Day 1 - 100 Days of 100 Grams

Bass Lake - Blowing Rock, North Carolina

July 6, 2020

I suppose I always knew that it would be something simple that would bring me back to the blog I created in 2010.  I'm not sure I ever considered that what would bring me back to writing would be the same thing that drove me to it in the first place.  My health and my ongoing challenge with my weight.  If interested, the details of all that and the early years of consistently writing about life in general can be found here. 

For two reasons, I stopped writing soon after my husband passed away in 2015.  The first was that I simply didn't have the drive or dedication that it took.  Working my way through deep grief took all the energy I could muster and although, I continued private journaling, I just couldn't find the motivation to blog.  The second reason is that I truly believe blogging is a two-way street.  If I wanted people to read and respond to what I wrote, I needed to spend time reading and offering feedback to their blogs.  Again, I just didn't have the energy to do that and needed the face-to-face communication that could provide hugs and handle my grief.  

But it's funny how the circle comes right back around.  When I created a new challenge for myself with respect to my health, I knew accountability would be huge.  The first thing that crossed my mind was to blog about it.  It worked ten years ago as I LOST a significant amount of weight and in the process, GAINED a community of blog friends some of whom I maintain contact with even now ten years later!  Choosing the title for my blog, Gains & Losses: Life Through Sharon's Eyes, seemed fitting at the time.  Little did I know exactly how perfect it would turn out to be.  I have lost so much, but I've gained even more.  Believe me, we are not just talking about losing and gaining weight!

So my challenge.............It took years of failures and successes for me to really comprehend the fact that my body is VERY sensitive to carbs.  The three times in the last thirty years that I've been successful in losing weight and, more importantly, KEEPING IT OFF, have been on some form of low carb eating plan.  However, it wasn't until 2011-2012 when I lost a LOT of weight that I recognized it as such likely because this was during the period when the low carb craze really became a "thing."   I kept that weight off until Bill became ill in 2013 but during the 18 months of his illness, I gained much of it back.  I don't berate myself for that as those 18 months were both the most precious and most difficult time of my life!  I do regret that, five years later, that weight plus more is still a constant source of frustration.  

At my age and current lifestyle, I refuse to "diet" or participate in any plan that eliminates entire food groups or makes eating an ordeal, but I do know that for me to have lasting change, lower carb is the only thing that will work for me.  Randomly, I "googled," a question about losing weight eating 100 carbs a day and came up with this post, 100 Carbs For 100 Days, and was hooked.  I don't know this gentlemen, but he inspired me.  I knew I could do this.  What really drew me in was his ease with the process and absence of rigid "rules."  

Thus, the idea was born and the excitement began.  I can accomplish two goals:  1) lose some weight, and 2) get back in the habit of blogging. 

I'm not quite sure how this will play out, but I will post SOMETHING each day for 100 days and hopefully, see some results, make some new friends, and blogging will become easy again like it once was!