I've been cheating almost every day this week, and I can't stop. I'm keeping up with my exercise-doing really well in fact. I've moved up to the two mile walk away the pounds tape with weights. But now my eating is not going well at all.

I need a kick in the behind! I don't want to gain back any weight. I'm afraid to get back on the scale.

Any advice would be appreciated. I think the appetite is from PMS, but I don't want to gain back three pounds for a week each month (or whatever I've probably gained).

Thanks,
sherry

Hi Sherry...
When you are trying to diet... are you eating enough? what are you having for breakfast.. make sure it's enough (and a morning snack too!) so that way you don't get the munchies.

One thing I've learned in the past two days is to have snacks before I get hungry - if I get to hungry I PIG out.

This whole dieting thing is so hard! I'm starting to believe it's 90% mental.

Good Luck Sherry!!!

Dana

Dana is right. Diet is 90% mental. Try snacking before you get hungry. Also, if you have increased your exercise, you may be needing to get more calories.

HUGS!!!!

I know it sucks when you feel like you no longer have control. You have the power to gain it back though. I believe in you!

Are you actually *hungry* or are you just feeding yourself? If you're *hungry* then you may really need to look into the caloric intake and up it a bit. If you're trying to feed something besides real hunger, you might want to look at what it is you're feeding. Anger? Loneliness? Boredom? Fear? Whatever?

I usually find that if I'm in an uncontrollable appetite situation it's either real body hunger because I've been working out much harder than normal, or it's because I have some unresolved issue festering.

Good luck!!

Hey Sherry!

How is it going? I know exactly where you are coming from. You just described myself. I totally agree with the suggestions everyone has given.

One thing that helps me is to plan to let myself have one good thing i really want per week, so I don't feel AS deprived!

PLUS, the exercise is going great with ya, and that counts for A LOT! Focus on your positive things, and pretty soon everything will fall into place! You can do it!

*smiles* irishwings

Hi,

thank you all for your warm responses. I really appreciate it. I don't know what's making me eat. I was pretty well on program Friday, but today was HORRIBLE. I don't even want to admit to what I've eaten, it is too embarassing. I feel like something has come over me and sucked out all my motivation to stick to eating healthy food....well, I never have a problem with staying on program for exercise and breakfast, but after that-I've eaten SO much junk today, it isn't even funny. I ate things I don't even particularly like, just cause they were there. I feel myself going into that downward, out of control eating spiral, and I never wanted to go back there again! It's a dark place-you know what I mean.

Please help me climb back out of this hole-I"m so scared of gaining back every pound I worked so hard to lose!

Desperate,
Sherry

Sherry.. I have been there.. and probably most of us have. We know what the right thing to do is.. but we don't do it.. and we don't know why. This is the worst part of dieting.

My guess: you might be eating out of emotion. When this happens to me it is strictly out of anger or frustration. It's weird - I get so angry I want to hit something (not really - but I'm really mad) instead - I eat - I binge. At this point I am a "food alcoholic" If this is you - (probably just me.. I'm kind of crazy at times) all I can say is.. it will pass. I don't know what helps me come out of these phases - time passes.

Do you think it emotional eating? If so.. try a little trick that I earned from Sandi - (via her dr) - feel the emotion - really feel it. Write how you feel on paper.

I don't really know what else to say.. but .. you are not alone. This is the worst part of dieting. For me - food can really be a drug.

Sending good vibes your way :

Dana

thanks dana,
i was just headiing to bed and figured I would check in here one more time. So glad to see your response.

yes, emotional eating-that's me all right!! Foodaholic...just stuff those feelings down. I'm stressesd about work, that's one thing. IT's coming to our busiest time of year where we aren't supposed to take any time off for about the next four months and it's going to suck....my husband went out with some friends tonight to dinner and a concert- a low key one-just a local band doing a Beatles tribute...yes, we could have asked my mother in law to babysit so I could go, but the concert is in this smoky club, and I'm severely allergic to smoke, so I would have gotten very sick...our son Matthew has been very mouthy lately, and it's pissing me off-yes, I said I was pissed at our child, feeling mother guilt here-, let's eat some more due to that....he didn't have terrible twos at all, was very pleasant, he's having terrible threes instead...okay, is that enough-oh, and my mother is coming over to visit next saturday....now I'm rambling and making no sense. I'd better head to bed.

Thanks for listening,

Sherry