My battle with the bulge has enemies that are making some headway – Coca-Cola and Hershey’s chocolate. Quitting these vices is throwing me into withdrawals. I never thought food could be so addictive, but it seriously is. When I’m stressed, all I want to do is eat and I’ve been wired lately with life’s trials that are so distracting that I can’t think straight - but I can certainly eat.

I have been eating more healthy choices and I’m still working out at the gym at least four times a week, but I’m finding it difficult to exercise my will power over my cravings. Anybody got any suggestions?

I’ve decided to wean myself off of the soda pop and candy. By the time I blog next week, it is my goal to have switched from regular Coke to diet; by the following week I intend to stop slurping down carbonated drinks altogether.

The chocolate is another story. I’ve got to have something to reward myself with. Right? I figure I can get my chocolate fix by buying sugarless chocolate from the diabetic aisle at the grocery store. That is really what is motivating me to lose weight, my health.

I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes in April 2002. I thought since it was “pre,” it wasn’t a big deal. Then I got pregnant less than a year later and had to start taking insulin shots twice a day. That changed my entire perspective. After I gave birth to my son, who turned two yesterday, I vowed to drop the weight and it has taken me those two years to lose 30 pounds

I’d only gained nine pounds the entire pregnancy, believe it or not, so the loss is really only about 21 pounds. Because it has been such a slow process, I decided to step it up and make this next year my focus on dropping the remaining 60 pounds I need to lose. I want to avoid having to take injections as long as I possibly can.