The theme for Week 9 of the "Drop 10 in 10" class was fitting - "Don't diet; live it." The group met the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
"Food is very social," instructor Jim Persing said. "Dieting puts a cramp on people's lives."
Declaring some foods off limits certainly would have made Thanksgiving a lot less fun for most people who try to monitor what they eat. However, if you monitor how much you eat and throw in a little exercise, you can balance tradition with healthy eating.
Our group still has a chance to meet and share our trials and triumphs. Persing said a free weight-management support group is held at the center at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month.
Some of us still seek help dealing with, and trying to change, our long-time habits. Consumption of soda is an issue for some.
"It pretty much eats away at everything in your body," said instructor Ashley Geiser.
I don't drink much soda but, now, I think I'll drink even less and I'll try to encourage others to do the same.
There's not enough room to get into all the details. Instead, type "soda and health" into the Google search engine on the Internet. Be sure to read the articles about Pepsi's new "fat-fighting" soda called Pepsi Special.
