Welcome back, Fiona. Your body will remember what recovery felt like and it will help you get back to where you were. It's great that you kept some of the good habits you had formed previously. That will make it easier.
Allison

: Hi everyone, this is my third go at
: starting. My first one was back in
: 2008 I think when I started all
: the steps at once ... you know
: dive in "boots and all"
: and then crash 'n burn .

: Then at the beginning of 2009 I
: started again but properly. I was
: already sugar free and had quit
: caffeine. Learning how to eat
: properly in the steps was really
: good. I felt better and clearer. I
: was able to clear out the junk out
: of the house (there wasn't a real
: lot but there was some). I became
: more confident. I was, at the time
: in an abusive marriage with a
: narcissist which had been really
: confusing but finally became
: clearer as I healed. I was able to
: free myself from this unhealthy
: relationship six months after I
: had started the first step. I had
: progressed to step 7 by this time.
: I stuck to the food during this
: tumultuous time knowing that I
: really needed to to keep steady
: and have the ability to do
: everything I needed to do.

: I am sure doing the food helped but I
: did still feel the effects of the
: stress of the separation. I wasn't
: sleeping well and I was feeling
: wired all the time. I also had a
: 14 year old aspergic boy and an 11
: year old who was struggling with
: dealing with his brother's
: meltdowns and the separation. The
: marital home was sold, finances
: settled and I bought a townhouse
: for myself and my boys. I started
: to slip after a few months. The
: potato went, the coffee came back.
: Then the sugar and the occasional
: bailey's nightcap.

: The divorce was also stressful. As
: was moving house and then buying a
: townhouse (happy also though).

: ...

: I am now married to a wonderful man.
: I now know what it is like to be
: loved and I feel loved. I now know
: what it is like to be in a healthy
: relationship. It is my sunny life
: after my dark life.

: On the whole I have mostly managed to
: keep protein with every meal so I
: guess that much is a positive. But
: I know that I don't feel as good
: as I did when I was on Step 6/7. I
: have some of the low blood sugar,
: low serotonin and low beta
: endorphin feelings. And I have
: some healing to do. My adrenals
: need healing. My body temperature
: is too low and I know that I need
: to get back to the really steady
: feeling I had at Step 6/7.

: So I am starting with Step 1 again
: and am here to just say hi.

: Fiona