Beautiful, peaceful, true.....thank you Svelting for the honesty. Hugs and gratitude.

Thank you, thank you and again THANK YOU ♥♥♥ just what I needed right now !
Happy weekend all my virtual friends with big F. We understand each others, right

such truth, a read like that is so grand for me. we so often forget that we are all bright capable people.

Wonderful food for thought!! Thank you!!

Amen Sister!!! That would get me outta bed EVERY day. My hats off to you for doing battle with love, determination and being a great example to your children by showing them how you are taking care of YOURSELF!! That way when they have their own families, they'll be able to stay whole unto themselves and then be able to give to others w/o resentment and w/o starting that nasty cycle of cheap easy rewards, like fast food, sugar, cookie batter, fried food and the works. So hard for us women to do because we're just wired to take care of the brood and then do piece meal bandaging for our own wounds.
Anyway, you sound great and keep going. So much inspiration on this network!!

From Svelting I can't say that I've mastered staring down my poison/drug/temptation, or stopping at one once I've started. What my time on IP has taught me is that if I can't say no to that stuff, then something else is off with what I'm eating. All that happened was I ate food that didn't nourish and support me for a time. (And that's what happened over 15 years to get to the point where I related to a site called 3fatchicks) Nothing is wrong with me ... Not my body, not my brain, not my character. I just ate in a way that doesn't support me and need to start eating in way that does work. Nothing is wrong with me .. not my body, not my brain, not my character. ... Or yours.

Thank you thank you!!! You made my weekend and especially during these last few pounds where I'm getting those old WTF thoughts and feeling slips want to "slip" in!!!! I will be even more determined now to observe those old nasty trigger thoughts, rather than yield to them. They are all like "pop ups" on my computer, wanting to attach "cookies" to my being and start runnin' me again. Time for a reboot and virus scan....

You nailed it.

Svelting, I'll add my thanks for such a well thought out and meaningful post.

For years I had reconciled myself to the fact that I would ALWAYS be overweight. I really didn't believe I could be slim. With IP, this is the first time I believe I can do it - body and head in sync! It's a beautiful thing!

Thank you for writing such a thought provoking post Svelting. How true your words are.

Kaarin, I also agree with what you wrote, your words matched my thoughts when I started this journey.

Thank you for your wise words.

Thank you everyone for this thread, and thanks I'm Svelting for starting it! You are so right - why do we let what we eat define who we are? We are lovable, we are beautiful, we are strong. I personally have to figure out what has been triggering me to soothe myself with food - I need to learn how to feed (fuel) my body - not feed my feelings. I thank IP for the science behind this way of eating. I thank 3fatchicks for the blessings of support on this board. This thread inspired me, just when I needed it the most.

I haven't started the program yet - hoping to Thursday - but reading this made me cry. I am there - doubting myself and hating myself. I had a breakdown Sunday and couldn't stop crying. Why after trying so hard on the programs everyone says should work was I still fat. Why did nothing work for me. What is wrong with me.

I try and blame it on my hypothyroidism - but for others with it - they've been successful. Why can't I. Why is God punishing ME?

After that little meltdown Sunday - my SIL called and told me about them beginning to offer IP at their clinic and did I want to try it. It was like God answering my prayer - but I have a tremendous amount of anxiety as I start this new program. Deep down I can't even begin to think it's really going to work. I'm trying in envision myself at my goal weight and it doesn't even seem real. Even as I try - my mind won't go there.

But this post helped - there is nothing wrong with ME! I so want this to work!

Before I started IP I had been on a 1200 calorie diet directed by a Kaiser nutritionist for two years. I slowly but steadily gained weight. On my birthday I had had it and went searching (through some tears, I'll admit). When I found this program it just made sense to me. Something clicked, as they say. While I've only lost 30 pounds in 6+ months, that is probably the best I can do because of 2 other autoimmune problems and pain killers. Still, I haven't quit (or cheated) and I think I can still loose a little more, albeit very slowly. It's worth it to me. I suspect it will be for you, too. And you quite likely will do better. I do wish you luck, good luck.

I dug deep down to find this one.....thought it would be good to bump up

Thanks wuv, real words to live by...