Go**** is getting tough :'(

I'm not a regular poster, but I do read the board and visit ya'll in the February 2004 section atleast once a week. I started at 327 and I down to 202 today, I am so excited and so thankful for this wonderful opportunity to live the rest of my life differently. I have noticed that it is getting tough now to stay away from the chocolate. I will say, "oh two candy kisses won't hurt me" - and I do good, I only eat two, but I am just soo afraid that the two will turn into 20. I would love to loose 30 more pounds. I have been lazy and not exercising lately, so I hope after Christmas to pick it back up when all the evening activities with family slow down. I was hoping to be under that 200 pound mark before January 1 (kinda my own little personal goal) - hope I can do it. I have noticed that my stress eating has returned as well. Yesterday I was very stressed at work and I had 3 silver dollar pankcakes with butter, 1 grapefruit, a six inch sub for lunch (yes, I ate it all) and one taco for dinner - all the carbs ! scary ! Please tell me that you guys are feeling like this as well and that you can eat like this some days.

Robyn, Your story sounds so familiar ... I know that I have been there too. I have lost 124 lbs total (before and after surgery) and have 50 to 60 more to go. My downfall has been the carbs lately. I find too that when I eat more carbs, they trigger the need for even more. I am working hard to get back to a high protein/low carb level of eating. When I get rid of the carbs (only getting them from fruit and veggies and occassionally from a 1/2 slice of bread) I find that my cravings are in control. So I'm back to protein shakes for breakfast, protein bar or protein for lunch, and high protein dinner. If I get the munchies I do a snow cone with sugar free syrups, an apple, soy nuts, or part of a protein bar. My tummy varies from day to day on the quantity it will allow me to eat. I try not to pu**** and only eat until I am satisfied (not full). If I overeat my tummy normally still lets me know how unhappy it is that I did that. Yes, there are days I screw up with a bite here and there throughout the day. I'm working hard to overcome those bad habits that have reappeared the last couple of months --- as a result of stress I believe. Bit by bit I'm getting back on track. If I goof up, I don't beat myself up any more tho. This journey is such a learning process and I try to take it a day at a time. Mary

Sure. Everybody has days like that (and I have eaten a 6" sub too, but usually have to tear off some of the excess bread). It's normal and you sound like you're very aware of what you're doing. I think that is key. It's the mindless eating that will do you in. Do you track what you're eating? I use Fitday and I record everything, good and bad. Sometimes what I thought was awful turns out not to be so bad, and what I thought was a good choice is terrible. It's a great learning tool. Actually as far as sweets go, chocolate isn't all that bad unless you're senstive to caffeine. One kiss only has 20 calories and if you can stop, sometimes it will get you past the craving and satisfy your sweet tooth, but you want to be sure you can control it. That works for me, but I know some others would find that to be a trigger to eating more. I need to up the fruit/veggie quotient. I did great this summer when everything was fresh and readily available, but I'm finding it a little more difficult now. I'm bored with apples and love green beans, but even they can get a little old. Hang in there...I'm sure you're going to still lose more. Plan your snacks just like you plan your meals and it may help. By the way, Slim Whey makes a great chocolate coconut/almond bar that tastes great and feels like a candy bar to me, so it's a great alternative. Have you found anything that will work that way for you? Julie

Robyn, Sometimes I find myself rationalizing that I can eat this or that because I run so much. If I don't eat my viactiv chews as soon as I get home, I have to be careful of getting into my husband's Oreo's. I am finding that evenings are the worst. I am usually pretty busy during the day with work and school that I do well with only an occasional small bag of chips once or twice a week. But when I get home, somehow all the bad habits end up coming back. It's funny, but I almost never eat sweets except when my husband is having them. It's never a first choice for me. But like I said, I rationalize that it's okay because I'm very active. Not so good. See, you're not alone. I think we will all be living with our respective demons for the rest of our lives, so I guess this is a good forum to discuss these things and face the truth about what we do. Take care. I truly believe a lot of this will get better when the new year comes. We will then be so close to our anniversaries that our minds will once again be better focused on what we should be doing. Linn

HI Robyn. Yup, I'm having the same struggles. I like Mary's response the best. Same thing for me - if I eat carbs today, I'm going to be hungry today and tomorrow for more, more, MORE carbs. I can avoid that struggle by sticking to healthy carbs. Hang in there! Ruthanne

I just have to say that I am glad I am not alone. And thank you for admitting to eating a whole 6" sub. I thought I have been eating too much but now I see we are all there. I haven't doen a sub cause of the bread but I ate spaghetti and meat sauce the other day (low carb pasta~dreamfields...the best) and had about 1 1/2 cups. I felt so bad that I ate so much. I probably could have measured it as 1 cup if I stuffed the food into a measuring cup and laid a heavy brick on it to compact it. Maybe I would have felt better cause then I could have rationalized it as 1 cup. But I am being honest..it was 1 1/2. it is 7 days until my wedding and I gained 3 lbs, lost 1 and feel fat. ugh. How much can you all eat at maximum? Anyone who says I can only eat 2 oz, don't answer this question! I don't want to hear that stuff. Joanne T-7 days and counting until my wedding

Hi Joanne, There are some days I can eat more than others. I don't measure anything, but my best guess is that I can eat about a cup at a time. If I take longer to eat I can eat more, but that's all I can hold at once. It's a lot harder for me to not pick and poke if we eat out. At home it's a lot easier. The only bit of advice I'd ever want to give you is to BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF!!!! We are all works in progress and will all be human and make mistakes and bad choices. That's normal for all of us, and it's not like your life has been a piece of cake lately, either. Allow yourself to be human, and then start again the next meal, next day, next whatever but try to not beat yourself up. It's not healthy and not helpful either. You are beautiful, you have a gorgeous wedding dress, and you will be the most amazing bride. It's your day to be a princess - enjoy it to the fullest (that means without picking yourself apart)! Linn

I guilty of the same thing and alot of times I keep telling myself. over and over that this surgery was only a tool and I have to do my part too. I also keep having this dream where I gained all my weight back and I have no clothes that fit. Is'n't that horrible!