I want to share my problem

I posted this to my journal today and wanted to share: Happy Good Friday! I have had a revelation...of sorts...I hope I finally figured out why I have stalled for so long...besides just being slow because of my medical problems. Last night after I got home from work I was preparing my dinner...I was having leftover Spaghetti Salad...served up the bowl and sat down to eat. As I was eating...about halfway through the bowl...I felt full, but didn't stop eating until I finished the bowl. Then I went to exercise...had a really good work out...drank 32oz of water. Came home and ate again...the same amount as before...can we say huh? I didn't start thinking about what I did until this morning. Can I kick my own butt? What was I thinking? I have started to out-eat my pouchie...and grazing. Come on we all know this was stupid...I have been given this great tool and I am screwing it up. So what am I going to do about it? I've been thinking all this morning and know I have to make some changes. I first tried to figure out what was working and know I do great while I'm at work. So what makes work so different from being at home? I measure and prepare my meals in advance so I don't have to think, but to grab a container and go. I am also on a set schedule and if I do get the munchies, I have good snacks (protein bars, protein chips, jerky, SF Jelly Beans) in my desk drawer, lots of bottle water, and finally work to keep my mind and hands busy. So now how do I take those good habits work for me at home? Okay, this is what I am going to try to do: · Go back and start measuring my food again. No more blindly filling a bowl without knowing how much I am eating. · Set a schedule for eating...tape it to my refrigerator...including weekends · Already keep a refrigerator full of Crystal Light and water, but maybe pour some into empty water bottles to help me stay on track · Get a freakin' hobby or something to keep me busy...no more sitting on my tushie so much in front of the TV · Also tape to the front of the refrigerator...options...if I find myself going to the kitchen/refrigerator off schedule have a list of things to do other than eat...such as the weather is getting better...go for a walk, pull out an exercise tape, read email, clean closets, organize Christmas decorations, clean the light fixtures, jigsaw puzzles, etc. I also figure I am going to give myself one month to straighten myself up...if I can't do it on my own, then I am going back to Jenny Craig. Okay, before you object to heavily about this I have thought this through...I need structure and Jenny Craig offers that in a menu...with planned meals and snacks...plus it is premeasured. Hey, plus when I was on it before I happened to like the food...sure I will have to make some adjustments which is fine, but I need to get that structure back and I'm going to do whatever is necessary. Fortunately for me I have a lifetime membership so no fees for me...plus it is my hope for it to help me get back on track and in control...once I reach goal help me with maintenance. Apparently, if I've resorted to Jenny Craig in the first place control and maintenance is not something I can do by myself. Like I said I just wanted to share my problem and hope you can support me while I try to take back control. Take Care,

I just recently started doing that. I know that there is to much food on my plate when I do it. I know that one more bite is going to make me sick! I still do it! You just have to forgive yourself and move past it! I am trying too! Have a better week-end! Trina

Yup, forgive myself...done that...too bad I don't more...it probably would break me of the habit of overeating. Thank you for your support...hey, I sound like a Bartles and James commercial. Take Care,

Josie, Just want to let you know that you are not alone. The weekends are terrible for me. Why? Because I have no set schedule. I, like you, pack my food for the day when I go to work. When it's gone I am done eating. Sometimes I don't even eat it all. As I was reading your post I was stuffing cheez-its in my mouth. Why? Because they were there and I just had a disturbing phone call from my Dad. So stress eating. As soon as I started reading your post I closed the cheezits box. Thank you for that! Anyway I think you have a great plan. My doc. suggested the same thing to me at my 9 month visit. Plan your day, plan your meal so you know what you are doing at all times. I have a hard time with that because my weekends are my down time and time to spend with the kids. I am still working on it. Right now I am going to get my bottle of water and go upstairs and clean the kids room and playroom. If you don't hear from me again I was smothered by a pile of toys. Good luck and hang in there. Know you are not alone! Dawn

Thank you so much...I did feel a bit alone...everyone has done so well and I'm still struggling to get into the Century Club. I am so happy my post got you to close that cheez-its box. I guess I am lucky I don't have anyone in the house that would require me to keep stuff like cheez-its around or I would be in real trouble. Thank you again,

I am 5 lbs from the Century club so don't feel bad. I really want to be there when I go at the beginning of May for my 1 yr check up. I wanted to be at goal but that isn't going to happen so I have re-evaluated. 95 lbs is nothing to sneeze at. Just think of how much your life and health has changed since a year ago! Take care, Dawn

{{{Josie}}} I have the urge to eat constantly. If I didn't obsess over each food item I eat and write it down immediately, I'd be eating every 45-60 minutes. Really. I have to be insanely strict with myself. After reading that article about how 100% of WLS patients will regain at least 1/2 of excess weight lost, I'm determined to fluck up that statistic. :angry: Do you have a food scale? Set of measuring cups? Pyrex glass measuring cup? My favorite took is the Pyrex "shot glass" I measure my cream, etc that way... You really gotta weigh/measure your intake to see when you're really feeling full and how much mass of food it takes to get you there. Different foods have different feelings. A protein bar, (like the one I had at lunch, a 2.7 oz Myoplex bar) was practically stuffing myself, and the last bite could NOT go down. So, I wrapped it up, wrote it down on FitDay as eating the whole thing, and ate the last bite later on, but already accounted for it, you know? Another thing is to pre-measure portions and leave them for the day/week, etc. I have 2 oz chunks of turkey ham in a tupperware container in the fridge right now, that's for just grabbing and noshing on, when I have the crazy urge, I can't do much harm with turkey, and 2 oz sometimes fills me up and the urge is GONE! I don't know what I'd do if there was some pasta salad in my fridge, Josie. I'd be pulling my hair out. Ah-ha, another trigger food to add to my other posting. -beth 313/298/147/130

Yup, bought extra containers today...already have a food scale and Pyrex measuring cup pulled them out and dusted them off. Reloaded my Fitday this evening. Dumped the rest of the Spaghetti Salad down the ole garbage disposal. Also picked up some cheese, salami, and cottage cheese...have my menu to cook this weekend so I can have everything packaged and planned for the next week. Thanks for the suggestions.

Good for you Josie.................We are all food addicts and fall short. Just take one day at a time I try as much as possible not to compare my journey to anyone else. I am rare. I came here looking for others like me so far I have found 2 others, but the journey's are still very different. We all are here for the same reasons. To support each other, pass on useful and sometimes NOT so useful information. To get a good laugh. To make new friends. I find life much easier dealing with WLSer or soon to be................... When I get with regular old folks all of the old eating habits begin again. I have lost so many friends since losing 120 pounds. I am still the same old fat person (at least that's what my mind tells me) Josie it's going to be all right you have already taking the step back on the road to recovery. Hi I am Coca and I am addicted to food.

Thanks Coca, it means so much to me to find others struggling too...to find out I am not alone.