Welcome, Tina, the more wisdom, the more insight, the better.

Sue, that sabotage question is a good one.......if we sabotage ourselves just one little bit in a day, then all bets are off, and it is not "diet day" "on program" or whatever we call it.

What maddens me, is that when I lost the weight those 4 or 5 years ago....I don't even know when it was, that is how much I was not in "diet mode"..I was just so not into that "perfect diet" thinking.......I just ate less, was content......knew there would be more food in three or four hours when I was a little bit hungry.........I just liked the feeling of eating a little bit and not feeling stuffed......it was truly a gift..... I want it BACK!!!!

Beck makes sense...just gotta get back in that mode...just that everyday mentality of sane eating!!

I want that for all of us!!

Hello to all
welcome Tina

Right now I am working on re-charging my motivation to go back to accurately following WW. I have this sabotaging attitude that if I eat "a bit" mindlessly today it is OK because surely I will back on target tomorrow- I am in about the third week of this stupidity. Luckly I have only gained a couple of pounds, but certainly not losing and don't want this trend to continue. There has been a ton of stressful stuff-why the push to return to unhealthy habits-but overeating never solved my problems in the past but I keep on trying to eat my self calm. If Beck is right about retraining the brain- I also am losing ground there also. I am giving in to cravings and implusive hunger and the worst sin for me is late night eating of high carb foods.

What I have done today
re-read Beck's chapters especially about cravings, preplanning. RECORDING every bite and the sabatoging thoughts.

I now am really having a problem with the NO Choice card-it seems to anger me versus helps me stay on target. Instead of Oh Well I think Oh Yea-saz who? Watch me eat this stuff. I tire of the hyper state of awareness that I need to lose weight by eating modestly-both cals and portion control, to stop all inapproriate snacking and modify all the cooking to remove fats.

any help would be appreciated. How do you guys go from "I Will", "I Ought to watch it" to actually doing it ?

best of luck to you all -hope you have a much skinner thinking brain than mine has recently been.
sue

Hi guys, and thanks for the welcome!

I'm conveniently on Day 6 today - the day where I have to find a diet coach!
I took time to read through all the posts and I can really relate to many of you.

I'm a resident in internal medicine and my schedule is far from structured. Especially today - we had lunch rounds with tons of food, including desserts. I started eating one small bite of a brownie, but then ended up finishing it, which was definitely unplanned. Still have to work on those sabotaging thoughts - I felt discouraged after that brownie, but got back in track by cutting down on my "treat" portion for dinner.

It's encouraging to read that all of you have made some progress one way or another.

Hey everybody! Have a whiny daughter in the other room who won't go to sleep! That is the combo that put a good 30 lbs on me, I can tell you that. Trying to ignore her and not go to the fridge.

Maryblu, Coastalsue, I definitely feel your comments today! I'm trying to get back to that state Maryblu describes of sane eating, where I just let ice cream sit in the freezer because I know I can have some whenever I want! Not even close yet, but I'm working on it. And I definitely know what you mean about that state of hyper-vigilance with everything to do with eating and cooking, coastalsue. I think that's one reason why I stopped doing WW, the program sort of sent me to that place. Not that it's a bad program, I think it's great, just that I'm sort of wacky.

Not too much new here, just been making sure I snack a lot (healthily), which is good for my brain. I also signed my first documents as an attorney today. I'm sure the thrill will wear off soon, but it feels pretty good right now. Did everyone else have a good Friday?

Hey Everybody,

Just wanted to holler at you for a second to let you all know I'm still here. I got sidetracked the last couple of days by work and home stuff. Due to a death in the family on the west coast, I've been kind of scrambling around trying to rearrange things so I could get out of town next week. I'll post more later.

Welcome Tina!

L

Welcome to the group, Tina~

Liannie, sorry to hear the sad news. I hope you are doing OK.

I had a two-day nighttime overeating thing. I was on such a good roll. Anyway, Im back on track. I think I gained a pound but I'm not getting on the scale till Monday, my weigh-in day. In dissecting it, I had something @ work that made me angry--like so angry couldn't sleep--and I consciously knew I was eating because it felt so uncomfortable to have those angry/powerless feelings. I *think* that's what it was, and then just relaxing the reins let in the old compulsiveness.

I'm sorry Sue that you are struggling. You have done so well--I'm sure you will figure it out. If I were you (since you asked for suggestions ), I'd try to be kind to yourself. Say, wow, my body is really doing well if I only gained a couple of pounds while eating off track for a few weeks, and I really like myself b/c I'm so persistent--I know I'm going to do this. I know I'll get it even tho it feels hard. Honestly, this is what I think about you. You can take my words.

Re: the nighttime carb eating, do you feel it's chemical or emotional or both? I had really good luck in the past with taking L-glutamine--it really helps control sugar cravings. I just mixed a scoop into water--it's often recommended for people doing low carb b/c the carb cravings can be strong.

I'm trying to use distraction today till I get firmly back on track--so after I eat, just keeping really busy and trying not to entertain food thoughts. Just getting back to 3 squares and that's it--Food time is over--do something else. Hopefully that'll help. I feel nervous I won't make it today on plan, but I think I can do it. I'm going to make a big pot of veggie soup and really keep busy, too.

Off to go to the material shop. It's so beautiful and rainy and cool here today!

~girly

Good evening guys~

Liannie: sorry to hear about your loss - hope things are better.

Girlythin: the nighttime carb eating, for me is definitely emotional. After a stressful day at work, that's how I find comfort, at least for me.

I'm on-call as we speak in the hospital - things have been crazy busy with couple of patients going sour and for once, I was distracted to enought that I didn't realize that I skipped dinner. Had a small sandwich an hour ago, but feel somewhat full already. Must stay away from midnite vending machine attacks!

Really impressed with all of you and your progress so far. Hope you're all having a great evening!

Hello, all,

I am so grateful for you all..I just love this group.

First things, first, Liannie, so sorry for your loss. It really puts things in perspective, doesn't it? I don't know what more to say, than I am sorry.

I am looking forward to tomorrow, as I commit to healthy living...more on that to follow.

I have to share with you my BREAKING news....and truly, probably only Sue will appreciate this, being a swimmer herself, and former Minne-sodan......

I was in the water three times today! Sept. 23, the first day of fall, was 85 degrees in MN with a strong south wind, and as we worked in the garden, we got hotter and hotter..I ended up in the lake three times today! Now, you may have noticed, I didn't say "swimming". I am a good swimmer, more of a fish than most, but I never claim to "swim" while I am in the lake, flopping like a crappy, grinning like a fool....I just side stroke a bit, and enjoy the total feeling of freedom that swimming evokes in me.....it is totally spiritual, not physical......well, I have to add the 60 steps down and up to the lake X three......but still, even though it was cold, it was so ..so...soothing...such joy....and the moon tonight is amazing

My SO and I are starting tomorrow on an extraordinary diet adventure....I will keep you posted..

Let's all remember why we are here; it is to follow the wisdom we first found with TBDS....stay close, all.

Hello all

Liannie-sympathy to you and your family.

girly-thanks for the support-I finally have turned it around again (and again, again ect)

Maryblu- I envy that swim-lake swimming is so beautiful-pool swmming just does not feel that soul satisfying. What is doing being 85 in the end of Sept?

Tina- Your career choice is so admirable but so loaded with stress and crazed schedules which creates lack of sleep. Alll those thing most of us overeaters really have to work at in order avoid unhealthy eating. Really admire your work and your determination to change habits.

Tina-motherhood another of those 24/7 careers along with being a new lawyer. I have to remove all sweet treats again from my house and like you only eat the healthy snacks.

I am back on WW and have lost all the newly regained wt and losted another pound. I thought I could have the sweet snacks around and only eat a small portion each day-oh so wrong for me right now. It has to be an occassional "fun" thing in town.

There is a difference about Beck being so absolute about no treats and WW giving me a chance to have some sweet stuff. It is a fine line between an occassional treat and starting up the cravings again.

Re reading and doing the tasks about discomfort and cravings. I notice that when I was listing discomfort I was recording emotional situation and ignored physical pain until it reached a higher number. Thus I could see acknowleging all of my emotional stuff and ignoring all of the physical pain and limitation which the fat has placed on my joints. Heck I have a hard time vacumming hauling around me and the equipment. Maybe one of anti-craving techniques will be to walk for 5 minutes fell the pain and remind myself of the health damage of overeating.

All the techniques are good but the most fun is when the scales finally go down. I know we should not focus on that but it does feel so good when it finally does go down a bit.

Get those skinny brains
sue

Hey everyone, no time to post tonight but you're all in my thoughts!

Does anyone get a headache from the Hoodia?

Angel,
I haven't heard anyone mention that they are on Hoodia...might you be on the wrong thread? If your intention was to be on Beck, you are welcome here.....

girly~

Hi guys, hope all is well -

maryblu: sounds like you've been enjoying the warm weather! It's also been unusually warm and pleasant here in Montreal as well. I started a new rotation today and things were quiet, so I left the hospital early. I just enjoyed a looong walk in the Mont-Royal Park with a friend, which I haven't done in years. The foliage is starting to happen and it was so wonderful.

coastalsue: Thanks for your words of encouragement on my career choice -- sometimes, I just forget why I went into medicine altogether, but I must say I love what I do. I hear you on the fine line between an occassional treat and starting up the cravings again. I HAD to allow myself at least one little miniature treat (those Halloween candy size) every few days, otherwise I would go nuts! It's really admirable on how much weight you've lost! Truly encouraging! Keep up the good work!!

GinaXOXO: welcome! I'm a newbie too!

I started exercising a little (home DVDs mostly) for Day 9 yesterday - and today is to set a realistic goal. Heck, losing five pounds as she puts it seems like more than a reasonable goal for me right now. The scale hasn't budged all that much - that two pounds I lost I think is nothing more than water weight. :P Keep up the good work, everyone!

GinaXOXO: Glad you're posting, I'm also just starting. I'm wondering what you think of the workbook. Is it worth getting? Does it duplicate all those forms in the book?

I'm just at the quickly-read-the-whole-book stage; seven chapters to go to complete my quick read. Seems like a compelling strategy, just the sort of thing I'm looking for to come to believe I can stay at this maintenance weight for a goodly duration.

Trying to sort out just how many pages of data keeping this is going to take. Are people keeping MASSIVE notebooks of food plans and checklists? Do you all have secretaries doing this? Do you all really have a Diet Coach? Where did you find your coach?