I can also relate to your phone fear. I avoid calling strangers at all costs. To get over it, I applied for a customer service position, and have to call people up all the time. I don’t mind it at work, however, I still avoid it at home. I get my boyfriend to call, or I’ll email before calling a stranger. It sux! I also hate answering the door for strangers too. I must sound like this anti-social basket case – no not quite yet.

On the other hand, if I have one cup of Crystal Lite Pink Lemonade (I know, yum) I get vertigo. Suck.

I have worked in call centres and still have phone anxiety (although I was very good a the job it was a very happy day when I quit). I come across to people as a very outgoing (even loud) person. I loooooovvvvvveeee email!

Licking the frosting off the mixers was definitely my favorite part of baking, growing up. (About now…no comment. Lol).

I do not think I’d be 109 lbs today instead of 190 lbs without Splenda ….I could problably live without Sweet n Low or Equal, and I’ve traded most of that for Splenda.

Interestingly (to me) I thought about that issue recently. I said, what if?

What if there was HARD evidence that there was a 50% probability that Splenda caused heart disease or cancer.

Would that make me give it up?

My answer was no….I’d just take my chances with death.

Then I said, What about 50% probability it causes Alzehimers?

Then my answer was..In that case, THEN I’d give it up.

I Took care of my mother with that one, and I find it a far worse fate than early death.

Having a really healthy body in old age isn’t always that great.

This was an interesting post, and shows the very many different routes to this weight loss thing, but also some of the similarities…

Like the artificial sweetners, for example. I went from eating every kind of junk food known to man (in huge quantities—McD’s 7-8 times a week…!), to trying to live the “good” life of whole foods, fresh and organic (as much as possible and affordable). So I get a diet coke only if I am eating out and I don’t like the idea of water. Otherwise, at home it is water or milk, period. If I eat something sweet, it is real (organic) sugar, or maple syrup, or honey. I buy plain yogurt and sweeten it myself, thus controlling how much. The idea of eating fast food is revolting to me now, even though I still get the urge to do it every once in a while (luckily, I can usually talk myself out of it because I always regret it if I binge…it truly is disgusting!). And that leads me to the weight loss role model—Boy, do I fail that one! When I started this journey, I decided that cheating was going to be a huge part of my game plan, and it still is. In fact, I am cheating too much lately, which is a little scary (because then it doesn’t feel like cheating any more…). But that is another story… As far as being a role model for others—I am not interested (and don’t think it would work, either). I don’t mean that I am not interested in helping others. I just mean that I don’t think i can, really. This thing is a private battle, as far as I am concerned. I can’t have pressure (and positive feedback is pressure!) or i start to unravel. So I’ve had to do this and ignore what everyone else thinks, good or bad. It has been the only way for me. That’s why I don’t think I can be a role model for someone else… and if I started worrying about what it would mean to someone else if I ate this or that, I’d drive myself crazy in a flash. I want to be able to go to the Cheesecake Factory with a clear conscience!

The pictures of myself—that one hit a nerve. I hate pictures of myself, I always have. But now, it is down right freaky. I saw a picture of myself a while back and didn’t know it was me. When I realized it, I freaked and couldn’t look at it. I know…I need help. But it is what it is… Now, the pictures of me as I was before are somewhat comforting to me. I look as I expect to look. I look like me. The face I see in the mirror now scares me because I really don’t know her yet.

And the TV one…that was familiar, too. I almost never turn mine on any more—I mean for weeks and weeks at a time. The trouble is, it isn’t just TV. I have trouble reading for pleasure, too, and I used to read avidly. I just don’t have the attention span for that kind of relaxing any more. It is like I can’t let my guard down. If I relax, maybe I’ll fall back on old habits. Maybe it was all a dream and if I don’t hold on tight to this, I’ll lose it. Again, I know. I need help. Knowing it and being able to do anything about it are two different things…

So thanks for your list. It gave me many things to think about. Maybe I’ll try my own list…