My Name is Sarah P and I am a foodaholic.

I've always struggled with my weight, or more accurately I have always eaten more food than my body actually needs.

This year for the first time ever, I made the conscious decision to listen to my body. This was also helped by the fact that I discovered at the ripe old age of 33 I have horribly high cholesterol. Medication is my only option but I was, and am determined to keep my weight down to help keep myself as healthy as possible. (genetics, rather than being overweight are the key factor, thanks dad and grandpa!)

The other, was the realisation that for me anyway, being overweight increased risk factors for, well just about everything. My family history reads like  a medical landmine when you examine it closely and I am a mother. I think I said in an earlier post, I can't prevent bullets (excuse all the war metaphors tonight, I'm tired) but I can be as prepared and healthy as possible.

I joined Weight Watchers and as a result I lost over 15 kilos. I committed every week to going to meetings and relearning about nutrition. DH was totally supportive and always minded the kids while I frantically turned the house upside down each week finding the lightest possible thing to wear not caring that it was wintertime!

Do you know what I learned along the way?

I don't really like red meat, at all.

Nescafe skim cappucinos are delicious.

I can enjoy pasta once a week, anymore, and the scales and I start to argue.

So now we have a family tradition of actually making the pasta on Saturdays. Then we have friends around and have a big get together. I finally clicked as to what it means to make food a celebration. So I have a pasta "birthday" once a week and then enjoy other menu items the rest of the time.

If I get tired or upset I try not to dive for the biscuit tin or the kids snack foods. Instead I make a cup of tea.

I love yoga, who would ever have thought? I go twice a week and it's quite the workout but really relaxes my mind. Stacey, a blogger who I admire and have come to love enormously spoke of "mind chatter." I suffer from this constantly. Yoga has helped me, if not to eradicate it, at least diminish it to bearable levels.

So today Miss B (aged 4 going on 18) had a playdate with a Miss Poppy. We made cupcakes. In the past I would have polished off a plate of them. Today I had a couple and enjoyed them and no more.

Self discipline is something new to me and I am a novice. But I am not a quitter, rather an eager learner. So having reached lifetime membership at Weight Watchers I am determined to keep going monthly for weigh ins. Being healthy hasn't rid me of my neuroses or my love of food. However it has made my mind and body healthier and as a result I am a better wife, mother and teacher.

I know I will most likely stumble and fall along the way, that's why documenting the start of my journey in maintaining my health is so important to me, because its ultimately what keeps me accountable. "I can't do everything, but I can do something and by the grace of God I will." Mr Hale said it better than I ever could!