Dieting Through the Holidays?

It's been a while since I've written, mostly because there is so much to do around here with putting Christmas away and cleaning for the New Year. Dave put a new Wi Fi thingy on our computer, so for a couple of days the Internet wasn't working. I was hoping to bring a new and improved attitude into 2012 but within a couple of days I was back where I ended. Wow, it is so hard to change personality traits and that makes life complicated for me sometimes. My sister, Mindi and I all started a diet around Thanksgiving, I know horrible timing. Anyway, it's been really hard but we are all having some success. After trying all of the other diets, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Slim Fast, even almost having lap band surgery, we found a Naturpathic doctor that is having success with us fatties in helping fight the battle of the bulge. Combined last week the three of us lost over ten pounds, which she was so happy with because it was during Christmas. I know everyone has something in their life they use to help fight stress, depression, anxiety and all the things living this earthly life gives us. I am aware that some use drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, and anything else to take away the pain. It seems in my family a lot of us use food to medicate ourselves. We even live in a culture that seems to celebrate everything with food, especially "treats." I think a lot of us are addicted to sugar which is my "drug of choice." I was talking to Candi yesterday as I went with her running errands and she said she eats when shes bored. That's why she loves to work because she can control her appetite on the days she works. She said if she was a "stay at home mom" like I was, she would be large. I have noticed that as I try and control my calories, it has made me more emotional and irritable. I was told by a friend that when you try and lose weight, or body mass, it does bring up the emotions that have caused you to put on the weight in the first place. I know for our family times are tough. The economy hurts small businesses like ours and especially when you have people who won't pay you for the work you do for them. Rich's sister in Utah and her husband have a tile business and they don't have any work right now. At least Rich and Dave are working everyday. As Candi and I were driving home yesterday through a run down part of Mesa she made the comment that things could be so much worse for us. I know I don't deserve most of what I've been given, great parents and a wonderful supportive family, now if the pounds could just keep coming off it will be worth it.