YES!

I don't know if that exclamation is an apt title but it felt good writing it. Great reflection to what I am feeling right now.

No I haven't lost any large amounts of weight. At least I personally do not know. I have not weighed for the week and probably will not get to weigh this week. I just am feeling great.

Eating habits are still a bit off. I'm eating less and maybe really that is what I need to be doing. I have not gotten to the gym this week because of rehearsals (long story). However I believe that I am still being active and that makes a difference.

However I want to talk about addiction and weightloss.

It is bothering me the way how a particular young lady who is around me regularly, is changing. I mean physically changing. Yes she has lost some weight, which is great. What however, is my issue, is that to maintain this weightloss-she smokes-cigarettes and weed.

Now I do not have any scientific research to substantiate what I am about to say. But simple common sense prevails when you have someone attempting to suppress their apetite with these two habits. They are 2 of the most unhealthiest habits to have. I do not mean to offend anyone who smokes weed for a religious purpose or anything. Or for those who use it as their recreational drug-your choice. I do know however, prolonged useage will have some negative effects on an individual. Especially one who abuses quite regularly and does it to suppress their appetite!

Not only that, when weed begins to alter your physical appearance and positively, it is time for you to STOP.

Many persons will rebut my statements with the age old cliche arguments re: weed is a herb, there is nothing wrong with it. There are medicinal purposes for it. Whilst this is true. Even long term abuse of prescriptions drugs will in fact lead to negative effects-won't it?

Moderation and a controlled doseage are prescribed for any drug.

With any thing moderation.

I asked a friend why it is bothering me so much about this young lady.

I think it has to do with, me believing that she is replacing one addiction with another. Compulsive addict? Is there such a thing? Well that is what I will call this young lady. Replacing food addiction with other habits to counteract the negative effects of food addiction is a vicious cycle.

I am no one's mother, but I do know that when someone does not deal with their addiction to food and replace it with another unhealthy habit you are compounding the already present problem.

One thing you have to deal with, is your mind's inability to say no to food. To hone in on possible issues that might be causing you to use food as an outlet. Maybe that is what it is. I have always said from the time I could remember, that we all need outlets. SOme outlets are positive-the others negative. My outlet is to work out or dance or nowadays to write in my blog.

We all need an outlet. Before I began my journey... I ate. I ate for many voids in my life. I could find any reason to eat out. It became my outlet. School was stressful, I felt sad, happy, in between. Any emotion any mood. I felt as though it was the one thing that took my mind off of anything- and I had no major issues. The simplest things made me eat.

However I know that I had to change that outlet. When I was at home, it was the gym and zumba. I had to find that outlet somehow in Trinidad and as luck would have it-there was aerobics and a gym nearby.

However before any outlet can be "confirmed" you have to deal with your issues. The young lady, in one of our many conversations, intimated to me that she everyday she felt fat. That struck a chord with me. A familiar one. Her mind has not yet caught up with her physical appearance. Sounds really familiar. She, just like me, will have to slowly pull her mind along to catch up with her body image. It isn't easy and many times is easier said than done.

My Dr. asked me in my first consultation if I ever smoked. I told her no-she was shocked. It seems most women suppress their appetite by smoking and she said I was one of the few persons she spoke to that never did. I don't mind being in that minority.

What I will say is. Using another addiction to solve another addiction is obviously a problem. it goes to the core of why some persons who lose weight fail miserably and do not maintain the weightloss. Weightloss has more than one aspect to it. It is largely a mental journey as well as a physical one.

My mental journey took the road of me putting myself out there in a blog--I put myself out there to tell my story. Whilst some--like my sister--quietly deal with those issues.

I do not mind being the bold one. I was always open about my weight issues. I struggle with them openly because I know I am not alone. It is nothing to be ashamed of or afraid of expressing. My back is broad and any criticisms I get I take. Whether I write about them subsequently or I chose to ignore them.

What we all must understand is that these two factors must work in tandem and be dealt with in order to effect an overall successful change. It bothers me that this young lady choses to deal with it like this. I do not know what to say to her, as I believe that one thing that was given to us as humans, is free will and it is our business how we exercise this right.

It does not hinder me however from writing my feelings about it and verbalising what I so much want to say to her.

Addictions will not solve the problem, whether it is a drinking problem, shopping addiction, hoarding, drugs-prescription or illegal, sex. It comes down to one thing, the problems remain-they do not go away--simple as that.

On a lighter note!!

Hope you all got a good look at those before and after pics! Shocks me everytime I see the contrast! LOL

Stay blessed

KKA