[8mickey2]

the main culprit in my weight re-gain each time has been fast food. if it's fried and salty, it's my weakness. any time i fall of the bandwagon, it's into a pile of mcdonald's french fries or a platter of chicken fingers.

anyways (before i make myself hungry!), i have been diligently counting calories for over a week and a half and have no problem sticking to it without much temptation. today, however, i got out to the parking garage after a long day at work and my car was dead. DEAD. i had security try to jump start, and nothing. it's a used car, but i bought it just 3 months ago. my warranty company offers roadside assistance, but it was 3 full hours later by the time they showed up! i held back tears as i sat and waiting, thinking the worst for my poor little SUV. i was convinced it had become a useless pile of scrap.

THIS MADE ME THINK TO MYSELF: "I'M GETTING A CHEESEBURGER IF I EVER LEAVE THIS PARKING GARAGE."

uggggggggh! why does my brain always turn to fast food for consolation and comfort?

the good news: my car WASN'T dead, my battery was. the tow truck guys miraculously got it started, and i headed straight to the store to get the battery replaced. guess how many fast food places i passed along the way? LOTS. guess how many i stopped at? ZERO.

i know it's really minor, and certainly not worth this novella-length posting, but i was SO happy that i had the willpower not to give in. this is a huge step for me, as if this had been a few weeks ago i would have consumed a 2000 calorie deep fried dinner this evening. i'm getting back the motivation and willpower i've lacked for over a year! so happy!

[VernDern]

Yay! Congrats!

Youre doing great! I just started so Im not dying for fast food yet but Im sure its coming! I'll just have to come back and read this again! =)

Stay Strong!

[Onederchic]

That is awesome!

[Institches21]

That is Super Wonderful, you should be darn proud of yourself. Good For You, and Yay!! for not giving in. You can always share your news with us, we love to hear all about it! Continued Sucess for You!!

[lottie63]

awesome!

[ajowens]

WOOOHOOOO!!! So glad you didn't give in at the end of that story. If it were me I would have. I do the exact same thing. And I don't even really like fast food. Our brains are programed. It took years to make them that way and now it will take the same to change it! Good for you girl!!

[Alana in Canada]

Who can do this?
You can, that's who!

Whooohooo!

[salsa chip]

And you SHOULD be proud of yourself!!

[Couch]

uggggggggh! why does my brain always turn to fast food for consolation and comfort?

The totally serious answer to this question is: Because it makes you feel good. Only for about 5 seconds, but it does.

Realising that I was binging in the hunt for a "high" made a huge difference in my ability to manage my emotional eating.

But also, you were stuck on the side of the road for 3 hours! You were probably hungry.

Congratulations on bipassing the salt-a-ma-fat-a-ma-thon!

[cfmama]

That is a huge something to be proud of! Great job!!!

[time2lose]

This is not something minor, it is something major! You have identified your problem and are taking steps to correct it. Congratulations!

[ubergirl]

Originally Posted by Couch

uggggggggh! why does my brain always turn to fast food for consolation and comfort?

The totally serious answer to this question is: Because it makes you feel good. Only for about 5 seconds, but it does.

Realising that I was binging in the hunt for a "high" made a huge difference in my ability to manage my emotional eating.

This.

And ME TOO.

And I am finding it easier to deal with as I go along. Recently I was travelling and away from my familiar environment I did find my mind bouncing toward food when I was in those little transition times that used to always trigger eating: waiting somewhere, or at loose ends, feeling stressed and fidgety, especially alone and in a car where I had easy access to fast food and no one would see me...

Like COUCH, an awareness has helped me. I think "oh, I'm thinking about food because I am unhappy with this situation..."

Each time you succeed in not responding to a trigger, it will get easier.

I used to stop at this one convenience store EVERY SINGLE DAY on the way to work for a coffee and three danishes. (yes, I said three ) I would literally risk being late because I couldn't imagine not stopping. It was as though the store had a magnetic force field. When I finally forced myself not to stop, the first few days were excruciating. For a half a mile or so before, I'd constantly wonder if I was going to give in to the overpowering urge to stop. But after a week or two, it got better, and now, I don't notice when I drive by at all. In fact, one day, I was low and gas and actually NEEDED to stop there-- I accidentally drove right by because I forgot where it was.

You may not be able to train yourself not to think about the cheeseburger at all, but I PROMISE that each time you resist the thought will have less power.

[Thighs Be Gone]

I also count this as something major. Absolutely a very big deal. You are retraining your reactions in your brain. You are establishing new coping mechanisms. You are forming new habits.

Congratulations for not caving. Absolutely wonderful.

[Trazey34]

that IS awesome!!! i STILL get that little zinger when presented with a change in my routine not of my making ~ if something happens where I can't get home for dinner or an emergency of some kind, i get that "stop at get mcd's" thing, so WEIRD! i punch it in the face but it still pops up!

on a side note about salt - once you've eaten less for a whle, wow do McD's fries taste like a salt bomb! ewwww!

[TamiL]

Great job! Keep it up and you may just find that you find fast food repulsive. I never thought I would think like this but after 8 months without it, I don't want to be anywhere near the smell of it now.