Sometimes my doctor will give me samples to get me through a financial rough patch.

Good luck, lilturtle, with your medication situation. I hope you can find some way to work it out. Our thoughts are with you!

IBelieve— I certainly hope your cold is on its way out of your system. I know how hard it is to try to make healthy food choices when you're physically under the weather. I had one comment about what you said about Fuel Eating: there's no reason that you can't really enjoy your food when you're eating for fuel. I've definitely been getting a lot of pleasure out of the smoked turkey drumsticks my co-op grocery sells this time of year, and they're certainly fuel. The important thing, according to Castillo, is to allow yourself that 10% Joy Eating—the foods you eat purely for the pleasure they give you in your mouth. That way you're not tempted to over-indulge in those foods: you've given them a place in your regular plan.

Chelsea— That's your name, right, Cdubs? It's so much nicer to have a name, instead of just a handle. I hope everyone in this group will eventually feel comfortable with providing a name—it doesn't have to be your real name, it can be whatever name you like. Anyway, I was going to say, Chelsea, that I, too, have the experience where the more I cut out carbs from my diet, the less I crave them. The only time I have trouble is when I go to the grocery store: I avoid the cookie and cereal aisles, of course, but during the holiday season my store has big displays of sweets all around the perimeter! And I can smell those goodies right through the packaging... =sigh= 'Makes me long for the days when going to the bakery was a separate step, in an entirely separate store—one I could avoid!

shrinkingme— About your problem with Fog Eating while you're at the computer or doin' paperwork: could you play music while you're doing that busy work, something to keep you upbeat and even soothe you, so you don't turn to food? Another idea is that you could chew sugarless gum or (perish the thought!) munch on something healthy & yummy like baby carrots. Planning ahead for those times—that will be key to changing your behavior.

LadyRider & CrystalClear— I hope y'all come back and tell us what's up (or down) with you!

As for myself, I've been struggling with some depression. I think my brain is still getting stabilized into its new equilibrium of being off Effexor and on Cymbalta instead. Sunday was pretty awful, Monday was downbeat but better, and today (Tuesday) was weird...I was really happy in the morning, but as the day progressed I got more and more wound up and compulsive in what I was doing, which for me is a flavor of hypomania. (None of my manic experiences have been euphoric: I always get into a really high-tension workaholic mode when I'm manic, which is very dysphoric.) Finally by early evening I took one of my Geodon prn's, and that helped me to come back down to earth and chill out.

In terms of food and exercise, I've been doing great: I've stayed on plan for Atkins, with no cravings for sweets & no emotional eating. (Day 5!) I have a regular set of non-weight-bearing exercises I do for my legs, every day (alternating legs). I'm still rehabbing a serious knee injury from a year and a half ago. I also do some light barbell lifting for my delts, biceps, & triceps, a couple of times a week. When the day finally arrives that I've got all the excess flab peeled off my bod, I want there to be some good-looking muscle bulk to show off! =grin=

Hello Everyone! I went to bed when my daughter did last night, so felt too exhausted to come write. Since it is early Wednesday, I will talk about my Tuesday. I can't believe that I forgot to tell you that I was going to begin working out with a personal trainer Tuesday morning! I definitely wasn't feeling my best (with this cold), but I did go and had a great 1st workout with Cheryl! She is going to be really good for me, I think. I get overwhelmed thinking about all of the lifestyle changes I need to make to get healthy, but I was totally in the moment during our workout (despite being surprised at my big, bulky body staring back at me through all of the mirrors surrounding me; quite the eye-opener). Instead of getting depressed about the condition of my body, though, I chose to think about how I was making it more healthy with each movement. So I guess I worked out my mind as well!

I ate really well during the day, but I had an episode of storm eating last night ~ going from one thing to the next and eating everything I could get my hands on. Not sure what prompted it, other than I had an early dinner. I need to explore it a bit further.

lilturtle: One thing I forgot to comment on yesterday is about you restricting yourself to only one meal a day. As you might know, if you don't eat small, frequent meals during the day, your body thinks you are starving, so it automatically slows your metabolism, which is counter-productive to weight loss. Also, you are putting yourself at a higher risk for bingeing if you don't eat adequate meals throughout the day. So, please don't deprive yourself of the nutrition (healthy stuff!) your body needs to function properly. They say to eat 5-6 mini meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism going strong. The thought of it scares me, because I have a hard time keeping my meals "mini." So I try to focus on 3 healthy meals and a few healthy snacks each day. I rarely achieve the "healthy" part all day long, but that is my goal. I am totally NOT "getting on you," so I hope I'm not coming across that way. Just trying to help. I don't want you to starve yourself and end up gaining weight because of it. You remain in my prayers about getting the meds you need before your coverage kicks back in!

Fiona: Thank you for posting the link to your art. I will check it out when I get a chance. You are so right about enjoying the food that I eat for fuel. I think I have been approaching the fuel food wrong, so I appreciate that insight. I have followed some principles of Dr. Judith Beck about thinking like a thin person, and one of her guidelines is to really savor and enjoy the foods you eat. There is no reason I can't do that with my fuel foods.

Hope everyone is looking forward to a Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends. I am going to try to focus on the people more than the food. We are having our own little Thanksgiving dinner with my little family of 4 (hubby and a teenage son and teenage daughter) tonight and then joining my very large family of origin for Thanksgiving dinner early tomorrow (Thursday). Gotta run and cut some veggies! I will try to write tonight. If not, it will not be until at least Thurday night. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Remember to count your blessings!

Short post for now; I had pizza for dinner last night(a huge danger food for me) and I DIDN'T over do it! The last two days have been really good food days for me, as far ask keeping my intake to a non-bingey level, and making sure that I am eating greens and protein and not just sugar! No exercise, but I am going to run tonight no matter what!!!

Fiona - I love your collages!! How fun, your descriptions are fantastic That is so great that you have been keeping with your exercise, and I can't wait to see those muscles! It is really hard to change meds, I am not even fully off of my celexa but have been experiencing the same change from depression to slight mania. Fortunately I have ben on my mood stabilizer consistently for a long time, but it is tough to have the flip-floppery emotions in the 'between' period. Since my first mania, it has all been dysphoric for me as well. I will be sending good thoughts for you during this transition time!

IBelieve - Hooray for your personal trainer! That is so exciting and promising, and way to go keeping a positive outlook in spite of the mirrors. I have a hard time with my full length mirror most days so having the courage and will to make it in a room full of them is very admirable.

Shrinky (can I call you that?) - I am a huge boredom eater also! Since I work at a desk all day, it is really hard. I try to keep healthier snacks around, almonds or veggies, or if I need a sweet I keep extra dark chocolate (which is less bad, and also not as conducive to just eating the whole bar ). I find that kombucha is a great appetite suppressor, or replacement for snacking (a lot of people don't like it but it is fizzy and there are lots of different flavors). The best thing I have found so far for fog eating (at work specifically, so sitting in one place for extended periods) is to eat a good breakfast though. I feel full longer, and have less urge to keep sticking food in my mouth on days when I make sure to feed myself in the morning.

Anyway, not so short maybe.... I will try to check in again tonight but may miss the next couple of days since we are busy busy this weekend.

Good luck with the holiday everyone! I know you can do it!!!

Well, my little family of 4 had our Thanksgiving feast earlier this evening at our lake house. I admit I ate seconds and savored the flavor. My hubby cooked the whole meal and he is an excellent cook! I just got off the recumbent cycle and burned part of the meal off. At least I made sure I got some exercise in. Oh, I almost forgot that I also enjoyed 2 small pieces of apple pie. YIKES, I know, but this was our special meal. Tomorrow, my kids and I are going to my parents' HUGE (as in # of people) Thanksgiving dinner, which is early in the day. That meal is not nearly as yummy, so I won't be tempted to eat too much. I will focus on the people there, as I will be seeing some nieces and nephews that I only see on special occasions. And my parents are 79 (mom) and 84 (dad), so they won't be around forever. Hubby is just staying back at the lake, which is why we had our special Thanksgiving today. It is beautiful up here, but freezing cold!!!

Happy Thanksgiving again to Everyone!!! Sending all of you so that you exercise more self-control at your meals than I did!

Just checking in to say "HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!" to everyone. I'm working on Day 7 right now of my project to go 30 days without an emotional eating episode. I'm not going to the turkey dinner hosted by my sister-in-law, because if I went, I'd have a couple of glasses of wine. The wine wouldn't be a problem in itself, but I'd get just enough disinhibited that I'd want to have a piece of pie, or whatever else was sweet & tempting. Once I started having sweets with the family, I'd be a setup for going out and getting cookies afterwards. That's a chain of dominoes I just don't want to knock over.

I'm not big on Thanksgiving anyway, or any other family-related events, because I had an abusive childhood. Too many bad memories. So... sorry if that constitutes raining on anyone's parade, because I certainly don't mean to do that!

I do use this time of year to make lists of things I am grateful for. Close to the top of this year's list is 3 Fat Chicks: I really appreciate the support and sharing in this community. Thanks, y'all!

So have (or I hope you did have) a great turkey day, everyone!! =smile=

So far I am still on plan. I planned for an extra 250 calories which I think is reasonable.

Just for myself I made special low-carb yams (OMG they are sooooo good) and a sugar-free pumpkin dessert so I think I will be OK. I mean, the yams and pumpkin are high in carbs so I am wayyyy high on carbs for the day but it's uber-healthy, nutrition-packed food so I will just go back to my regular low-carb eating tomorrow and all will be well. There might be some water weight gain but otherwise I think I will do just fine.

Boy have I been moody today. Mostly depressed. I had such a screwed-up family, having to sit down at a table with them for T-Day was seriously traumatic. Anyone else here have bad memories about the holidays?

Fiona: I am so sorry that you had such a traumatic experience today and are feeling depressed. Here is a big hug for you! The holidays can be so difficult for people who have strained relationships with their family. I went through a period of about 5 years when I didn't go to any family functions, when I was in the midst of my deep depression due to many issues, including dealing with trauma from my childhood. I was full of anger toward my parents and just couldn't deal with being near them. I didn't feel emotionally safe in their presence. Then, when my oldest brother had a massive stroke and almost died, I decided to come back to the family. That was about 7 or 8 years ago. I am happy to be back in the family, but many visits still trigger old (bad) memories and I feel like my healing takes a blow. Today was actually a good family gathering with my family of origin. No triggers. Thank God! I don't know what else to say, except that we are here for you and care about you. I hope that helps to ease your pain just a little. Please hang in there and be strong!!! You are a SURVIVOR!!!

IBelieve— Thanks so much for bein' there. What I said about the traumatic experience was actually in the past. Sorry to be confusing...

No, I've been sitting here alone all day while my husband's at his family's Thanksgiving, and for some reason I just got lonely. That's really weird, because ever since my husband lost his job due to his depression, I'm always fretting about not getting enough time all by myself in the house. So this emotion of loneliness showed up in my head tonight, and I was like "What's this? This makes no sense!"

I think it has to do with working so hard to get rid of my binge-type eating behaviors, while all those people at my sister-in-law's house were stuffing their faces. It just made me feel a real disconnect.

Anyway, thanks ever so much for the vote of confidence. Oh, and by the way, please call me Fi (pronounced "fee"). It's what I go by. =grin=

Please join us at our new thread: Ups & Downs Support Group: December 2013.

I would like to be your support buddy.

I used to live in California. Berkeley, Santa Cruz and San Fransisco. I loved it there

EvangelineM: I would love to be your support buddy, too! Please join us at the thread "Ups & Downs Support Group: December 2013." We have moved there and will start a new thread each month. We have a nice little group with lots of support going on there. Come and find us and please post. The ladies there are wonderful!

hi, i'm in. the name is fine. let me know what to do.

i've lost 14.5 kilo's. i'm ⅓ of the way to my goal weight of 58 kilo's. i started at 100 kilo's.

2.2 pounds per kilo for those in usa with a calculator nearby. LOL

hang on, that's (in imperial)

cw = 192.5,

sw = 220,

gw = 127.6

(31.9 lost)