers. I love being so drunk ON MY LOVE FOR MY WONDERFUL, PRECIOUS HUSBAND that everything is finally ok...

So.... jase, those are things you would correct to make it true for you?

That is so sweet how you love your wonderful precious husband.

Obviously, I don't have control over my insane love for eating so I have no advice to give you except this...if you drink a lot of water and take some ibuprofen before you go to bed (if you have a taste for the rum) you won't get a hangover.I'm just saying what I heard.

good thing you never tried pot....cause it is AWESOME!(Again, I am just saying what I heard) and you don't get hangovers and if you don't get crazy with the "munchies" than you won't gain weight. I just say no though, cause it is illegal...

Darb--you are doing really well. I've witnessed your exercising--and as Lyric says, "now the whole house is just about exercise!" A but of an exaggeration, I realize, but she said that because she sees you choosing some healthy things lately. You're awesome and you're making good choices.

Darbs,

When you get it all figured out, can you write a book, and go on a tour, and pray the blessing onto other people? 'Cause I need me some of that.

I keep praying that I will look to Him, and not this other stuff. I haven't had much success, but I have learned that beating myself up over my failure and questioning my faith only binds me more strongly to these other things as I look to further comfort myself. That's a big downward spiral that I try to get off of as soon as possible.

thats what city life will do to you! enjoy it, id say. city life isn't forever so live it up!!!

thats what city life will do to you! enjoy it, id say. city life isn't forever so live it up!!!

there was a period in my life when i dove headlong into diet and exercise, it was the best day of my life...

Maybe you should write a song about it. Put those feelings into lyrics and music. Just a thought...

mmm, french fries
french fries with mayonnaise
french fries with cheese
chili-cheese fries!
cheese steak with fried onions, mushrooms, and french fries
Did I mention I love french fries? Sometimes I miss them terribly, sometimes only a little, sometimes not at all (but that's only when I'm eating them).