I woke up this morning wanting only one thing for my birthday – to have lost 15 pounds. Well, happy birthday to me. I made it. I’ve lost half of my targeted weight. It made getting a year older not so bad. I may be getting “older” but I’m getting better every day. My health is getting better. My weight loss is definitely better and steady. My attitude towards food is so  much better.

I’ve listened to the 2014 Diabetes Summit for the last nine days. So much valuable information! Even though I don’t have diabetes, I am insulin-resistant. I’ve learned so much about healthful eating and managing weight. It has reinforced my decision to eat low carb diet. I think starting on the Atkins diet was helpful to get the basic ideas for cutting out bad carbs and sugars. But now I see there is much more depth to regulating  body systems using food as a medicine.

Why take medications to reverse conditions that can be managed with proper diet? Diabetes is such an epidemic in this country and totally avoidable. Knowing that I have consciously decided to move away from the standard American diet and towards a lifetime of healthy eating is empowering. It is not easy when you’re start to lose weight to see other people eat those foods you once loved but it gets easier. I thought I never could stop eating sugary foods. I used to stop at Dunkin Donuts and get a vanilla chai latte and a sour cream donut (YUM) on my way to work. Yes, it tasted is really good but I didn’t like the afternoon crash that resulted. I no longer feel the need to sugar up to get through the day. Eating protein and healthy fats give me enough energy to get through the day without lagging. That is a dramatic difference.

Sugar is just one thing out of my diet for good. I’ll go through the other food items that I’ve eliminated and tell you why I made those decisions. If you get a chance, listen to what is left of the Diabetes Summit. There is so much good information – even one session could have a big impact on your thinking about healthy eating.