Are we there yet?
 

So yesterday, all day, I had this little nagging thought. It wasn't even a well formed thought, just this vague idea. And the idea was "Ok you've been on track for a month, are we there yet? Are we done?"

My body or subconscious or something was bratty yesterday. I was eating on plan but I had cravings to eat more. I found myself in the kitchen at 2:00am with 2 calories left for the day and a little devil voice was saying "Oh eat 400 more calories, who cares?"

I was back and forth between my room and the kitchen - man it was hard. Harder than any other time since I've been on plan. Finally I got in bed and made myself stay there.

This morning I'm not hungry. Not craving anything in particular. It's weird. And I'm back to looking for what December will bring.

Anyway just thought I'd share that because it seemed so out of the blue.

Are you thinking of yourself on a diet, that you get to go off of at goal? I don't, so I don't think, am I done yet? At least not in terms of whether I get to eat differently. I do get tired of being patient to reach my goal ;). It's not that I don't sometimes struggle with eating the way I want to. All of life is like that, choosing between things, whether it's food, how to spend your time, your money, whatever. But although I expect I can eat a bit more, or be (a little!) less careful with treats, when maintaining, I don't really expect any huge difference in how I eat.

Congrats on resisting the craving when you're weren't really hungry. This now becomes an experience you can draw on next time. People will tell you that cravings will pass, but you now KNOW how fleeting the craving can be.

I had a hard time last night as well. I ate dinner - whole grain pasta, tomato sauce, roasted veggies - and felt fine. Went up to bed at 11 and sat there with my book thinking "I really REALLY want biscuits and gravy right now."

I have no idea why I craved that particular food last night, but the urge to get up and make biscuits and gravy was overwhelming. I finally got up and had a cheese stick and a glass of water.

Bleah. I think it's just the season, the hormones, etc.

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Julie: Consciously I totally agree that eating is a plan for life. I'm not saying that I was consciously wanting to "be done."

It was on a more primal level. Like what Photochick said about wanting to make biscuits and gravy. Like my body was just saying to my brain "are you kidding me, we're still doing this??"

Good for you for not giving in. I did at 1am. Sigh.....just *had* to have two english muffins....slathered in butter no less. Oh well.
After I ate them I was really beating up on myself but I keep telling myself that I can't be perfect all the time. Slip ups will happen I suppose. I just really want to reach the first goal I have set for myself and I have only three weeks to get there. But I know if I focus on exercising and watching my caloric intake, I will get there.

I think that's normal.We all want to have our cake and eat it too, whether it's about food, money, time, whatever. I think sometimes it helps just to consciously realize that.

It must be in the air. Last night when I was making dinner I snuck three small spoonfuls of meat sauce just to "taste" it... well "tasting" things is what got me here in the first place! So I was good and removed three small spoonfuls from my cup of sauce ;) It was one of the first times though that I WANTED to go off plan.

Rodeo- I think we all have moments like this. Whats important is that you recognized you weren't really hungry and went back to bed!! I think our bodies and minds will always be in some kind of a war between good and evil foods and cravings! The fact that you let your rational brain make the decision instead of you growling tummy shows such growth!! Its that kind of strength that will see you through to the end!

I heard once that when you are having really strong irrational cravings it means you are loosing fat. I thought...gee...that is just silly! Then I had a night like you described...The next morning...I was down 2 lbs...It has happened over and over like that...

So then I thought about it and it made a strange kind of sense. Of course your body is going to send signals for you to eat when it feels weight it's fat reserves dropping. That is a survival thing. So maybe there is some truth to it

Rodeogirl, you and I are about neck in neck for our tracking times...I had a similar experience the other day...and then today I weighed in (after tracking meticulously for 1 week and eating 98% OP) and lost only 1.6lbs, while I knew it was an okay loss, average loss...something inside me said, "that's it? Aren't we don't yet?"

On month and the inner me thinks we should be done. I think she is the same little biatch that has told me that "this half a pizza won't hurt me." or "go ahead and get the triple scoop sundae and B&R, you deserve a treat!" I think the inner me doesn't have any concept of time. I understand that this is going to be a long term process, a life change but the inner me, is impatient. She also is a brat who has never learned delayed gratification!!

You are doing really good! Aren't we lucky to have this place to come get feedback, vent, write down our struggles?:hug:

It's interesting that you say that... I was down 3 lbs between Monday morning and this morning which I just attributed as a fluke of the scale/water weight on Monday's weigh in, whatever.

Man if that's true bring on the cravings! lol! :)

And yes Michelle this place is such a blessing - it's cool that we started together because when we get to Onederland we'll have so many stories to tell!

You are wicked strong! Sometimes I think I need a time lock on my fridge. :) Maybe a 'smart' fridge that says; "10:00pm is past your feeding time Z~ please go to bed."

Thanks Z - lol I think it was a pretty close call and could have gone either way but next time I'm tempted I'm going to think "This probably means I'm losing fat and hey, I'm wicked strong!"

I love it!

Rodeo -- I did the same thing last night! My mom brought home Dominos pizza and put it in our outside fridge, but all last night I kept walking to the door, then walking back, then walking to the door, then walking back. I finally told my brother to eat it or throw it away because it was driving me nuts!

And I like Z's idea of a time-lock, talking fridge, hahaha. I need one of those! I bet someone could make a fortune off that!

Rodeo,

I'm struggling with this as well. I think, well just a little here...I've got this down so just a little there.

The truth is for us it will never be done. Sigh...but fit is better than the food.