Hope no one minds me carrying this over from last week...
Quote:
Originally Posted by saef
Out of curiosity, what are you weighing habits? Do you always weigh in right after exercise?
The part that I pulled out & quoted: This is what you need to work on. Not dropping below your "promised" weight but your reaction to that occurrence. Some possible reactions:
1) Oh, well, that's lower than promised, but I kinda like it. Maybe it would be okay. Or even to go a little lower. (That would have been my thinking in my eating disorderish days -- I was always pushing to go lower even when my Better Half told me no, I shouldn't, and that everyone was telling me not to. There was no such thing as "too low." For other people, maybe, but not for me.)
2) Hey that means I can eat that particular food that I just coveted the other day, which has gotten itself lodged into my mind, so that I'm convinced that I need it, I absolutely HAVE TO have it. Of course, it's not a healthy food, in fact, it's cruddy, but it's something that once, I used to enjoy immoderately. It's okay, I've exercised it off already, in a sense. (This, in me, is the Voice of Temptation, and should NEVER be listened to. Because it's the voice of an accountant, in which exercise = permission to eat. I have never been able to get into the accounting mode without also crashing into eating disorder territory. Because you can't out-exercise a bad diet, as is frequently written here. And because exercise session then become a form of repentance and a form of self-flagellation.)
Is it possible for you to moderate your exercise regimen on the following day? For me, who clings desperately to the idea of exercise like a cross & garlic to keep the vampire of obesity away, this would be difficult, but it seems like a sane reaction.
Or would you be able to increase slightly your intake of healthy foods? Extra nuts? More fruit? Even a slice of whole-grain bread? Whatever you eat & enjoy that is actually good for you?
I typically weigh myself every day right when I get up. I don't normally weigh myself after exercising except when I do my long runs because I am always interersted in how much I drop after the run.
You are right about my reaction to dropping below a certain weight. I could NEVER understand anorexia when I was obese, but I get it now - there is a certain... power? .... in dropping pounds.
The voice of "oh I can eat anything I want now" was there LOUD and CLEAR. As was a bag of chocolates that I had bought to split up between neices and nephews in their Xmas gifts. But I didn't give in to it. And I wrapped the chocolates - FAST LOL
My typical response is to increase calories by something healthy - like an apple or some nuts. I also sometimes add in a whole wheat bagel thin - probably not the MOST healthy choice, but I LOVE bread and have deprived myself of it a lot during this journey.
The dietician was very firm that 115 should be a sign that I need to increase calories. She was okay with me hovering between 115-120 so I guess I'm not off too much. She told me that with my level of exercise that I really should be about 120. I weighed in at 115.0 this morning.
I guess this is all part of figuring out maintenance. I've been in it less then 4 months. I really appreciate everyone's thoughts and support!!