It's amazing - but I finally know "what is wrong with me". I have long standing known that although I do have a serious problem controlling my eating - that there was something underlying my problem with my weight - and controlling it. And I finally have confirmed what it is - I have IBS. And yes, that can cause you issues with your weight. My body was not digesting nutrition properly, so what little nutrition it got it was desperately holding onto - fundamentally my body was in "starvation" mode even though I was eating too much food.
I have been put on a fairly strict diet: No artificial sweeteners, no dairy (except for natural yogurt), no white flour, limit my sugar and fat intake, no potatoes, no corn, no "white" - rice/pasta. So its off to the land of soy for me. No choclate was the hardest - at least no choclate with milk in it - nothing with lactose at all - cheese, milk, ice cream, etc.
However - the change is dramatic. It's been about 24 hours and my stomach is feeling so awesome I hardly know what to do with myself. The bloating has gone down DRAMATICALLY - pants that fit this morning are falling off me. I haven't had any gas today at all - or cramps!
Eating today:
breakfast: 1 apple
Lunch: 1 cup soy pudding, dried strawberries, tossed salad with 2 oz grilled chicken and olive oil and vinegar w/ a little garlic salt to taste.
snack: tomato soup and celery sticks
Days without caffeine count: 1 1/2 full days
Days without choclate count: 1/2 full days