Day 2...

And welcome to day two...Yes, it feels almost like rehab would feel (if I had actually been to rehab, which, just for the record, I haven't).

Day two of my plan to get my personal stuff in order. Things have been extremely stressful around our house for the last month or two (or three, four...). We've been having a very very tough time with one of our kids, and that is part of the reason why I haven't been blogging. (If I started blogging about it all, you'd probably have me locked away somewhere - also, not unlike rehab..)

And as my history clearly shows, when I am stressed I eat. And I eat stuff I know I shouldn't eat, but it's how I've always dealt with anxiety and stress. But since the stress isn't going away anytime soon, and since I am doing a wonderful job of gaining back the 15 pounds I lost a year ago, it's time for an intervention.

Sunday was my daughter's 11th birthday and I made this fabulously delicious ice cream cake. You know the kind - chocolate wafer crust, Oreo ice cream in the middle, chocolate sauce on top of that, and of course, whip cream is the final layer. So as my adult step daughter and I are savouring the dessert of our dreams, we were also acknowledging our pathetic and futile attempts to lose weight. (Gee, I wonder why...) She's in her 30's and is just starting to notice how the weight doesn't come off as fast in her 30's after she's had her second baby. And I'm in my 40's (Ok, well in to my 40's) and although I haven't given birth, I have always struggled with losing weight.

So we came up with a plan. We're both going to write down every single thing we eat every day, eat smaller meals and snacks through the day, drink lots of water, and phone each other every day to check in and keep each other motivated. At the end of the month, whoever has followed this the most consistently will be rewarded with a free evening of babysitting by the other one. And, at the end of three months, which will be February, we'll celebrate our losses by going shopping for a whole day.

I have to admit February seems like a very very long way away. But I keep telling myself "one day at a time" (again, like rehab). The really frustrating part is that I know what I have to do, which is work out regularly and eat properly. But when I've made it through another day of parenting a challenging child, or two, or three, the food calls to me. Must...be...strong...ignore...the fridge.

And I have to admit that I do feel soooo much better when I eat properly. Which means I can handle the stress better too. So if you have any tips to help, or wise words to keep me motivated, let me know. Soon. Before I hear the peanut butter calling my name.