300+ Chat Thread: November, 2013

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  • Time4me, that is a great way to work through your feelings. I still eat them. It is something I really need to work on. Do you have any weightloss poems?
    Not to make light of your health issues however, I do not know one person who does not have mental health issues. I think at different periods in our life they are just more overwhelming.
    I am with you on it being easier during the week. Today is my tough time so I am hanging out here.
  • Ubee- I don't have any weight loss poems...yet... I usually write when an idea strikes me, and currently am writing a school play so too much 'mandatory' writing on my plate, hence painting. But maybe soon, if I write one I'll share it....

    You mean everyone and their sibling! Believe me I know... both the stats and the people....

    my journey is just my own and has emcompassed over 20 years of my life... and my past has been haunting me lately, which makes me especially motivated to keep in control.... I have issues with change and this year has completely rocked the foundation of my being... it's been a struggle to not fall back into old self destructive patterns.... and you know, weight loss is hard LOL...

    This site and the wonderful people on it actually help a lot... I just hope I can return some of the help I get over time.
  • I'm hanging in here—not eating, a bit less angry. Thanks for the support, Ubee! I'm still not sure this is healthy behavior on my part, depriving myself when I'm so miserable.

    The hardest thing about this project, in my opinion, is dealing with all the EMOTIONS that I used to numb out with sweets. If I could find a ticker depicting a small sailboat in very stormy seas, that would be most appropriate.

    Melissa— I too have a history of depression—severe depression. A big part of my weight gain is due to side effects from antidepressants. By the way, I recently read your thread about life in Egypt. You write very well! And as others have said, you are an amazing person...

    Shel— Nice to meet you! Please don't beat yourself up for regaining some weight. We all do that: it's par for the course. Instead, give yourself lots of positive feedback for being back on this website! Keep posting, and you will get your plan back in action...
  • Fiona - I'm an emotional eater, too. Happy, sad, mad...it never mattered. Food always made me feel that much better. I know that when I was calorie counting I didn't deprive myself of anything I just didn't allow myself to have it all the time. It's harder than it sounds of course because instead of eating a small bowl of ice cream I'd want to eat the whole half gallon. But at least if you're craving something and you allow yourself to have the serving size portion of it maybe you won't feel so deprived.
  • ShelBl, I also do not like to deprive myself. Sometimes I think it is a trap. What I try to do is tell myself I can have cookies on Christmas day otherwise I keep increasing how often I get my treat and before you know it, it is every day.
    I did WW years ago when we counted points for dinosaur stew. Now that I know carbs/sugar make me crazy I am much more successful. As for eating when not hungry well, I may never see that day. I will just have to learn to cope with it. I wish you well!
    Time4me, you are helping me! Thank you!
    Fiona, I am glad you are doing better. As I said above I don't think we should deprive ourselves unless it is something that makes us sick. However I know I need to plan a date in the future to have a treat so it is not decided by impulse.
    Watchout, you are lucky that you can control your portions. I have empty plate syndrome.
    This is why I like this place, we can hear what works for others and use it or lose it depending on our own strength and weakness.
  • Oh no I can't control my portions! lolol When calorie counting I had to FORCE myself to eat smaller portions on a smaller plate because I can never NOT eat the whole plate. I know some people are like "oh I'm full" and they're done...I'm like "I'm full" but let me go ahead and eat two more plates.
  • Well guys, I finally couldn't take it anymore. I went out and got pie. It was cherry pie, tart and not too sweet, so it didn't make me crazy the way high-sugar foods do. And I didn't eat it in a compulsive way. I didn't read or do anything else while I was eating it. I ate it slowly and with concentration, enjoying every bite.

    It was a slip, of course, but as slips go, it was a minor one. I didn't fall off the wagon from my abstinence, because pie is not one of my three abstinence foods. Tomorrow morning I'll do a re-set on my diet, and my hub-sand will eat the leftover pie. (Hub-sands are handy that way.)

    I think you have a really good idea, Ubee, about planning treats in advance. That way you don't give into impulsive eating. Compulsive, impulsive, repulsive...none of those are intelligent ways to behave. =laugh= My take-home lesson from this experience is that I shouldn't have denied myself on Hallowe'en. I should have planned a small treat the way Betsy says she does.

    Tomorrow I'm back on plan! =smile=
  • Good morning!
    Another day, another challenge to stay focused. I think if I find time, I will start reading Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes. Reading diet/health books help to remind me I am eating healthy. I do so much mindless eating it is sad.
    I have not walked for a few days and I finally realized, exercise helps me sleep through the night.
    Watchout, I had to chuckle when I read your post about being full and still being game on for 2 more plates. So true!
    Fiona, you have figured out another piece of the puzzle to your weightloss. We are always learning. I'm glad you enjoyed your treat. Here is to a strong reset today!
    How is everyone doing?
  • Well, I should get a lot done this morning since I woke up at 5:30 due to the clock reset. Does anyone else hate this clock reset twice a year?

    Time4me -- I'm glad that you still consider this person to be a good friend. I have a tendency to push people away if they've hurt me badly -- intentionally or unintentionally. Trying to figure out who we are is a life long work in progress. Hope that the art work helps.

    Fiona -- I'd never thought about the ramification of deprivation, mainly because I'm not doing a very good job at depriving me of anything right now. But, I think Ubee has a good point -- rechannel that bitterness to the giant corporations who produce "food" that they know if bad for you for the sake of making mega-bucks. One thing that I've been trying to do is to find alternative recipes. For instance, I love breads, but with the carb sensitivity, they're not a big part of my diet any more. I have found a low calorie, low carb bread by Sara Lee that's pretty good. I've found a product called CarbQuick (Bisquick take off) that can be used as a baking mix. With all of the recipe sites out there, I imagine that you could find some low calorie substitutes for when you just want a cookie. Or, I ran across a recipe the other day that was for making one cookie in the microwave. Same calorie count, but the idea was to limit the intake by just making one and getting the taste craving over with. I read someplace that after you've taken 4 bites of something that the craving passes. And remember that cravings frequently have a chemical basis in our minds and we all just satisfy those cravings with our favorite food choices. Don't know if that helps at all, but I don't think I can go through life depriving myself. But I can go through life finding foods that will satisfy me while making me feel that I've had something special.

    Ubee -- your compliment is appreciated about the candy.......and way too early. Maybe I need to develop an exercise regimen called Using the Steps to Get to Your Stash. In spite of putting it in the freezer downstairs, I managed to make 3 trips down for a "treat" which consisted of getting as many of those little candy bars as I could fit into my pocket each time. So, this morning I went down and got them and put them in the trash bin. And then dumped the paper towels that I've been using to clean up Toby's messes on top of them.

    And, yes, I do think our bodies go through resets. It takes a while to get it to reset to a lower weight, but eventually that happens. In the meantime, until the reset occurs, it's sure easy to pack the pounds back on.

    SelBl -- welcome back. Sounds like you're getting back in the groove.

    Lots to do here today. I need to repot two enormous plants for the house and I dug up all of the geraniums yesterday. I trim them back and winter them over, so they all need to be put into pots for storage. Need to get the accounting done for this month, pay the bills, and reconcile about 5 accounts. UGH. And, of course, I will need to walk Toby a few times in the constant quest to get him to understand that we go potty outside!
  • Just reread that last sentence. That was the universal "we" as I still use the indoor facilities. I think my neighbors might frown upon having demonstrations outside for the sake of housebreaking a puppy. OK, that vision will stick in my head all day.
  • Betsy- I get it. I have very very few close friends, and he is one of them. He has been incredibly supportive of me in some of the hardest and most vulnerable situations I've been in recently, and on a daily basis he makes me feel beautiful, happy, loved and respected (yes he is just a friend, but he cares so much for me I can feel it).... I would be foolish to let him go for something he doesn't even know he did. He and I met last year when he was a 'new' teacher at our school (he's been teaching about 6 years longer than me and had an entire life before that) but he and I just 'clicked'.... we share a classroom, and most days spend hours together... when teaching we look at eachother for inside jokes and smiles and get them.... He means the world to me, especially here... I am actually his department head this year, which makes me feel weird but hec encouraged me last year to ask for the position.... I've never met anyone like him, and will be surprised if I do again. We're actually doing a course together too. It's good that his wife and I are also friends, or people might talk :P

    Fiona- Thank you for reading my other thread. And thank you for the comment on my writing. I appreciate it I haven't written much about Egypt lately, but life gets rather routine when you work somewhere.

    Ubee- yay Love this thread more and more!

    On the topic of Egypt, I am off school tomorrow due to Morsi's trial.... there are going to be road blocks and protests I guess, so they don't want students and staff travelling all over to get to school. Then we are off on Tuesday for Islamic New Year. |So mid-week weekend! Woo-hoo.

    I had my 'cheat' night early (dinner with friends) but I bought the ingredients for beef stew which I will make tomorrow and eat for the next few days... to get back on track.
  • I know thus is a tiny thing, but I'm excited because I just found the weight loss ticker I've been searching for: a sailboat in high seas. You see, I'm a big ocean person because I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Texas. I've sailed up and down that coast in a variety of small boats (Sunfish to racing sloops).

    I like the looks of this ticker so much I ditched the other two. I still have my first mini-goal—losing 20 pounds—but I don't need a ticker for that. I plan to buy myself some kind of nice reward (maybe a bracelet? an art book?) when I achieve that goal, so I won't forget about it.

    I feel really on track today. In the aftermath of last night's pie, I'm fasting. So far, I'm not hungry. If hunger pangs do strike, I'll go for some turkey lunch meat (organic, free-range, no added crap).

    Thanks for all the great feedback, y'all! I have lots to get done today...
  • New to the site
    Hi! I just joined this site. My name is Anna. I started out at 349. Since the beginning of August, I have gotten down to 323. Seems very slow going and HARD! Hoping I can find some support and inspiration!
  • Welcome Anna!

    Congrats on your weight loss so far! THis is a great place to share successes and struggles and find support!
  • Hi Anna—nice to meet you! I'm a 58 y.o. artist & writer, married with no kids (by choice). I started out very close to you, at 351. It's been really slow-going for me, too: it took me 20 months to lose the first 51 pounds.

    But slow is just fine! Everyone says that going slowly is better, because you have all that time to (1) unlearn bad patterns, like emotional/compulsive/unaware/etc. eating, and (2) make permanent changes in your lifestyle. If you can do both of those things, your chances for keeping the weight off are much improved.

    Could you tell us more about you? Your plan for losing weight? Your hopes for the future? Whatever else is relevant? =smile=