Dear FlyLady,

Your Body Clutter forms that I downloaded have been the key to my regaining the body I was designed to have. I had put on 14 pounds of clutter over the past few years and simply could not stick with a “diet.” The goal of “looking better” seemed frivolous when faced with my favorite chocolate desserts and snack foods.

Then I started weighing myself every morning and recording it on graph paper marked in 1/4 pound increments. Loved watching that line descend to my weight goal. AND I began recording every morsel of food that went into my mouth, and I stopped eating when it tallied 1100 calories (short body, small frame). And like magic (HA!) the pounds melted away. I’ve maintained this weight for two months by cutting back a bit when I gain a pound. This takes a tremendous amount of self-discipline, but I’m a SHEP (Sidetracked Home Executive Perfectionist), and it’s right up my alley.

The bonus is in feeling so good! I’m walking up hills faster, getting out of the bathtub is easier, and if I ever had to run for help in an emergency, I could do it without expiring. Another bonus is that I am much more selective in the food I put into my body and I am satisfied with small portions. Three small bites of a chocolate dessert eaten with a demitasse spoon (or a baby spoon) is just right if you smear it around in your mouth and take a lot of time swallowing it.

Jan from Pasadena