Hey Everyone...

My Mom was visiting so life got a little crazy for awhile... My weight has been climbing a little despite my efforts...I wasn't sure if it was medication related or not. I have recently gotten my eating really tuned up so maybe it was just a matter of slipping into bad habits without realizing it. I took some time yesterday for a good bunch of yoga stretches and I did this set of medicine ball workouts out of Fitness magazine that really did a number on my legs! Now, I use the elliptical alot and Tae Bo and my legs are pretty damn strong...this completely turned them to jelly...I almost collapsed coming down the stairs!!! (Going up was fine!) Now I am sore and I haven't been in a long time...

I have alot on my mind lately but I just wanted to thank you all for your stories and thoughts...I am around even when I can't post much...

love you all...

You are exercising, are you dieting?

Yes...I am.. I actually just refer to it to eating mindfully really... I try to keep around 1500 or so...eat more veggies and fruit...less meat...more water...more unsweetened tea...that sort of thing.. I have been at this a long time so I have most of what I need to do down... I just have a problem sometimes with emotional eating...I have a lot of stress due to my DH's diagnosis and our life being pretty uncertain right now... Also, I believe I am starting pre menopause and am having some of the problems that that entails. I also have a history with severe pms and eating binges...that is where a lot of my uppie downie stuff comes from... I just finished TOM so I am in the best part of my cycle right now so I am really working it as hard as possible... Thanks for caring...

I've had a lot of female health problems as well as issues with emotional eating, too. I know how hard it is. Stay strong and keep going. You WILL get there.

I think your awareness of the situation is key. Emotions have so much to do w/how we eat (well, at least for me they do!).

If you pick one area at a time to focus on for improvement, that might help.

Emotional eating and hormonal issues is what is wreaking havoc with me right now. I constantly have to sit back and really assess what I am about to do in regards to eating and then making a decision about the worth of my decision; however, sometimes emotions/hormones are the deciding factor. Yesterday boiled down to hormones and I bought a dozen brownies (only ate one, though) and I ate a Mounds candy bar. Looking back, neither was worth the calories, but the craving for the Mounds had been there for over a week and I just couldn't get over it.

Like Elana said, you are aware of what you have to do, you just need to take an extra minute or two to really assess the situation and do the right thing.

None of us is perfect all the time. I've found that if I have a super-strong craving for something, it really doesn't work to substitute something else. I'll eat the substitute plus eventually get to what I craved. Out of sight-out of mind is one of my better tools--don't bring the crap in that I know I shouldn't eat. I will occasionally go out to eat a single dish of ice cream--maybe once a month--if I had ice cream in my own freezer there's no way it would stay for one month!