I think I caught the infection I mentioned on my 11/29 blog post on this same topic. If so, that would be a good thing.

Infections are normally unpleasant. They can be contagious. They can keep you home from work.

But the infection that I hope I caught is a contagion that many of us in America who have weight to lose would love to catch. It’s what Laura Dion Jones, the host of The Laura Dion Jones Show on WRMN 1410AM, is all about. A motivational coach, par excellence, she worked her magic on me, after I was a guest on her show on 11/30, when she offered me a ride home after the interview. The drive from Elgin, Illinois, back to Chicago, took over an hour during rush hour.

Imagine being captive in the car of a woman who has motivated 166 people in Elgin to lose 1685 pounds in a little over 18 months. And who has lost 130 pounds herself. And kept it off for years. Plus, she radiates confidence that anyone can do the same.

Imagine getting a messenger-delivered package the next day that contained Laura’s book, Commit to Get Fit: The Secret to True and Everlasting Weight Loss. On the cover, a large Laura, draped in a black tunic top topped with multiple strands of colorful beads, stands alongside a svelte Laura wearing a black form-fitting dress. A plus-size model at one time, she looks smashing in both pictures, but much healthier and happier in the latter.

I could not help myself. I sat down and read the book cover to cover. And then, having caught the bug, started tracking my daily carb intake, water consumed, steps taken, miles walked, and weight.

You can probably figure out the rest. With the holidays rushing toward us, I’ve said no to Marv’s offer of pumpkin pie for three nights in a row, passed up frosted cookies and heart-shaped brownies at the wake of a dear friend, and avoided the donut holes during coffee hour at church.

The song that’s singing in my head is one I made up that I sing to the tune of Jesus Loves Me! This I Know. It goes like this:

No more sugar! this I know, No more sugar! this I know.
No more sugar! this I know, For my body tells me so.
Yes, no more sugar! Yes, no more sugar!
Yes, no more sugar! My body tells me so.

Oh, and by the way, the interview with Laura on WRMN 1410AM gave me a friendly relaxed opportunity to talk about what nursing means to me. To see Laura in action for yourself and to learn a bit more about nursing, watch the YouTube version here. Then eat an apple, walk a mile, and think about buying Caring Lessons for that woman in your life for Christmas!