Me too! I've been experiencing the same thing, lately. Not with everything, and not all the time, but more often, with more foods. This makes me happy.
I still eat because it's good, not because I'm hungry. I still eat even though I'm full. I don't think I over eat at holidays to fill a void. I do it because the food is good and it's there. This is not to say I don't still eat my feelings. I'm still working on that.
Overall, however, I'm noticing a change in what I eat, how I eat, when I eat, my appetite and so on. It's such a welcome change!
Same here!!
I know for a fact I use food to heal my wounds. I am trying not to do that, but it's a work in progress. But this time of year it's just because everything tastes so good, and because these foods are only around once a year!
But, I am noticing a change in my eating. I haven't had as much of the sweets as I usually do. Some of the food I use to love just doesn't taste the same, and that's a good thing! I haven't been eating as horribly as I usually do, but I am still craving some healthy food!
Turkey dinner yesterday was more than I should have had. But my plate was also half full of veggies! I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, had a small second helping, and didn't regret a bite of it! Dessert actually was a wrong choice though. Should have skipped it. Wasn't 'good' and to me a waste of calories.
I now sit with leftovers, cookies, squares, chips, chocolates, etc, and have no desire to eat any of them!
The one thing I learned these last few days... Is that it doesn't take much for me to really bump up the scale with water weight from just a couple of dinners out, maybe a cocktail here, or a couple of glasses of wine there, a few hors d'oeuvres here and there, maybe just a few bites of dessert... And overnight there it is on the scale... Now I know I didn't gain all that fat overnight... But to be honest, it's not leaving me feeling very motivated to say the least... And even though my rational mind knows that it will be gone in a few days once I get back on track... and of course I've done it before... Those few days of getting back on track aren't easy, so it really has me questioning whether or not what I consider just a few "little" indulgences are worth it to me anymore...
found a good way to eat less at family gatherings!
So my husband and I went to his mother's house Christmas morning, and she had some tamales, rice, and beans for us for breakfast. Of which, I had one tamale, a little rice, and a little bit of beans...but my hubby piled his plate up as usual. Long story short, his son and his girlfriend sat together and shared off of one plate, and when the hubby and I went to my mom's for Christmas dinner he wanted to do the same thing. SO - I put enough food for two on one plate, and while I was eating in between visiting, he ate most of it! That kept me from eating very much! . I probably had a few bites of the homemade gratin potatoes, a small slice of ham, and a few bites of green bean casserole. Oh, and a sourdough roll. PERIOD. AND it was enough! I also had one little bite of the pecan pie we shared. I think I'll do that from now on Of course, that doesn't work with WINE
Last edited by Syckgirlsfv; 12-26-2012 at 03:37 PM.
Those few days of getting back on track aren't easy, so it really has me questioning whether or not what I consider just a few "little" indulgences are worth it to me anymore...
Love this Trip. All the hard work at the gym,on the track..to get back is not easy.But I'm learning that I can't even get started w/some indulgences cause they lead to more and then I've lost control for the whole day.
I can not believe how much my taste buds have changed since increasing my intake of veggies, lean proteins and healthy fats.
I was looking forward to eating the desserts we have every year. I only ate a very small piece of cake and 2 small cookies - I couldn't eat anymore sweets after that. I didn't want any juice or alcohol, I just wanted water. When I looked at my plate there were a ton of veggies and not so much meat and starchy food.
My taste buds havnt changed but my appetite has. Only a month ago I could eat two big meals and snack all day. Now I did not count calories yesterday but I was so uncomfortable after dinner that I didn't want dessert. I was actually in pain from what I could have easily eaten before. I know I went way off plan, but my body wouldn't let me go crazy.
Plucky pear--good for you for looking deeper. I eat emotionally sometimes but this was not one of these times. I was just enjoying myself and wanted to enhance that with food. But I do respect your soul searching.
Same here, but I have an added twist of feeling physically ill from the stuff. My fiancé bought a chocolate peanut butter cake over and I had a bite! Just a bite! That night I felt horrible. My stomach hurt, I had a splitting headache and I just felt crappy. Never again. I'm sticking with the stuff I made or fruit.
Me too. The butter tarts I was so looking forward to were just WAY too sweet and made me feel sick. Neighbor brought over some spinach dip and it gave me the WORST stomach grossness. I just want my raw kale salads and water!
Thanks for posting the exerpt from the therapist's blog. I find I eat foods I don't really want to eat because of that very reason, during Christmas and always. Not so much anymore though, now that I have identified it...
i overindulge in food because i love to eat and food tastes good LOL...i admire the people who can look deeper into themselves for a more profound reason and overcome that...i just love food and love feeling full
so i work with that...i make sure that i eat what i really REALLY want, not just crappy stuff that's in front of me, and to eat when i'm really hungry, and try not to eat too much...and to pick what i want to eat...for example, i'm passing up the cheap christmas chocolates in favor of eating more of a homemade old-fashioned dessert that i made for dinner tonight
and i work out....i worked out yesterday and will work out tomorrow
wow! I could have written every single word myself!! I love to hear others admit that besides loving the taste of food, they also love the full feeling. Takes honesty!
I do applaud the OP for being able to reflect and make a great choice
I don't think I eat to fill a void at Christmas, if I eat emotionally it's to reclaim a memory. Many of the foods I crave bring back a specific feeling, or sometimes a specific memory - rolls like grandma used to make, or holiday sweets we'd only have at a party, they're all things that remind me of the magic that Christmas was when I was little. Maybe I can think of some ways to remember those times differently, telling stories or playing games with my kids or something.
The one thing I learned these last few days... Is that it doesn't take much for me to really bump up the scale with water weight...... Those few days of getting back on track aren't easy, so it really has me questioning whether or not what I consider just a few "little" indulgences are worth it to me anymore...
I'm with you on that one! While losing weight, I was increasingly frustrated with scale movements due to little indulgences. I felt like I was spinning my wheels and going nowhere. I didn't feel like it was worth it, and had to reign myself in a few times. I never want to deprive myself, but I also feel like the regular set backs aren't very helpful, even if the gains are not "real".
I agree that there are ways to avoid holiday indulgences, but I also believe that no one is overweight because of holiday indulgences (unless for you, every day is a holiday).
I did better this year than most in terms of avoiding the holiday "crap," and yet I did eat signficantly more than I planned, and I don't feel bad about it in the least. I enjoyed myself. I ate a few foods that I don't buy or keep myself because of the temptation factor, and now that it's over, I'm back to my normal routine.
I got home and stepped on the scale and was shocked to see a 12 lb gain - until I remembered that I was also lucky enough to start my period the day before. I ALWAYS gain 8 - 10 lbs with my period, so we'll see how much gain I really have in a few days.
The thing is, even if it was a full 12 lbs, I wouldn't be sad, horrified, or upset. In fact, I wouldn't feel or do anything differently. In the scheme of things, what I eat at Easter, Thanksgiving, my birthday and the week of Christmas (the major "food" holidays in my family) has very little to do with me weight issues. It's the other 354 days that matter the most.
I overeat simply because I like food and it tastes good...
I really relate to this.
I certainly do have emotions & food does make me feel better, but in the main I just love to eat.
For years I was influenced by a few specific people I knew online & off who were into the emotional side of why they ate too much for the weight they desired. It is actually only recently that I have been able to mentally remove that influence & openly say that my biggest problems weight wise have been love of food & a tendency to be influenced by others instead of listening to the inner weight management guru that DID despite all else, help me lose more than 100 pounds & keep it off for a long time.
I overdid it a bit this Christmas but I didn't eat anything I didn't really enjoy, so I don't really feel bad about that. I think having Pepperidge Farm chocolate cake (I have had it every year for my 12/24 birthday for 10+ years) and my mom's banana bread once a year is hardly something worth wasting time feeling guilty about.
I know plenty of people who love food and the way it tastes, yet they are not overweight. They are physically healthy. I am convinced having an unhealthy relationship with food is what causes being overweight. As a matter of fact one can be addicted to food, thin, yet unhealthy. They may simply chain themselves by obsessing about every bite.
Some of us simply learned bad habits, numbing etc. With food. I learned this I did not discover it on my own. However some may disagree, that is fine. I just wanted to share what is helping me.
I did have some treats but did not binge. I lost weight.
I could say I will never eat such and such but many healthy people have a cookie now and then. I guess for me the sign of being able to have a cookie now and then, rather then obsessing and having 20 or obsessing and saying I will never have 1, is a sign of health, emotional health. I am working on it and really thankful for those of you that are supportive. I can always come here for that. Thanks.
I overdid it this Christmas. And it's the 28th and I haven't been back to the gym yet. I haven't been on the scale, but my jeans feel tight and I've already cheated today. But I'm not going to beat myself up about it.
I started changing my life on the first of August, so I'm less than six months into this journey. And while I may have eaten too much at Christmas, I am proud to say that there is a 12 pack of coca cola that's been in my house for two weeks and is only missing one. I also haven't touched the oreos I bought to make truffles for my nephews at new years. I haven't scooped the brownies out of the pan with my fingers this year. And I'm not sitting looking at the calendar going "I have to change this New years" because I HAVE changed. I've lost more than 60 lbs. I've made water my friend. And I won't have any issue getting back in the pool tomorrow or getting my water in.
I may have lost the Christmas battle, but I've won the diet war.
found a good way to eat less at family gatherings!
. I probably had a few bites of the homemade gratin potatoes, a small slice of ham, and a few bites of green bean casserole. Oh, and a sourdough roll. PERIOD. AND it was enough! I also had one little bite of the pecan pie we shared. I think I'll do that from now on 
Of course, that doesn't work with WINE 
I was in the pool today.
