Striving for balance is our theme for this month. Each Oct. Newbie is at a different place in their journey, but all of us need to find balance. Balance with food, emotions, time, stress, and the changes happening with our bodies.

How are you dealing with the ups and downs of life, now that we have changed our use of food?


What are you doing to resist turning to food for comfort or stress release?


What are your current strategies for staying on track?


What can we do to support each other better?

Hi Oct gals... I am looking forward to a more normal schedule which means less grabbing stuff on the run and re-tracking again with MFP on my real computer... which is wayyyy simpler and quicker than the tablet & phone at work .

Liana

[QUOTE=Slipfree;5063609]Striving for balance is our theme for this month. Each Oct. Newbie is at a different place in their journey, but all of us need to find balance. Balance with food, emotions, time, stress, and the changes happening with our bodies.

How are you dealing with the ups and downs of life, now that we have changed our use of food?
Did not deal with the downs of life well and I am finally back to being 100%OP. Still learning, still reading...

What are you doing to resist turning to food for comfort or stress release?

I find that I need to change my physical surroundings sometimes to just get me away from the thought and the presence of the kitchen. Sometimes that means going to be early when my mind is just circling around food thoughts.

What are your current strategies for staying on track?
Remembering my age and reminding myself that I do not want to lose any more time to allowing my weight to be the determining factor in what I do and how I feel.


What can we do to support each other better?
[COLOR="Red"]Doing a fine job, all! It is so nice that when I have dropped out of sight here because I am off the wagon, there are those who check up on me, even though I am not technically an October (non of mine from a month or so before are still on the board, so you guys must be doing something REALLY right!)[/COLOR

How are you dealing with the ups and downs of life, now that we have changed our use of food?
Listening to music, self massage, dancing around the living room. Oh, and every once in a while having a good cry and snuggling down into my duvet in my beddy and having a nap (still in the grieving process for my brother who died a year and a half ago).

What are you doing to resist turning to food for comfort or stress release?
See above.

What are your current strategies for staying on track?
Just actually looking at what I am about to put into my mouth and thinking - is this mainly carb or fat? It makes me more aware - no blind grazing.

What can we do to support each other better?
I definitely need this board... and logging MFP - which I am finding hard to restart after this past busy week. But tonight is my last day of work until the 15th so I should be able to get back on logging track finally.

Liana

Hello Oct peeps! I am home finally. Had a great time away, but did not do well with eating/drinking. I am back op and feeling so much better already. I am going to sign up for a month long bootcamp. It starts tomorrow and is 3 times a week. Should help with holiday weight. Looking forward to being at goal, sometimes it feels like I will never get there.

"How are you dealing with the ups and downs of life?" I try not to focus on food, after I have planned what to eat for the day I just stick to that. I distract myself with activities, go for a walk, play a game with my kids, or read.

"What are your strategies for staying on track?" Plan my food daily, sticking to the food plan, measuring food. Reminding myself that I want to get to goal more then anything else. Reading success stories and strategies for keeping the weight off.

"What can we do to support each other better?" I think we have a good support system here. It has almost been a year and we are still here. I think it would be great to find out what is helping people to keep their focus, no matter what stage of IP they are in.

Hey October Newbies,

Interesting news today, I am going to be featured in a newspaper ad for my clinic. Oh well, I know that before and after pictures helped and motivated me. I just hope that a lot of people that I know do not see the before picture.

Good Morning Everyone! I've enjoyed reading everyone's responses to the questions.

How are you dealing with the ups and downs of life, now that we have changed our use of food? I try to find something else that I like to do (read, go for a walk, spend time outdoors, call/email a friend or my mom, take a nap), or even just do something that I need to do like cleaning or running errands.

What are you doing to resist turning to food for comfort or stress release? I don't think of food as cure for stress anymore. I've realized that I get more stressed when I eat poorly, so I've pretty much stopped turning to food as a cure all for stress. When I do get the impulse to emotionally, I can almost always talk myself out of it by reminding myself that it's not going to make me feel better. I try to figure out what's really wrong in those situations that could be triggering me.

What are your current strategies for staying on track? I always have IP or alt products on hand to use for P1 days after fun days or as snacks. I only bring healthy foods into the house. I make sure not to let myself get too hungry to avoid triggering overeating.

What can we do to support each other better? Keep posting and reading/reflecting on each other's posts.

Welcome back Want2B! You're brave to sign up for boot camp, but I bet you're ready with all of the exercise you've incorporated into your life. Your active lifestyle is going to help you get to and stay at goal.

Slipfree- Congrats on being in the paper! Has anyone you know said anything to you yet?

Awwwright, Slip!!!!! That is so totally exciting!!

Kooky, it will not be in the paper for a couple of weeks.

Liana, thanks for the cheer!

Another pretty hot but good day at school. Phase 1 today because I had two sangrias at dinner yesterday.

Hope you all had a great day

hi everyone... I'mmmm Baaack... (doesn't look like its sounding in my head!) LOL! I got back from the cabin yesterday and I'm back OP today... I think it was a good plan to just set a date in September... so far so good today... I'm just finishing up here at work but will try to post some answers to Slips questions later as well as.... reflect on my one year anniversary!!! Yes, one year ago today I started IP... oh how things have changed!!

Happy Anniversary Hiker!!!

Hiker: Happy anniversary! Enjoy how far you have come!

Slip: That is great you are going to be in the paper! Think of all the others you will inspire!

Another day of IP, feels good to be on track again. Went to my first Bootcamp class tonight. I may not be able to walk or lift anything tomorrow! What doesn't kill me will make me stronger, right? Lol. I was pretty nervous right before the class started, just thought "what if I can't do this." But there were others like me that were not in super great shape. I am proud of how I did, actually looking forward to next class. I will keep you informed of how I do next time.

Want2b- glad that you had a good OP day and that you survived and thrived at Bootcamp. You go girl!

How are you dealing with the ups and downs of life, now that we have changed our use of food?

Some areas of life I no longer reach for food but I admit to falling into old habits in other emotional sides of my life... I'm a work in progress!


What are you doing to resist turning to food for comfort or stress release?

Walk my dog every day!



What are your current strategies for staying on track?

I drive to a neighboring city often for work and driving always makes me want to eat the bad stuff... I listen to audio books while driving now.. I get wrapped up in the story and I don't get tempted to stop at a convenience store...


What can we do to support each other better?

I'm going to post more often now that summer is over... Not just for myself but I know I haven't let you all know how inspiring you all are!

One year ago.....

I hated flying and crowding out the poor passenger who got stuck in the seat beside me.... of course if anyone had an empty seat on the plane it was me.. wonder why????

I couldn't wear my spike high heels... I LOVE my heels!!!

I couldn't shop in normal people stores... when I was forced to shop, I paid whatever price.... I was just happy to find something that fit!

I hated seeing friends I hadn't seen in a long time because they had never seen me sooo huge...

I hated being asked to be in a wedding party or anything that involved photos..

I avoided looking at my reflection... now I look

Now:

My life has not magically gotten perfect and I'm still struggling to maintain... I seem to be either losing or gaining... all of my clothes are tight after the summer but I refuse to go buy anything in a bigger size!!

I had lots of weddings this year and instead of dreading the thought of seeing old friends and family, I had a great time at all of them visiting, dancing and meeting new people.

I have more confidence. I don't look like a model and my goal isn't to get 'skinny'. I just want to be more healthy and active.

All in all I still have a ways to go mentally to get a hold on my disease called obesity.... I fell right back into old habits this summer but glad to be back on IP and hopeful that I will get to a reasonable weight before phasing off properly. As I have often said... I will always have to work hard at my weight whether I'm heavy or slim...

I've added some pictures to my signature for a couple of days...