I have been following Lyn's blog. She wrote yesterday about "wouldn't it be nice" to be able to eat "x", "y" & "z"

http://escapefromobesity.blogspot.co...t-be-nice.html

She wrote things that I have been thinking a lot lately.

Then she wrote about why it would NOT be nice. And a lot of it REALLY resounded with me.

I keep thinking - wouldn't it be nice if I could just eat a brick of cheese, box of crackers and a bottle of wine for dinner each night? Well... um... no. That isn't going to improve my health. It isn't going to help me emotionally. It isn't going to improve my sleep. It isn't going to help me run better. It isn't going to make me a better mom or a better wife. It is just going to give me bad gas, make me bloated, drag me down, make me feel ill... etc.

So... no. I will not do it anymore. I am taking everything I have learned and well... I am just going to do it! I am just going to write down my calories. I am just going to stick to them. I am just not going to drink every night. I am just NOT going to buy dark chocolate M&M's.

ALL I have to do is stick to 1600 - 1800 calories each day. Throw in some running and lifting of heavy things... and the weight WILL come off.

WHY has it taken me so long to get here?

That is a great blog post. I can empathize with her feelings ~ I have done the same thing thinking that it would be great if I could just eat whatever I wanted, but I know it's not good for me.

And it looks like you are doing great with your weight loss ~ you are down almost 50 pounds ~ that's awesome!! I have to write down all of my calories daily otherwise it would get away from me and I'm sure I would be way off...I've done it since January 3rd, and I also gave up alcohol for all of January because I used to drink wine (or white russians) almost every other night. Once I got through January, I realized all of the extra calories that come with drinking and it's just not worth it. Maybe try setting little goals for yourself like, "I am not going to have alcohol for two weeks" and see how it goes...or even a week. You might surprise yourself!

Yep, Lyn's blog echos some of my thoughts too.

I'm not there yet. I know that's what it takes but I still want the other stuff. So wouldn't it be nice to....not to want the other stuff. I don't want to fight with myself the rest of my life.

Yeah... I need to update my ticker. I have gained back about 10 lbs. ~sigh~
I have jsut started to really write everything down. Even in the last few days, I can already tell this is going to be a HUGE help for me. Just winging it was working ok... but now that it is winter and it is so easy to turn to comfort food (and booze!) it is too easy for the calories to get away from me.

I am going to try not having any drinks during the week. And then only having maybe one or two on Friday and/or Saturday. Writing down calories is a big eye opener. 180 calorie Sam's Irish Red is worth it... ONCE in a while. But not every day.

I have been doing a lot of fighting with myself. I am beginning to realize that this is going to take some time for me. And what I really need to do is be very PATIENT with myself. I need to continue to work at changing my habits. I need to keep pushing myself to do a wee bit better each day. I started a cross stitich last night. I really wanted to shove food in my face... but I said "NO!" and I picked up my cross stitch and started it... I really started getting in to it and I am looking forward to a peaceful night this evening to do some more!

You targeted my feelings well.

woulnd't it be nice to buy a pair of sparkly shoes every day.... sure, but where would you put them? and we'd all be broke! that's the way i've moved towards looking/dealing with food - yes that look delicious, BUT where would I put it??? LOL

p.s. i've always longed to be one of those people who say "oh i don't even like pizza and chocolate any more" me? not so much... still LOVE crap!

HAHAHA!! I LOVE that!!

I'm glad you liked my post!

It really is a rather long journey, but little changes over time can yield BIG results! And it's so worth it.

I love that too!! I'm gonna have to remember that one next time I'm eyeing something I know isn't healthy, I'll feel bad about eating later, etc. Chocolate or french fries or whatever isn't worth all that stress, plus I just don't have anywhere to put it! lol

Cross stitching is a GREAT tool when you're trying not to eat. It's something you absolutely can't eat while you're doing 'cause you'll ruin all of your hard work! That's what I used to do... before I had a 2 year old.

Another key piece for me was that, when I was eating like that, I enjoyed none of it. It was just cramming it in, stuffing in calories. I thought I liked the food. But really I liked the sensation of eating.

Now I do have treats. But I APPRECIATE them. Meaning I don't grab boxed donuts or a fast food burger or a supermarket cupcake. If I'm eating a burger, it's from a place that does GOOD BURGERS. A cupcake? It's from a bakery that specializes in and has perfected the art of a cupcake. And a donut, if I do have one, is my very favorite kind from a good donut shop.

It wasn't even nice to eat that way before. It was just what I DID. Now if I have a small indulgence, and it is planned for and high quality, THAT is "nice". But eating whatever I wanted, even when that thing wasn't high quality/prepared with love/the best version that thing could be? It was habit, but it was never "nice".

Wouldn't it be nice to go on a trip around the world?
Shucks, wouldn't it be nice to travel around the US?
Wouldn't it be nice to buy a brand new car...... with cash?
Wouldn't it be nice to be 5' 8"?
Wouldn't it be nice to sing well?
Wouldn't it be nice to not have to get up at 5:30 to get ready for work?

Oh, I could come up with 100 "Wouldn't it be nice to..."s. But you know, my life is good without all my wishes and I might even get a few of them. I just have to accept that I can't have all my food wishes, just like I can't have all my other wishes. I need to appreciate all the wishes that I can fulfill, including the food ones also, and not waste my life concerned about everything that I can't have.

Love this.

& Love this.

Thank you all for your insights~it really helps me put things in perspective.