Okay, here's the thing...I have seriously fallen off the healthy
eating wagon this summer.  Of course this isn't entirely my fault.  And
if we're going to place blame, some of that should go to my son. 
Because for some reason, he was compelled to make homemade brownies
once or twice a week throughout the entire summer...And I was (obviously) compelled to eat them.

Even though I see my son as part of the problem, he would probably say (and has said), that it is my sheer lack of will power and self control that is the real problem (such wisdom he has).

But regardless of who is to blame (me Brian someone other than me the economy my mother my daughter me), now that he's off at college, I can't really use him as an excuse for my bad behavior.

So the question now is...

What am I going to do about it?

Well, I started working on my 'pre-dieting phase' and I'm also reading a book called 101 Things To Do Before You Diet.

Mary Kearl from That's Fit did an interview with the author of 101 Things To Do Before You Diet...

Putting a new twist on sound weight-loss advice,
UK-based fashion and beauty journalist Mimi Spencer's new book, "101
Things to Do Before You Diet," introduces new ways to think about body image and achieving the look you want.

I'm enjoying the book, it has a lot of really great tips.

I've also begun to think about my plan for getting back on the healthy eating wagon.  Here it is...

First.  This weekend I am getting rid of all
unhealthy food in the house and stocking up on the healthy stuff.  I have had success with this method in the past.  It's especially important at the beginning of any diet or healthy eating plan.

Second.   My daughter has agreed to help me by not asking me to buy unhealthy junk food and by attempting to eat a healthier diet herself.  Tip:  It's a lot easier to eat healthy when you're living with someone who is also eating healthy.

Third.  I'm reaching out to other women in my community that want to lose some weight and eat healthier.  We're going to start a little support group where we talk about ideas and tips for maintaining healthy eating habits.  I think being accountable to the group will also be helpful in sticking with the healthy diet.

There you have it.  Those are the three core aspects of my 'return to healthy eating' plan.  The only problem is...I know I will fail if I don't tackle my sugar addiction immediately.  So the first thing I will do (today) is quit sugar, and focus 100% on getting past the sugar withdrawal phase (this is always the hardest part for me).  I know once I get past the first 7 to 10 days, avoiding sugar will become much easier.

And for me, the sugar addiction contributes to an even larger
medical problem.  This may sound odd - But when I eat sugar, I crave salt, and then sugar, and then salt again.  It's a vicious cycle, and one that has negatively impacted my high blood pressure
(because of the increase in sodium).  Once I cut out the sugar, I know I will automatically stop craving salty foods.  And in the past this has really helped reduce my blood pressure.

Now let's take a look at what other women bloggers are saying about the problems of sugar in our diet.

Falling off the Clean Eating Wagon...

Over the weekend, I was at the Newport Jazz Festival
where I was inspired by the fabulous music and gorgeous weather…and
tempted by the notion of being away and carefree. And that clean eating I pride myself on was well, semi-clean at best (don’t ask me about the greasy breakfast sandwich, ice cream and strawberry shortcake — you get the idea).

From Body Acumen - Teaching Kids To Eat Healthy...

This may seem obvious, but somehow we stubborn Americans often don't understand that if we don't want our children to do something, we shouldn't facilitate it. (I know you've seen that episode of Geraldo, Oprah, Dr. Phil, whoever, where the parent comes with her toddler and states, "she dresses like a whore." Hello, who bought her those clothes?!?!) If you don't want your child to eat twinkies, don't buy them, even if you like to secretly eat them yourself.

From Girl Get Strong - How to Cut the Sugar and Sweets From Your Diet...

The American Heart Association recently released
recommendations for added sugars – and they say “slash slash slash” it way down. According to their position paper, the usual intake of added sugars for Americans was 22.2 teaspoons per day (355 calories per day) in 2001-2004. American Heart Association would like to see American women consume no more than 100 calories per day and men no more than 150 calories per day from added sugars. Why? Excessive consumption of sugars has been linked with several metabolic abnormalities and adverse health conditions, as well as shortfalls of essential nutrients.

From My Year Without Sugar - American Heart Association Recommends Less Sugar...

As we enter into the "Age of Transparency" cutting down on sugar should become easier. As we, the consumer, demand more
nutritious foods and less sugary junk food, the food producers will
scramble to satisfy our demand. This is not going to happen overnight, but I have high hopes that the pendulum will swing in favor of health food.

Also See:

• When Will We Finally Get The Sugar Message?
• From Alegra Feamster - Just A Spoon Full of sugar
• From Miz Fit Online - Avoiding Weight Gain in a S.N.A.P.
• From The Candid RD - A Long Rant Ahead

Here are some posts I have written on healthy eating:

• Good Nutrition:  You Are What You Eat
• Weight Loss:  The All You Can Eat Diet
• 100 Best Foods For Women
• How To Benefit From An Anti-Inflammatory Diet
• Part-Time Vegetarian
• Eating Healthy on a Budget

Are you addicted to sugar?  Do you have any tips for getting off sugar?  Let me know in comments.

UPDATE:   See new post by CE Elana Centor - Is The Food Industry Following In The Steps of The Tobacco Industry?

The new sugar guidelines basically limits the amount of "added" sugar a
woman should have daily to 25 grams of sugar. That's equivalent to 6
tsp which equals about 100 calories. Currently the average American
eats and drinks a whopping 22 tsp of sugar a day. And people wonder why
there is an obesity epidemic!

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan

at Catherine-Morgan.com and Women4Hope