Lurchmomma, I'm so sorry I got your name wrong. I guess I had food on my mind! Thanks for pointing out my error, Andi.

I have been a compulsive eater for a very long time. Most of the time I eat healthy food, but too much of it because I was always picking at something and over eating. I recently started working on that, once I realized it was such a problem for me. It's hard not to pick something up and eat it when it's right there in front of me, but it's done out of habit, not hunger. I also really need to work on exercise, getting myself moving more.

I know that working shifts can mess up your body's rhythms and metabolism, making it harder to lose and easier to gain.

Yes, you could lose a few pounds before you get your ticker.

Andi, I know you have done well in the past and don't doubt that you will drop that weight before your son's wedding!

Hi LurchMomma,
I love, love, love Cassano pizza but always weigh a couple of pounds more the next morning because of all the sodium. Have you tried Marian's Pizza? Mostly around Dayton but voted one of the best in the country.

There are certain trigger foods that I can't eat any more because I can't control portions - sadly, pizza is one of them.

Ice Cream: It sounds like you may have a sugar addiction, which caused me to always be hungry for sugary/carby foods. It's taken awhile, but I've weaned myself off MOST of that stuff and the cravings are much less. Something else that really helps with MY cravings is taking fiber tablets made from Glucomannan, which is Konjac Root (think Miracle Noodles). I get them online and they're not too expensive. When I remember to take one about an hour before a planned meal, it really diminishes my hunger as it swells in the stomach and makes you feel full! I've lost a pound this week due to them and my food journal reflects better eating. My goal is to remember to take the darned things at the proper time.

Congrats on quitting smoking, and I'm sure you're happy about the haircut. Exercise is key and I'm trying to step things up...have a tennis lesson tonight and will attend a weight class and a Zumba class tomorrow. If you have the chance, try Zumba, it's a blast!

Hope you can lose a few pounds by the time you get your ticker!

Andi

Hello all. I am still struggling with cutting out my worst offenders from my diet (alcohol & sweets) and getting to my Y classes. The things I am doing to help myself are I am still tracking my calories and I still visit here although I don't always post something. I hope to do better going forward.

WtoC-Calgary is another beautiful spot on this Earth and Vancouver is as well. I am guessing you were looking for sunshine and that nice laid back atmosphere. I struggle with controlling the alcohol calories as well. The holidays meant more than usual indulgences so I am working on weaning myself back off them. I should go cold turkey but I really don't want to, at least not yet.

Carol Sue-Good for you on those 5 days OP. Atta Girl! Changing eating habits can be such a struggle. I find when I finally get there, I am not unhappy but I sure feel like I am suffering when I am weaning myself off the goodies and I can't eat everything I want.

LMomma-Welcome! Of course you can lose weight after menopause. I have never found it easy to stay thin. As far as those hormones go, I used to suffer awful PMS cravings. I certainly don't miss that. In my experience, there is always some obstacle in the way of weight loss. I will admit, I am finding the calorie level required to lose weight is dropping. That's the breaks. Perhaps in the end I will not get back to my weight when I was in my 20's. I think I can live with that. I still have to lose a bunch of this belly fat though. That is not good for me in more reasons than just vanity. My goal is to eat well. When I make wise food choices, the weight loss will follow.

Andi-You and I have very similar approaches. I have never tried the fiber pills though.

Good morning all!

Thanks for the welcome and encouragement Terapet. Your comment about being ok with not weighing what you did in your 20s was timely as I just recently read that women who are somewhat overweight as they age tend to live longer than those who are thin. I can think of several reasons why this makes sense although it seems counterintuitive when taken at face value.

Carol Sue: LurchMomma was a totally impulsive moniker based on the fact that as I've gotten heavier and heavier, I tend to "lurch" around. LOL. My husband teases me and calls me that. What does "OP" mean? Congratulations as it seems as if it's a GOOD thing!

Andi: Yes, I love Marian's Pizza! Also, Jett's-It's deep dish...lol....more bread! I think you are right about the sugar addiction. If someone brings donuts or Esther Price candy to work, I'm done. I can't stop at one donut or one piece of candy. For some reason, I don't feel the urge to eat on my way TO work, but coming home in the wee hours, I find myself at the gas station for chex-mix or at UDF for Sea Salt Caramel. Maybe it's a form of stress relief. I have a 40 minute commute, a lot of time to fill with junk food. Good for you with the Tennis and Zumba! I'm so uncoordinated that I was traumatized during step aerobics 20 years ago. I won't go into detail. Trust me. It was ugly. LOL!

I hope you are all warm. I'm going to bundle up and get outside for a little walk. They say we may get a little snow here to the south of Dayton. We shall see!

Hi, back to posting in hopes that reading what each of you say will encourage me to feel less frustrated.

"OP" means On Plan. What my plan is may be similar or not to your plan.

Yesterday I finally did some home exercises that should help me move easier. Now I'm ready to do it again when I complete this.

Snow is falling hard every since I woke up. We are expecting 12 to 16 inches and I'm glad to know my youngest daughter is home safe, and the three of us are, too. Slow cooker going with good stew that will really taste good with this kind of weather.

I'm stumble a lot, have learned to fall in ways that I'm less likely to get hurt. However, now in my 70's I'm concerned for broken bones and avoid may situations that I used to do with abandon. Working on balance improvement is order of the day.

I'm drinking a big glass of water BEFORE a meal in hopes that with my stomach occupied I eat less.

Largest eating problem is eating after supper when I'm not even hungry. Computer games on lap top while DH enjoys TV is helping. Hands busy mean my mind is on something other than wanting to eat.

Ice cream must stay out of the house!!!!

Good Morning All!

Love2Garden, thank you for explaining what "OP" means. I had run many possibilities and combinations through my head, but none of them made sense. I'm glad you are able to work on your balance and to exercise. Weight bearing exercise helps to strengthen your bones so that you are less like to break something should you stumble. I had a patient once who sustained a hip fracture after sitting down hard on a toilet seat! Bone density decreases after menopause and the risk of heart disease increases after menopause. All the more reason to be as active as possible. I hate menopause!

Your stew and snow and crockpot sounded so cozy. We didn't end up getting even the inch they initially predicted. I was worried about driving home in it last night. I made a cup of chamomile lavender tea just as I was leaving work and sipped it all the way home. Just that little tweak enabled me to resist the siren song of UDF and the Marathon station, two land mines on my nightly journey. I was hoping it would help me to fall asleep more quickly when I got home, as that's another of my bingeing pitfalls. I didn't sleep, but I didn't eat, either.

I'm writing this sitting by the woodstove. I don't want to get up. But I must. LOL. Keep warm and I hope everyone has a great day!

You escaped the call of junk food, good for you! Next, may you relax and have a great night's sleep.

I am fortunate that I sleep so very, very well. Can't stay in bed if I don't fall asleep quickly and will get up to go read in the Living Room. That only happens about once a month. Usually I fall asleep before my night prayers are finished.

We received over 16 inches of snow that is piled up so high. A neighbor did scrape the roads with a small Bob Cat but even on the main road that has not been plowed or treated yet, the road is so slick. When he plowed, he shoved all the snow over onto our driveway!!! Looks like the wall of China.

Our State Bishop has told Catholics that they are not required to go to Mass this Sunday. I never remember that happening in my lifetime. Guess this storm was more impressive than I realized.

So grateful to be in safe neighborhood, warm home, and feeling OK.

I did get 10 minutes on treadmill, and 20 minutes of strength and stretching exercises yesterday. Heading back to exercise after this posting.

Hi ladies,

I just was reading thru the thread because I'm new(to forum and posting) and found it encouraging and I could see myself in so many posts. I tend to be a compulsive eater too, usually I fail to meet my goal for the day and then its a blowout with everything in sight all the while telling myself I will begin tomorrow. Fast forward 6 months and hello 30 new pounds. Discouraging but I hope to stop this cycle and just eat well (and small) one day at a time.

Okay yesterday's calorie total was not so good. I am going to blame it on the snow! I think today will end up better. At least I made it to the Y today to walk on the treadmill for 40 minutes.

LMomma-Victorious! Skipping the driving home snack is a huge accomplishment. R you going to try for two days now? I do not sleep well either. I go to sleep very well but I wake up sometimes every two hours. It is a terrible annoyance.

Love2-R you enjoying your snow days? It is always a huge event here when it snows, even if it is only a little bit. I love it but I don't want to drive in it so I am glad it is the weekend.

AKHGirl-Welcome! Please do join us.

Good Morning Groovy Chicks!

love2garden: Way to go! I don't know that I would persevere in a blizzard. I would probably be overcome with an irresistible urge to curl up on the couch under a quilt by the woodstove and read while glancing out the window from time to time to admire the scenery. I don't have a treadmill. My inside equipment consists of a jump rope and a couple of dinky weights. I hope you are hunkered down and don't have to venture out until it's safe to do so.

TERAPET: I didn't do as well yesterday with the junk food avoidance. I had to work until 3:30 a.m. and that was just too long a stretch for my will power to endure. At least I ate a grapefruit while driving home instead of ice cream or grippos. Fantastic that you made it to the Y and did the treadmill. I used to go to the gym years ago and had an unfortunate encounter with the treadmill. It is now and forever the "dreadmill" to me!

AKhomegirl: Welcome aboard! I saw there was an earthquake in Alaska this morning, I hope all is well with you. I went on a cruise to Alaska once. Such a beautiful place.

You know, I've been thinking, I haven't been outside, really, since mid-November-ish. I mean, the incidental things, like checking the mail, letting the dogs out, checking the chickens, etc., I've been doing. But nothing intentional and sustained, which is very unusual for me. I wonder if I (we) are Vit D deficient? It is more common in the winter. I see sweet sunshine outside. Wonder if there is time for a quick walk before work? I hope everyone has a great day. God bless us, everyone!

I hope you did get out in the sunshine before work.

I can't, because I can't breathe in cold air very well. I used to love to shovel snow, and envy our daughter who is used to much more snow in Bend Oregon, but is now helping shovel our car free, and a path to get out to the road in case of an emergency.

The Physical Therapy exercises I learned 2 years ago are now being done daily here at home. I'm feeling better already and moving easier without knee pain again. The lubricating shots in my bum knee were given 7 months ago, but are still giving me almost total relief from pain. Amazing.

Scale down over a pound going back to closer to the December 1 weight. I refuse to be as disgusted with my self as I used to be. Trying to treat this gal with some loving care, and it is a new experience.

WelcomeAKhomegal Our 18 inches of snow is lots for us in Middle eastern USA, but would be no big deal to you. How do you cope with the hours of darkness in the winter time?

Tarapet How snarled up did traffic become in your area? Walking for 40 minutes is a good way forward.

WebWoman I've found that I eat less whenever I drink a full glass of water before I eat.

cals-2035, ex-step class at the y. Had a big breakfast and football snacks during the game but I kept it somewhat reasonable and skipped dinner.

LMomma-grapefruit is a great choice for snacking. It is part of one of my two breakfast menus during winter-I have it with greek yogurt and walnuts. Yum!

Love2-Congrats on the one pound loss! The traffic was easy peasy this time around. It was a rather mild storm as far as snow and ice goes, at least in the Atlanta area. I believe there was some ice on Friday night so a lot of businesses closed early.

Good morning Gals,

Glad to see people posting again!

Terapet: I think it's great you go to the Y - Step classes burn a lot of calories!

Love2: Very interesting about the Bishop excusing mass attendance, but also practical and safe. Glad you're feeling better.

LMomma: Sounds like you're doing much better as far as stopping for Ice Cream (lol). I think when we identify the times when we're stressed and proactively work around the urge to eat everything in sight, half the battle is won!

AK: Welcome to the group!

I've had a pretty good weekend overall, doing the tennis lesson, a weight class and a Zumba class. Had company over yesterday and made a pork chop casserole with Spanish rice. The sodium in it made me gain 1/2 lb on the scale this morning, so I'll drink plenty of water today to flush it out. My goal is to be under 170 by this time next week!

Have a good day!

Andi

I last left our home Sunday a week ago for Mass. Stuck inside since with either too much cold (single digits,) or too much snow and ice. Piles of snow are several feet tall as we try to just get our drive way cleared so one of the two vehicles can be used. We will use our neighbor's cleared drive to park the one car that is finally free as we clear out the other vehicle. Hope SUNSHINE can assist us.

Webwomen Salt does funny thing to us women. Love rice, but if I eat more than 1/2 cup I see jump on scale. Your casserole sounds good.

Restless and ready to get out of the house but Wednesday seems to be the earliest possible. Can't even find an interesting book that holds my attention.

DH watched the NFL play offs, and both his favorites won. Don't know who he will choose for the Superbowl.

Healthy, limited breakfast. Tarapet Agree, walnuts are delicious. I was eating a hand full a day till my last RX for Levothroxine warned it will change the effectiveness of the meds. OUCH. Now I opt for only once or twice a week. I need the energy that the thyroid medicine helps me with. Am lucky that my deficiency has not increased and I've been sable for at least 15 years.

Sandy

Greetings Groovy Chicks!

love2garden: Very important reminder from you to treat ourselves with tender love and compassion. We are often our own worst critics and place demands on ourselves that we would never place on anyone else. Thank You. I needed to hear that.

Terapet: I love yogurt with walnuts! I make my own yogurt a gallon at a time in my crockpot. I buy organic milk and organic yogurt to start the culture, and it's about half the cost. I also make my own granola. It's great if you can stop at a tablespoon or two sprinkled on your yogurt. I put walnuts, dried tart cherries and dried blueberries in mine.

Andi: I have a sneaking feeling you will be 168.7# this time next week!

God bless you guys and have a stellar day!