Ah. Ur, um. That dancing carrot was supposed to be a hug. But on second thought . . . . *How pathetic is it when you start quoting yourself? :o

Startingoveragain, you are not alone! I also pull away from people. After awhile, I willget my head in the right place and it will be easier. You can do that too! I bought some books about over eating and how to handle the stressful situations in life. They do help if you follow them. I keep telling myself that baby steps soon turn into a marathon. One day at a time. Post away on here because we are all in this together.

Linden, is quoting yourself sort of like talking to yourself? :) Not in this case though. But I do admit to talking to myself every now and then. I like the dancing carrot too. Tells me to get my butt moving. Hugs are good too though.

Side note....I made it thru my first day back AGAIN.......and the sun still came up this morning. Now to continue the pattern. I even made homemade potato/noodle soup and rolls and didn't sample it. Settled for a grilled beef patty and green beans. Oh the joys of life. I just kept thinking I can get through this and reach my goal. It's not like that is the last potato on earth and I'm never going to be able to have it later on in moderation. Time to quit my pitty party and get on with life. Food will not control me or the mood I am in. Sometimes I have to say to myself, "not my day to care or worry". Big girl panties on are. I pulled them up and walked away from the food and it's control over me. Now if we could just solve the world's problems. :)

Footnote, not my day to care is not about anything on here, just crap in my personal life. Keeps me from eating to comfort myself.

Today I am headed to Iowa City (50 miles from me) and just remembered they have an all natural / organic food store there. I'm going to be sure and stop there before heading home and restock my frig with lots of good veggies. Out here in Iowa, I have to drive miles to get to a place like that. Iowa City is a progressive town since the University of Iowa is there. People from all over the world attend to study medicine there which makes it a pretty neat town for Iowa. I need to take advantage of it more often.

Rah, Rah, Rah!..
 

pep talk
n
an enthusiastic talk designed to increase confidence, production, cooperation, etc.
(Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003)

Now that it's fall & football season is underway, I started thinking about pep rallies & how that gets the players, as well as the fans, fired up for the big game... so I thought, why not hold a pep rally for myself... every morning... to get me fired up for a perfect IP day... it seems, for me at least, what lies beneath my fears & negativity is anticipation... it’s usually anticipating the worst, especially if a situation is new to me... not always, but sometimes... so why not turn that around & start anticipating the best... when I start picturing "worst case scenarios" I can take action to "change the channel" & use my imagination to picture "best case scenarios" instead... instead of envisioning & anticipating the worst, I can remind myself to ask, "what’s the BEST that could happen?".. & that's where the morning pep talk comes in, 'cause sometimes I wake up with those negative thoughts & feelings & no idea where they came from... it might take lots of practice to undo my "negative" habits... but it’s worth it... my freedom is at stake...

I'm definitely a work in progress...

Time to dig out those old pompons... :cheer2:

hugs :hug:

Thank you so much for support Janedocmom, and yes coming up with excuses and following the path of least resistance are my daily challenges extactly! I will definitely be proactive about getting the help through the OA meetings/literature, I really want to find out the 'why's' of my actions so that I can be in a better position to work on the things I can change.

Thank you for sharing your encouraging thoughts, and the warm welcome.


Iowahawkeyemom, I appreciate your 'baby steps' reminder too. Made me smile as I thought about Bill Murray 'baby stepping' around in "What about Bob?". It's so true though, workable increments. Many thanks!

So far so good today on IP. Baby steppin' to supper time!

Have to share what I had for dinner tonight. My daughter, son, and I went to a French restaurant. I was really nervous not knowing what I could possibly order. The owner waits on his customers and cooks everything from scratch himself. The menu changes everyday and there is only certain things on the menu everyday. I talked to him and told him I was on a low carb diet and he made some special changes so I could enjoy the meal also. I had a filet mignon dry, and instead of the buttered yukon gold potato he was serving for the night, he made me fresh veggies for a side. It was sooooo good. Passed on wine and sipped my ice water. You know what? I didn't feel cheated what so ever! Patting myself on the back :cp:

I think you deserve it. And a pom pom, too. Is one pom pom a pom?

Good question. I'll answer with another question. Is a pom on the restricted list:D

One Full Week On IP!!!!
 

You are so right, Aunt Sheshie! The secret is to live in the moment and not let past failures determine our future. One has no control of what happened in the past or to control the future, but one can optimize one's present. The present is what we have and the only thing that we can change. Starting the day in the right frame of mind is absolutely essential and we have to be our own cheerleaders to get through the day. We're all a work in progress. That is what is so fantastic because there is always an opportunity to change.


Iowahawkeyemom, I appreciate your 'baby steps' reminder too. Made me smile as I thought about Bill Murray 'baby stepping' around in "What about Bob?". It's so true though, workable increments. Many thanks!

So far so good today on IP. Baby steppin' to supper time![/QUOTE]



All those baby steps add, but make sure that you have your big girl panties on when you do!

:cheers::cheers:

:dance: This is what happens when a pom pom becomes a pom.

I finally was able to put together an entire week of being on IP. I lost 5.4 pounds and feel sooooooo much better. I am taking it one day, one meal at a time.
:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

esammy12, I'm not sure which maintainers you're following, but that is NOT how Phase 4 works!! 5 days a week look like this: protein, carbs, fruit, and fat for breakfast; protein, fat, and veggies (no carbs!) for lunch; protein, carbs, and veggies (no fats!) for dinner; and an IP food or protein snack before bed. ONE day a week is your cheat day. It does not have to be a gorge-fest. Mine rarely is. But whether you take a big cheat day or a little cheat day, you always follow it up with ONE day of Phase 1 type eating.

Anyone who explains it any differently than that is misinformed. And your body will naturally try to put 3-5 lbs back on per year because humans are programmed to store fat for energy. So once a year, if you want, you can go back on Phase 1 for a week, do a couple days of Phase 2, a couple days of Phase 3, and then go back to the 5-1-1 pattern of Phase 4.

There isn't a way to outsmart the system, 'cause ya can't trump hormones or science...they ALWAYS win! If you just follow the plan as written, it works.

You do eat whole foods, you do eat a balanced diet, and yep, you can exercise 7 days a week if you want. I pattern my workout schedule after my eating schedule...5 days a week, I run, do pilates, yoga, or the elliptical and weights at the gym. My cheat day is my "fun" day, i.e. no workout, and my Phase 1 day is my "rest" day.

Thank you for that! I have to say that I would follow the advice of any one on this forum that calls themselves Liili Von Shtup!! Oh Madeline Kahn - how we miss you. Okay, that is good information to have. I have fallen off. I did 5 days and then slipped (right before TOM) and I start back tomorrow. I feel like a loser, a failure, I'm bloated and feel awful, eating sugars never satisfies it just makes you want more sugars, I don't even enjoy the food. Honestly, I prefer eating the foods OP. What is wrong with me - it is a mental treat I'm looking for, not a culinary one. Every time. Thank you Lilli - back on tomorrow. I put some inspirational pictures up all over my office today. If I can just put one whole week together. Then another, then another...

One Month
 

Well, I re-started the program on the 7th of September and I'm down 12.2 pounds. Not a really remarkable number. On the other hand, it's the most I've ever lost in a month -- despite 2 pain killers a day and 2 cortisone shots a week for three of the weeks, and probably because of the support on this site. I guess all I'd trying to say is If I can do it, I'll bet you can, too.

Two things are different this time around, though, and if mentioning them will help, here goes. I walked 3-5 or 6 miles a day most days; not hard when you like to walk, left your car half way around the world, and live in a city were everything you'd ever want is within 3 kilometers (opera) and most are within 1 (organic markets, grocery stores, all kinds of shops and, unfortunately, about 70 bakeries, restaurants, cafes, and bars with people eating luscious looking and smelling stuff right under your nose at tables on the side walk.) The puppy-for-life occasionally stops and begs. People think it's really cute, really really adorable. I think I probably momentarily inhabit him, but perhaps I exaggerate.

The other thing is that the Ideal Program hasn't taken over my life. At the risk of sounding like Nancy Reagan (please God, no), I've just done it. In the great scheme of things, it's really not a very difficult or complicated program. And there are so few dishes to wash. (My dishwasher still isn't hooked up so life isn't all a bed of roses in this town that's as far north as my friends in Canada [Happy Thanksgiving].

But I ramble. I sure hope this helps someone. And it you want to totally replicate what I've done, I have a 7-foot sofa in the living room and two furred hot water bottles who would be glad to keep you warm on a long winter night. :D :hug:

:cheer3::cheer3::cheer3: Three cheers for YOU! I think 12.2 pounds is awesome! I think I'll take you up on that walking idea. This time of year is beautiful in Iowa. My two hot water bottles (Maddie and Zelda) would like the walking too. Maddie is a spoiled over weight puggle and Zelda is a great girl someone dumped at out farm. Lucky her, she now sleeps in my bed with Maddie and me.

I can't imagine walking past the bakeries and cafes. If I remember correctly, you are in Germany now. My son and I are planning a trip there next summer. Every year I take one of my 20 year old kids on an adventure outside of the US. It's a great time being one on one with them and lets them see there's more out there than the farm here in Iowa they grew up on. Not sure what part of Germany we will be visiting yet, but your walk sounds like somewhere I would like to see. Any suggestions on what to see and do is appreciated.

Your post has inspired me even more to keep going on this diet plan. Not Nancy Reagan, please.......But, yeah to not many dishes to wash. Rambling is good sometimes too. Ramble on.

I'm in Berlin. It is truly a great capital and cheaper than Vienna, Paris, or London. I don't know how long you'll be staying, if you like to stay in one place, get to know it, do day trips, or drive around. (Forget the autobahn's reputation. It's a breeze to drive and most summer's there's so much construction nobody goes over 60 mph, if that. (Gasoline, of course, is prohibitive.) Berlin's also a wonderful walking city and not nearly as large as many other German or European cities, with wonderful museums and parks and a world class, well run zoo. Public transportation is fantastic and it's an easy place to take day trips from. It's also quite possible to snag an apartment, via Craigslist, for a short stay. Inexpensive and you can cook if you like. I always try to go to the markets in countries I visit, even if I don't buy anything, because you get a nice glimpse at what people are like by what they eat. And you can often fly into one city and out from another in Europe, for the same price, if that's of interest. Drop me a PM and I'll see if I can help, OK?

Was this in Burlington, by chance?