SubscribeLove of sweets still my undoing
My surrender was sweet. But it did not stop my quest to Melt the Middle.
The month of May with Mother’s Day and travelling undid some of my good progress. Chocolates from my husband, freshly baked pound cake at my niece’s for dinner and then the most delicious clincher received from my away-at-college daughter, Banana Cream Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. I indulged in it for days, savoring each delectable morsel.
Instead of Melting the Middle, I added on inches with guilty abandon – French fries, fried shrimp, Bojangle’s Cajun chicken biscuits. It was almost as if my body was begging for sweets and grease after getting rations during my six-month challenge with my friend, Juggling Act blogger Mae Israel.
Fortunately, all my good efforts toward reducing my middle were not wasted. My trips to the gym and walking helped to balance out some of those excessive calories. This challenge has reinforced for me the importance of consistent exercising. I cannot afford to not be active, whether I’m eating healthy foods or devouring some of my favorite not-so healthy pleasures.
Moderation is the key when it comes to eating, as we have been told many times by nutritionists and other health advocates. I practiced that during the challenge as well with some success.
I also have faced the fact, like Mae, that sugar remains for me a major culprit in my battle to reduce the bulge. Since the challenge, I started paying attention to how my body reacts when I consumed too many sweets and what I noticed—bloating, added weight, sluggishness–makes me want to continue changing my eating habits. I am also watching my intake of carbohydrates that turn to sugar in the body such as breads, white potatoes and pasta.
The Melt the Middle Health Challenge is not over for me. I am continuing my efforts to reduce my waist and live a healthy lifestyle through eating well and exercising often. Pretty soon, we are going to be asking for some of you to join us.
In the meantime, Banana Cream Cheesecake anyone?
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