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I began The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program (CALP) again on March 8, 2008. I am determined that it will be the last time I will ever restart this program, since I don't intend to ever stop. I understand that I am a carbohydrate addict and can not eat the way other people do, since I am unable to control myself when I try.

My husband does the majority of the cooking around this house because he loves to cook and is very good at it. The very first day I began this way of eating again, I started it with my usual two cups of coffee. I do not have any problem with drinking water since it is the only beverage, besides coffee, that I drink. My husband prepared me an omelet with spinach, mushrooms, bacon, and cheese for my first meal later that morning. I ate all that I could and because it was balanced with the same amount of vegetables and protein, I was unable to finish all of it. My very first Complementary meal was a great beginning to my new way of eating, and it kept me satisfied all day.

We were planning on having hamburgers for dinner that night so my husband fried up some bacon, fired up the BBQ, and made us bacon cheeseburgers. I began my first Reward Meal with a bowl of romaine lettuce (salad) with Ranch dressing, and then I balanced my plate with the bacon, hamburger, and cheese as my protein, bun as my carbohydrate, and asparagus as my vegetable. I added mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes because that is the way I like my burgers. I decided to eat my asparagus first and was shocked when I was unable to finish my bacon cheeseburger that first night. I was never one to leave food on my plate so you can imagine my excitement when it happened twice the very first day.

Since the first day went so well, I just knew I was going to be able to get back on plan. I am a very organized person when it comes to record keeping, so I started a word document in order to write down what I was eating on a daily basis. I have kept it up to date since the beginning and will continue to keep it current everyday.

Since CALP has always been so easy for me, I kept questioning myself about what happened the first time, why did I fail? I asked my husband what he remembers about my experience with CALP the first time I tried it. He said that I did so well in the beginning because I was balancing my meals the way it was intended. He also said that towards the end my portions became larger and I was consuming more carbohydrates than I should have been. He reminded me that, in the beginning, I would eat a small bowl of ice cream with my Reward Meal once a week. Before I changed plans, I was eating a large bowl of ice cream every night which was causing me to overindulge in carbohydrates.

Since I remember my first experience exactly as my husband does, I have made decisions that have helped me to prevent them from happening again. I have come to the conclusion that balance is the most important part of this plan for me to follow. If I eat the same amount of protein as I do vegetables in my Complementary Meals, I remain satisfied until it is time for my next meal. If I begin my Reward Meal with a salad and then divide my protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates into thirds, it is not possible for me to overindulge in carbohydrates.

To be continued...