Now there will be some food porn to explain this so I'm sorry in advance.

We all know about comfort foods which can vary from fried chicken to ice cream. My personal comfort foods are assosciated with places and some of mine have been: Ice cream shakes from Ruby's (a hamburger along with that), a Carne asada burrito from one of the taco shops in Southern California, a hamburger and fries from Red Robin or Spoons, etc. As far as comfort activities, activities that make me feel better temporarily, shopping has always been a major one for me. I have overindulged myself materially and food wise for years, so much so that I am obese and heavily in debt.

So anyway, I have been feeling down lately and having my own little pity party. I'm tired of being fat, in debt and single. So I needed something to comfort myself and help me feel better, I went shopping without buying anything, which was good. I then decided to go to the Atlanta Bread Company which serves yummy sandwiches and salads. I had a half a roast turkey breast sandwich on sourdough with half a salad. Just a small interlude, I recently read sourdough is one of the best breads you can eat and it is South Beach Diet friendly. I also had some iced tea sweetened with sweet n low. It was quite yummy and made me feel a lot better but it wasn't only the food, it was the place and I realized as I was eating it that I was using it as a comfort food. I then went to the gym even though I had almost talked myself out of it, but I knew I needed to go. I still wasn't feeling the best but I weighed in and lost 1 lb, which was good and after my workout I felt so much better. I am no longer having a pity party

Also after the gym, I went to the grocery store and bought the following ice cream bars, I highly recommend them, fat free and no sugar added:
http://www.bluebunny.com/products/de...Health%20Smart

Anyway, my point is that I have changed my habits without even realizing it sometimes but as the saying goes "If you do the same thing, you will get the same results" so if I want to lose weight and get out of debt, I have to change my eating and activities even when I'm feeling bad.

great job! you should be so proud of yourself!

those blue bunny ice creams and yogurts are YUMMY!!!!!
i just recently switched to the blue bunny yogurts and OMG they are the best!

LOL I needed this post. I have used all my WW points today although I still have flex points left. I was sitting here starving for some reason even though I just ate dinner an hour ago. So I grab my last $5 and head to McD's. Usually in bad mode I get about 4 things from there. I was at the drive thru speaker prepared to get a couple double cheeseburgers and fries when I opened my mouth I only ordered a Filet-o-fish. Shocked myself, I absolutely depise fish yet that was the only thing I ordered. I got back home looked up points for it, accounted for it, and enjoyed every bite and I'm not feeling so stuffed I could pop like I usually do after a McD's trip. SO yep even at fast food places, somewhat healthier behavior rears its head.

WTG for you and me!

Great Job Nelie! we are proud of you!

I am just starting to really get better habits. Some of the things I have noticed are:
1): I dont want white bread,. if we only have white, i will wait until hubby goes to the store and buys wheat bread
2): I dont crave frozen pizza or Mcd's hardly at all, if i want a pizza, we make it ourselves with just sauce and 2% cheese maybe a few pepperonis, but thats it
3): if we are in a hurry and need to grab some "fast food" i get subway low fat sandwiches instead of chicken tenders or Mcd, taco bell etc
4): hubby brought home oreos (a bad trigger food for me) and I havent eaten a single one!
5): If we dont have apples in the house, I am very unhappy
6): I dont have hubby bring me home "sweets" anymore, although I still crave something sweet, i will eat my Light 85 blue bunny yogurt, or have an apple

I am not anywhere close to where i need to be as far as healthy eating goes, but I am like 85 percent better than i was 4 months ago. That has to count for something, right?..lol

This is fantastic for all of you! Believe me, it only gets better!!! I was never a comfort food eater.. maybe to some slight degree. However, shopping on the other hand... I still LOVE to shop!

The further along you get into this, the more you will NOT realize the changes you have made. It goes unrealized until you're faced with a situation or are in a circumstance where you are faced with a choice of using a good or bad habit. I'll tell you, I seldom have junk food in my house. Yesterday, I wanted a piece of apple pie in the worst way. I ended up buying a pie and to my surprise, after I tasted it, it wasn't the same for me anymore. I used to LOVE apple pie on a fall day.. any day really! Now, it's just something to make me feel crappy for even thinking about eating it. Losing weight and changing eating habits for the better is SO VERY WORTH IT! Keep doing what you're doing... Its an awesome accomplishment you all have made!!

I have been totally amazed at the way my eating habits have changed.....entirely for the better. I think what I like most is that 90% of the time I just make the healthiest choices I can automatically - and don't think about it too much. Sure, I get cravings but I can usually fend them off with fruit, yogurt, a hot drink etc......

Nelie - I know what you mean about the "being tired of.....". Sometimes it all gets too much. Sounds like you did a great job of beating those "being tired of...." gremlins - especially with that trip to the gym. Great job!

Great post, Nelie! I can't wait to be able to get to that point. I'm dong OK - just finishing up week one of the South Beach program. I should say, I did awesome the first 4 days of it, I was so proud of myself. Then totally blew it yesterday having a pity party of my own I guess. So much stress right now in my life it isn't even funny. After I did what I did yesterday (lets just say I could have caused myself to fall into a carb-induced coma!), I sat down and journaled everything I did and why I did it. I re-read it a few times during the night and vowed that today I would be right back on plan and stay that way until I reach my goal. I felt like crap after eating all the wrong things and that led to really beating myself up over it for a few hours.

Today so far, I have spent about 3 hours in the kitchen preparing and freezing meals for myself for the week ahead. I wanted to be able to have my foods ready, so that when I cook for the rest of the family I am not tempted to eat what they are eating...I will all ready have mine made and no excuses not to eat it. So I am proud that I at least did that. I also cut up some fresh veggies to grab for snacks when I get stressed.

This will be a very trying week for me. I am going through the fear of not having a job when I am able to return to work, battling with my doctor tomorrow over what they are going to do for me, and the newest battle that erupted on Friday - the disability insurance company telling me that it looks like I won't be approved for benefits, since they don't understand why I can't work. Nevermind that two doctors have kept me out of work for a month, and my job won't let me return until I'm medically cleared...makes no difference to them. I can all ready see a fight on my hands with them, plus my job packing up my desk and giving it to someone else and telling me they will have something for me to do, just not sure what yet. Grr...

Anyway, congrats on your accomplishment again! That was so good to read and it lets me know that I do have hope!

Have a great week ahead!
~P

TX darlin.. take it from me. this is a REAL promise. things WILL work out for you. maybe not today or next week, but over the long haul, work will be fine.

this is the voice of experience. i was out on disability in 2001, and while i was out, the company i was with went bankrupt. i couldn't get out of bed and was on oxygen. after i had the bypass surgery, my disability benefits ran out and i STILL had to wait until i was cleared to go 'back to work,' which in my case, i was cleared to go on unemployment!!

and i've gotten good jobs[defined as good paying professional work in my field, even though one was a sweatshop, but i got really good experience in another aspect of my field there], and now i'm happily in another great job.

sooooo. after all that: i'm promising you it'll all work out. THEREFORE, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL - LIKE YOUR FOOD [which you've already taken care of, i'm so impressed - can you come over to my house next????]

and let go of what you can't control....