Ah, another day, another ache—or at least that’s how it feels most days. However, today was one of those rare good days. I spent about half an hour in the pool, simply enjoying the water. One of the perks of living in a desert is that we have a longer swim season. For people with chronic pain, low-impact exercise is often recommended, and aqua aerobics fits that bill perfectly.

When I was actively going to the gym right after my bariatric surgery, the buoyancy of the water helped me get in shape without stressing my joints. While losing weight didn’t eliminate the fibromyalgia pain, it significantly reduced the arthritis pain. What has helped me the most, though, is learning to eat better—a lesson I had to embrace due to my surgery. To this day, I maintain a healthy diet, and it shows. After my surgery, I cut back on carbohydrates and increased my protein intake. I was advised to consume 90 grams of protein a day and drink 90 ounces of water daily. Following those recommendations limited the amount of food I could eat.

Whenever I let my eating habits slip, my pain levels increase dramatically, and I have to work hard to regain control over my diet. Sugar is particularly troublesome; it’s highly addictive and contributes to inflammation in the body. It’s often the first area where my diet falters and the last area I manage to regain control over.

What’s your weakness when it comes to your diet?