A year ago I decided to break the sugar habit once and for all and finally drop the last of those baby pounds.  I was entering the dating scene after a very nasty divorce, the "baby" was now 8, and my clothes were shrinking.  It was time.

Enter Dr. Vogelman from Slim Clinics.  Dr. Vogelman had been my chiropractor for years and was just entering the world of Ideal Protein.  The plan sounded simple and healthy.  If I stuck with the program, the weight would melt off and I would once again be able to zip up my jeans.  I knew it meant going cold turkey on my sugars, but I wanted that extra push to get healthy again.  I was sold!

Fast forward one year...  I had done very well on the Ideal Protein protocol.  However, a few weeks after finishing, I decided I could have one small peppermint patty after lunch.  That one small peppermint patty became two.  Before I knew it, I was consuming just as much sugar as I had before I started on the program.

Enter Dr. Vogelman again.  We took measurements and body composition.  My body fat percentage was almost as high as it was a year ago (28%).  My weight was higher (157 lbs).  I was slightly dehydrated (-.85).  My chest, arms, and legs were about the same; however, I had put on about an inch at the waist and 2 inches in the hips.  *sigh*  A moment on the lips...

This time, I will do the alternative plan.  Since I teach some form of exercise class 3-4 times a week, I needed to do something different than the regular plan.  The biggest goal is to bust the sugar habit once and for all.  Since refined sugars run along the same neural pathways as heroin and cocaine, and since I tend to have an addictive personality, and since I am battling a lifetime of sugar addiction, this is going to suck.  Here's hoping for the best!