Hi All,
It seems that I was right. I am a food addict. There. I've said it. I am a foodaholic.
This is a difficult realisation, but it's one that I'm comfortable with, for it is one that will help me deal with the 9lbs that I have managed to gain over the last year.
It may not sound a lot to some, but it's enough to show me I'm NOT CURED, and I still need your help.
I took my eye off the ball, started some crazy not eating, then eating, then sneaking chips, eating in restaurants where Sodium is the first ingredient.
TBH I haven't started on the chocolate, cookies, or any carbs except for those darned chips. I thought I was helping by NOT eating, but it seems all I have achieved is a gain.
I'm philosophical. I have set myself 3 months to shed this sneaky 9lbs, but I am slightly daunted to know, that to maintain a healthy weight, I must not slip up again.
Huge wake up call, but one I was seriously ready for. Challenge commences!
Anyone else in a similar situation that wants to join forces?

I am not where you are, but I have been there! I got lax last year and slowly regained about eight pounds I'd lost, and what a wake up call it was.

You can beat this with a little daily vigilance and willingness to correct regains when they are small. Hitting it now is absolutely the right tactic and I'm rooting for you.

Thanks Arctic - I know it is about vigilance, and for me eating three meals a day. I'm ready

im in the same boat. id lost 20kgs and was feeling so chuffed ( and perhaps a little smug) that id done so well and all it took to regain 5lbs was a few weeks of nights out with far too much wine and a few curries. so now ive had to shift my thinking and am hitting the gym more regularly to try regain the excitement i felt whilst i was losing the weight. its so so easy to fall back into bad habits and im terrified of putting back on all the weight ive lost. good for you for taking action now rather than later

Jasb - we can just keep plugging away at those regained pounds. It's like everything, admitting there is a problem, is half of the solution

Hey Starbrite, good to see you again.

And yes, to be honest, I have had a regain of 5-10 pounds, and it scares the **** out of me. (It fluctuates because I do get back to the basics and lose, then celebrate the loss...ugh) Yesterday I was 148, didn't weigh today, but will tomorrow. So as of yesterday I was up 8 pounds from my "goal" of 140. I want to get it off so badly, but I keep screwing up. I'd like to join you in getting back to where we were. I miss the control and the waking up feeling slim and trim. Here we go...day one for me.

Oh, and I KNOW I am a food addict, or to be more precise, a carb addict.

I had the same realization about 10 days ago. An uncharacteristic binge freaked me the heck out!

My nutritionist says that our relationship with food is like a marriage. We have to attend to it to keep it healthy. Neglected, it falls apart and becomes a hot mess.

The 'I'm not over this' realization was a rough one for me too. I mean I was possessed! But time to move forward. Glad I'm not the only one!

Oh yeah, slips happen all the time (in my experience) sometimes we catch them at the end of the day, sometimes the end of the week, (or more ) For me, when I'm eating well and the # are coming off I forget the effort (since I'm on a roll) and start eating dumb. In a blink of an eye ....

The important thing is that it's caught, and you're aware....I think as we get better at this stuff we catch it more quickly, and then catch it before it happens.....

Loribell - so gooooood to see you. You have been a complete role model in my eyes. I am glad (for me) that you are also able to share your difficulties. Together we can beat this. I have cried a bucket today - I NEVER want to go back to my 300lb self, and this is the first step in ensuring that does not happen.I plan to weigh daily, come here daily, and be true to the plan that lost me 145lbs in the first place. to you.
Exhale- I like your thinking, and I am sure you are ight, acceptance of the problem is sooooo important.
Fyreflie - too right. It's hard to be honest with yourself, but it sure helps.
to you all. Lets melt those unwanted, regained and unnecessary pounds

Oh Lori, I hear you on carb addiction! I can do the rare bit, but almost all carbs that are grain or sugar based have no place in my daily fare. A sweet potato, turnip, or even some white rice? I can do a hard cup or cup a day and be fine. But bread rolls, pastries, and candy? Nope! I just limit the triggers hard core most of the time, and then the rare eating of them doesn't do me in. But it does kick up cravings that are rarely worth the initial eating

You think I'd remember this when I'm contemplating what to eat, but I magically forget these foods make me feel awful and crave junk. I never learn! This is why I have to log food and weigh daily, it is my reality check that keeps me honest and not regaining one hundred pounds!

Well, I'm a newbie to maintenance, but the longer I've been at it, the harder it gets. I will go through a few days where it seems easy (days when I'm busy with work or have nothing tempting to snack on in the house), but for the most part, these months of maintenance have been difficult. I weigh in twice a month. My last weigh-in, I was 132, which is lower than my range of 135-137, but it was a few days after my period ended, so I lost a lot of water weight. My eating has been bad since then, though, and this Tuesday is my weigh in day. Part of me wants to skip it so badly, but I know I need to face it no matter what.

What disturbs me most about all this is that this time around, I thought my focus was more on adopting healthy behaviors rather getting to a certain weight. That attitude made losing the weight seem really easy. Back then, 1400 calories a day seemed to be enough. Now that I'm maintaining, I realize that I still have plenty of unhealthy behaviors that I never addressed----eating big portions, eating while standing, "picking" when I'm in the kitchen, etc. Now, 2200 calories a day doesn't seem to be enough.

So, even though I have seen a regain yet, I'm with you guys on getting serious.