Christine -- I think we're all different wrt food issues. I still don't keep some foods in the house (ice cream, cookies), but actually can do really well with more foods than I ever thought I could. And if I want ice cream, I go out for it.
So, if you think you need to banish something, do it! Try it again someday. And, maybe you just can't have it in the house, maybe you can... time will tell.
As for the 2 sleeves of saltines. You know it's okay not to be perfect. Use this as an opportunity to learn so it doesn't happen again. See, you're learning, and that's good, not out of control, which would be bad. It's all in the framing!
As for my 100 pounds plus, I never knew I would do it! I just committed to eating better and exercising and, actually, stayed pretty strict. Amazing what can happen if you stick to something. I count calories and eat quite a lot of food (still around 1800 calories/day!!)
Sorry you are having a hard time with food. That is the HARDEST part for me. I love popcorn. And not the light popcorn! I like the full on movie butter popcorn. Carbs are mostly what I binge on..if I binge. The best advice for right now is maybe keep them out of the house. But look...don't beat yourself up so much. I have spent my whole life feeling bad about messing up with food. And what does that do? It keeps me more and more behind with losing weight. Because when I messed up I would give up. Try to focus more on the positive. You did 7 minutes of cardio! That is good! And you worked out again! And when you mess up with food focus on the good things you have done and get back to it! Maybe if you mess up with eating go do 7 more minutes if you can! Hang in there!
Well, last night I had another run in with the Grain Monster and there was an incident with some Kashi GoLean Crunch...well, the good news is that the cereal is gone from the house. The bad news...well, you can just imagine.
So, today is another day. I feel like Ms. Pacman, just wanting to chew my way through the house. It's a horribly strong feeling.
I guess as long as I keep posting here, I'm making one positive change, right? This Ms. Pacman feeling should pass at some point and I'll get that great feeling back that kicks us in the bum and gets us going.
Christine -- If it's any consolation, I do feel like a lot of these issues have gotten easier for me over the last 15 months. I still confront Ms Pacman from time to time, but I feel stronger about my abilities to withstand the food demons much of the time. The food demons have also weakened their hold over me.
So, HAVE HOPE. And keep trying. I think being MINDFUL of what we eat is of critical importance! So, even if you binge, try writing down everything you eat for the day. OWN THE BINGE, don't let it own you.
Christine - Have you ever read any of Geneen Roth's books? Her stuff helped me SO MUCH in looking inside to the emotional reasons why I eat. It has really helped me to identify why I eat and be able to do it consciously, where before it was often mostly unconscious. I can't remember the number of times I would come out of a daze with empty bags of chips and/or cartons of ice cream emptied wondering how the heck I had even gotten there. I went through a period of trying intuitive eating and working with both Geneen’s books and Overcoming Overeating and When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies by Jane R. Hirschmann. They helped me to really identify the emotional reasons why I eat and be able to better control them. I still binge on occasion but it is way more conscious and I usually know why I am doing it. Recently it was stress at work that was overwhelming and got me totally run down.
I satisfied the Ms Pacman urges by having some seedless cucumber and tomato with FF italian dressing.
The seedless cucs are great. The skin isn't hard or waxy, so I don't have to peel them.
I'm going to try to stay away from grains right now. I can't control myself yet. As far as what happened, I look at it as a lesson learned. I think I need to give them up completely for now to overcome whatever my issues are.
My back is stiff and painful from the exercise yesterday. I'm supposed to do cardio today. Should I do it, or take one day off to heal?
Wyllen: Nope, I'm not giving up. Things have to change and it's going to take some time to work through the rough spots. This is all part of the learning process. I logged every bite and that binge was all mine. I learned something from it, and it's just part of this process. In the past, I probably would stop posting, but that will not happen this time.
Nancy: Thank you for the book recommendation. I will check into them. I'm an avid reader and I appreciate the information. I am much more aware of the binges now, and I know I'm choosing to do it while I'm doing it, but I still don't know WHY.
Christine -- It may seem like it, but these are GREAT steps! The not giving up one especially!!
As for exercise... hard for me to tell. Sometimes I use little pains as an excuse -- in which case I SHOULD exercise. Other times, the time off really does help...
I actually used the treadmill yesterday for the first time in awhile (I usually stick with the elliptical) and my feet hurt SO BAD last night and this morning. Hence the reason I stick with the elliptical most of the time. It is amazing how different exercises that feel like similar amounts of exertion can have very different pain results.
all of you guys are so great. It is so wonderful to hear all the things you say. I have been logging in so frequently because it seems to make the cravings go away ...you all seem to feed me in a different way...you really do know what this is all about.
pochita -- I know exactly what you mean. When I first found this place, it was a lifeline! I had started losing weight about 4-6 weeks before. I was doing okay, but I had been done the "do fine for a while" road before. I didn't know how to sustain it. I didn't know what was normal and what wasn't (hint: just about EVERYTHING has been experienced by someone else).
I didn't know people who'd lost a lot of weight -- and kept it off.
This place has been my HOPE and my INSPIRATION. I have learned so much from listening to others and myself.
