I got fired from my part time job today. It was only every other weekend, so it won't really break the bank. But I want to use it as an excuse to eat whatever I want. No matter what I eat, I always justify it with something going on in my life. "Oh, it's friday. Another week finished, time to celebrate and order pizza!" Anyone else do this? It somehow is ok to eat gallons of food if I have a reason for wanting to. But it's never really ok, and I know that even while eating and that makes me want to just keep on eating.

Hi there skittlez-
Yep, I always had a reason to eat:

• holidays
• celebrations
• i was happy
• i was sad
• on a date
• don't have a date
• stressed
• lonely
• angry
• hurt
• bored
• i had a hard day
• i had a good day
• camping
• movies
• fair
• mall
• it's hot out
• it's cold out
• on vacation

You name it-- it was a reason to eat. Through program I've learned that life has ups and downs, but my abstinence has to live a life of its own. My abstinence cannot be defined by my day, how I feel, or what anyone else is doing. My abstinence stays constant...in fact, sometimes it's all I have. There are days, thankfully fewer and fewer, that my abstinence is all that I can manage. I stay in bed and hide from the rest of the world, but I keep my abstinence even if it's the only thing that I do that day.

First let me say, I am sorry to hear about the loss of your job. That would be hard for me, too. Now, for the eating: oh yes. Just yesterday, I went to a graduation party where there was a plethora of food. Before I went, I told myself I would only have the veggies, fruit and a veggie burger. Let's just say that I ended up eating over 4,000 cals of food. Why? Because we were celebrating, of course! On the bright side, two days before that I went to a graduation party and I WAS able to stay on track and was very proud of myself. And I identify with all your reasons to eat, Marny...and for me, I have to add in "stressed from school/hard test." That may be my favorite and/or most used one!

Ditto for absolutely everything on Marny's list -- well, except camping -- I don't camp (allergic to insect venom) -- so, add to the list -- "I just saw a bug"