Hi Everyone!!!
Hey Tracy~ Sorry to hear about your work problems! How are you doing? I know how being out of work can cause the munchies... I've been out of work for a little over 3 weeks now ! But... finally I've got good news about that!... I got a call back from an interview & I've been hired; full time, days, at $1.60/hr more than what I was looking for!! Yeah!
I was feeling pretty low because quiting my last job was somewhat impulsive... but it turns out that it was the best thing for me! I'm sure you'll be fine too!

The frustrating this is; when I was out of work I wanted food because of boredom & emotional downs... now that I've been hired I want food because I think I should get a treat! (& I know there will be money in the bank soon... so I can finally afford a treat!) Grrrrrrr! It's never ending!

Well, what can ya do?... except smile & keep on trying! So that's what I'm doing!

I just decided to count calories... I'm thinking that It'll allow me to treat myself on occasion without feeling guilty & without messing up my eating plan! Hopefully that will do the trick.

~talk to you all later... Kaly

Dear Jennifer,

You are so wise. My sister suffered from Bulemia. I used the laxative but luckily I saw a doctor and he put the fear of God into me. The damage that those actions do to your body is irrerarable. I was 27 and thought if I was so skinny my boyfreind (now hubby) would love me more. It is not about weight. yes in the beginning men are attracted by image, but we women want men that will loves us regardles of size.

I am sorry you have had to go through it. Yes, defining the actual hot point is the first step..I am still trying to weave my way through that port. Thank you for sharing. I feel honored that you did. Tracy

Glad i can help Tracy. I was offered a position at the age of 16 to counsil youth with eatting disorders and disordered eatting (many ppl don't realize that there is a difference) but i was still fairly ill at the time. I do regret not doing it now because i would love to be able to help people through this tough illness that is very misunderstood. I agree with you in that we can't change or compromise ourselves for men. if we do want to change, we do it for US and no one else. Lately i have been taking myself to do "girly" things like get my hair done and such which is making me alot more confident about myself. Everyone has a different way of expression and we all just need to find it. Life is a long and bumpy road so we must choose our tools wisely and use them to carry us along
Jennifer
ps. If you ever need to talk, feel free to pm me. I find sometimes through helping others i can understand how to help myself too.

Crahs you are the best. NAd I am glad you are doing things for yourself. Everyone needs a little me time!!! ANd men...well..they come and go..but freinds are for life! luv ya!!Tracy

I am too a lurker...I troll around the kitchen looking for whatever is good to eat. I get like this especially right after lunch and dinner. The other day I was so fed up with this looking for junk to eat that I actually starting to throw everything out!!! I threw out all the chocolate that my mom had been keeping. I threw out all the jelly beans and the cookies. I threw it all out. No one even missed it. Again though my house has been restocked with junk and I can't help but binge. I have no self control when it comes to food. If I see it...I eat it. If it;s not there then I dont think about it. I really need help. I've been on WW for 2 weeks now. I lost 3 pounds but I can feel it slowly creeping up on me...I just ate half a box of cereal! (after I ate lunch of course) Does anyone else get like this or is it just me.

I am too a lurker...I troll around the kitchen looking for whatever is good to eat. I get like this especially right after lunch and dinner. The other day I was so fed up with this looking for junk to eat that I actually starting to throw everything out!!! I threw out all the chocolate that my mom had been keeping. I threw out all the jelly beans and the cookies. I threw it all out. No one even missed it. Again though my house has been restocked with junk and I can't help but binge. I have no self control when it comes to food. If I see it...I eat it. If it;s not there then I dont think about it. I really need help. I've been on WW for 2 weeks now. I lost 3 pounds but I can feel it slowly creeping up on me...I just ate half a box of cereal! (after I ate lunch of course) Does anyone else get like this or is it just me.

I am just like you!! But at least you threw out the chcolate!! Good for you!! Actually if ya going to eat..ceral is a good choice!! I know this week it was hot fires city..I must have had one stuck to my chin all week. I am depressed at being home..that is my set off. What is making you eat???Tracy

Hi Guys!

I was just lurking around on this post and thought of something. A few years ago I did a program called the Weigh Down Workshop. It was a religiously based program (www.wdworkshop.com) that allowed you to eat whatever foods you wanted but only when "stomach hunger" struck. I was very successful on the plan and really outgrew binge eating. And I had been the *worst* -- ordering several meals at a restaurant plus several drinks so no one would know what I was eating, bringing home bags of doughnuts and eating them with a large pizza, the works.

I lost down to a size 8 and stayed there for several years (after being overweight since age 6), very happily, until I went on the pill. I don't know if it was the one I was on or what, but I just couldn't stop feeling stomach hunger, and so gained weight. I tried to go back to WDW, but I felt compulsive about it and left the program.

Now, I'm using LA Weight Loss, but I look forward to going back to my old weigh-down ways once I reach my goals weight. It was the happiest I've ever been, not thinking about food anymore, not binging, but still getting to eat whatever I liked. There is also a book, and there used to be a class at Barnes & Noble University using the same principles, but without the religious aspect.

I know how miserable it is to be on the binge/diet cycle. It's awful. And who wants to just substitute the binging for being obsessed with calories, percentages, lower-body workouts, whatever? It's as though over-controlling the situation will keep you from going astray.

Anyway, for those of you who are really depressed, really struggling, it's something to consider.

Good luck to everyone, and you are ALL beautiful!