You are doing a great job Christine. I'm in the process of reading a book about intuitive eating and it kind of talks the same way -- eat when you are hungry, make good choices and stop when you are full. It's all about common sense I guess I just have lost mine for a little bit The concept is an easy one, rewiring the brain is what I need to work on.

It's funny because I have been wrestling with this very problem for the past week. (Also been without my computer - aaaaack.) This morning I picked up a book my nephew gave me a few years ago, flipped it open at random and read "In the absence of my judgement, would I need to be perfect?". It hit me like a ton of bricks that I and I alone make myself feel like a failure. I don't have to be perfect. I AM losing weight, so I am doing good enough, even if I'm not perfect. It sure changes the way to look at success and failure. BTW, the book was "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (and it's all small stuff)"

Jerie -- Amazing how one little saying can hit home. We are looking for perfection in weight loss but that's not necessary. We don't have to be perfect and the weight will still come off. I'm amazed at the pressure we put on ourselves and no one else would expect that much from us!!

Shelby - funny thing - I did teach human nature classes (well, actually intro to psychology and health education along with my favorite children's language development and literature), at a community college. I LOVED that job, but it was only part time and didn't pay enough to live on, so I had to do it in my "spare" time when I was working as a probation officer.

I have a master's degree in psychology, and I've been able to help others with my knowledge a lot more than I've been able to help myself, so I definitely have felt the frustration of "knowing better," but struggling any way (I almost said failing anyway, but we really haven't failed until we've given up).

My husband and I are both on disability. Our weights greatly contributing to the disability (probably more so in my case, as my husband has always been very strong and active despite his weight and a congenital degenerative bone and joint problem until an accident caused a health/fitness cascade). Everyone had always told me to lose weight while I was young, because it would catch up with me later. But, although I often dieted, I wasn't very committed to lose weight because I wasn't suffering enough from the excess weight. Although I was always obese, I was very smart, and outgoing, so I always had friends, and rarely let my weight get in the way of doing what I wanted to do. Losing weight was always something I knew I SHOULD do, but I guess I didn't have enough motivation to make it a top priority.

I'm finally learning how to "psych" myself out, but outsmarting yourself really is difficult and tricky. For me, for example, TOM cravings and hunger as well as steroid hunger (I have an autoimmune disease and breathing problems that often require treatment with prednisone and other steroids) can almost convince me that I'm going to die or at least pass out from hunger. I KNOW better, but boy sometimes giving in to those urges feels more involuntary than not.