[flower123]

hi. I am trying to figure out where I belong. I have yoyoed ( is that even a word?) all my life. Recently I have been maintaining. Although in the last few weeks I fell off the maintenence wagon. I started eating sugar again. I cannot have sugar. Eating it is a one way trip to cravings and spinning out of control and gaining weight. Although I can have sugar and chocolate in my home as long as I do not have organic peanutubutter. That was how things spun out of control. 2 jars of organic peanutubutter.

I will not go into detail about what I have been eating in the past 35 hours. suffice to say, i cannot maintain and eat these foods. I have to get back on the wagon. NOW. and I am looking for a bit of support doing it. I have been so strong maintaining for more than a half year. And I have honestly been maintaining for a year. But if i keep going like this, it will be a one way trip to a larger wardrobe once again. and all that goes along with gaining weight. Something I can't face.

So here I am. In a "slip". I ate my last brownie. Tomorrow I will cut up the rest of them and bring them to the chiropractors office ( I made them for the people there anyway). And then I will not bake anything more. I will not buy anymore pb. I will not eat sugar even in samples at markets. Back on the "no sugar" wagon. Where I belong. I figure I gained 4 lbs. But they will come off easily if I get back to my maintaince routine NOW. I am strong enough to do this. I have to be. I just have to be. I can do it. But I am looking for support. For what its worth, people say I am a good support person. So I hope to be of support to folks who might want some

So relieved I found this website and forum. Thank you !!!!

[apo9]

One of the tricks someone suggested to us was to squirt dishwashing soap on the foods that caused a breakdown.
It seems like a waste but he.. it all ends up in the same place and better in garbage than on hips.
I have used this before and got rid of all offending foods.

[CalCounter1003]

Welcome Flower! I am a former yo-yo-er too. I think everyone is!
Only a small percentage of people actually maintain for over a year - so you have done great! But now you want to be that even smaller percentage of people that maintain even longer. You recognize the problem for you, sugar. Usually there is something else going on too - it's such a mental thing! Starting a diet, maintaining... I mean.... it is more mental than physical.

I've been maintaining just four months. I am feeling very strong because I am still in the honeymoon phase. This is the longest I have ever maintained. Actually in retrospect, I have never maintained. In the past I never reached goal, or the rare times I did reach goal, I thought that meant I could eat whatever I wanted. So this time, my goal is to maintain.

The support and advice here is great! Post your questions and the wise people will help you!

[flower123]

hi. wow, such great responses. Thank you ( edited in: an apology that this is so lengthy)
apo9. while I am glad some people found that dishsoap works for them, it would not be advisable for me. But I do appreciate the information

Calcounter1003, I totally agree with you re usually something else going on when there are issues with food. It IS the case with me. I am not sure I can discern what the issues are. Although I have thought about them. And I do have some strong suspicions. Including that food was my only comfort and friend. There is more to it. But at the risk of boring people I will not be more specific

I can totally believe that only a small percentage maintain for over a year. There must be, for me anyway, a relentless vigilance. Or successfully working on and dealing with the underlying issues. For me, the first is more attainable. The second would be more in the catagory of a miracle. one can only hope !

The thing I find most difficult is being stronger than the cravings. Staying very strong. Having mastery over the it all. This does not make any of it go away. But if I can not give an inch to this condition ( as I call it) then I can keep it from sneaking back inch by inch, if you know what I mean. It is almost like a child. If I say yes once, then its the door open for the child to keep wanting me to say yes again... to whatever it is. For me, this is maintenence. Exhausting an never ending.... so far. I live as if I know it will be an ongoing situation which will keep me on my toes. I prefer to not use the word "battle". Although that is the word that came to mind.

Patience. As you seem know only too well, each person has what works well for them. You found that mercifully you are able to eat fruit. Thats awesome. I have had to cut out all fruit except for lemon juice. One piece of fruit always led to intense cravings for unreasonable amount more. The strength of the cravings was too much. I cannot have sugars. Even in fruit. Except I do have a tablespoon of tart cherry concentrate. I do keep my carbs low. Although I must be mindful to have a certain amount of them..... being aware that the body does need complex carbs to properly function.

I have my forumlas that seem to work well for me. eg protein powder in a blender with lemon juice, ice cubes and stevia powder ( health food store grade) with the sour cherry concentrate ( good for inflamation) combined in the blender and then poured into dishes and frozen. To be scraped like italian ice when I want something sweet. It also helps that there is protein in this. Thats a way that my desire for sweets is met. My therapist wants me to have protein powder for breakfast. So I blend ice cubes with cocoa powder, water stevia and toasted seasame oil. Pour into bowls and freeze. This is my breakfast. I do eat too many sweets. Even if it is stevia that is the only source of that sweet.

I enjoy green salads with fat free feta, onion powder, basil and lemon juice for dressing. Or salad with dressing made from lemon juice, a small amount of toasted sesame oil, stevia and onion powder. For me these taste good and offer vegetable with only small amount of oil. With the salads, I enjoy the lowest fat chicken sausage. And I stay away from one national chain store brand that puts sugar in their sausage. I think perhaps even a small amount of sugar can feed the addiction that I grapple with. I do consider the stevia I use to be a culprit. But I use it anyway. i am SO addicted to sweets. And so I use stevia way too much.

You are able to eat sweets sometimes in low risk situations. I am not. I am like a foodaholic. I must stay completely away from the high risk foods such as sugar, fruit and pure organic peanutbutter. i can have sugar in my home. As long as I do not have some trigger foods to use it on and in. I cannot have fruit in my home. It would be gone in an instant.

I am looking for advice re eating more slowly. This has been a serious problem with me. I eat absurdly fast. Mindlessly. And voraciously. To be honest, if I had a large amount of foods I enjoy greatly, I would feel quite unsatiated when I finished. Only wanting more and more. And the amount I can eat, if I allowed it, is quite absurd.

I wish I had some good tips to help. I have written the ones I use. And I am always looking for more... from people.

Finally, I do cheat. I cheat with savory foods. And i try to do it on days when the scale indicates that this would be a good day to do it. Keep up the great work. I am SO glad I found you all. Any suggestions are always appreciated.