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There's nothing special about the number, "8," unless your body takes its shape; then, it becomes pleasingly sexy and significant. Along with my thighs, my hips, too, are wide. My derriere is proportionate to each of them. And they're all doing just fine, each existing exactly the way it is. My lower body is not the only queenly thing about me. My stomach has a little "poof" to it, and my arms and chest, at best, could be considered meaty. Nonetheless, I would never dream of cheating myself, by squandering time on a diet. Diets suggest that we need to decrease our body's size; however, what is more worth losing is not mass, but the bad habits that compiled it.

Without reservation, I accept these curves. What I cannot so readily accept is learning that I am more at risk for Diabetes, Hypertension and high blood pressure; since, it is has always existed in my family. I smile, catching a glimpse of these thighs, in the mirror. But, I am virtually panic-stricken when I consider cutting off my years... years that could be happily spent with my loving husband, who happens to be Diabetic, but staunchly vigilant concerning his sugar and overall nutrition. Accepting your body the way it is translates, for me, into a very healthy, one-woman love affair. A sugar addiction, on the other hand, is not about loving. Point blank, it's a coping mechanism. If I accept myself, then I need not self-medicate with sugar, or diet pills.

Getting real is the first, and best diet tip. Accepting your body as is, is putting the cart before the horse, if self-esteem issues are lurking, behind the scenes. Compulsive eating, dieting or pill-popping are physically- and emotionally-deadening games that we simply cannot risk, having everything to live for. And each of us has something to live for, when we live in the moment. That's really what self-acceptance is. Catching those glimpses in the mirror, and not running to the refrigerator, soon after, out of regretfulness or humiliation.

When we accept the reality of the present, whatever it is, we consider it as a gift. Then, we effectively take inventory of our observable strengths and weaknesses. Whatever is in the best interest of our greatest health is what we start incorporating or chipping away at... in the moment. I started my weight loss journey 106 pounds heavier than I am today. With exercise, and chipping away at my reliance on fast foods, the weight wittled away. Getting real, I realized that I was maxing out on McDonald's and Taco

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