Tuesday, April 26th

I would get some healthy snacks at the ready - cut up veggies, hummus, yogurt, fruit. If those those don't sound good, you really are not hungry! Take a bath and go back to bed!

Hi Carbon, I wonder why you are eating at night. Do you have insomnia?  Do you take Ambien or another sleep aid that leads to night eating?  I used to do this in my fat days but have not done so since surgery though I do get a late nite glass of wine.  Can you have a protein hot chocolate late at night or a skim milk smoothie and have them ready before you go to bed?   I suspect you have some genuine hunger but chocolate chips just won't do it.  Elina, a famous former poster here, was addicted to seaweed chips .   crunchy and low cal. ditto kale chips. I think you need some night protein. I wish there was a protein drink that tastes like red wine.   diane s

First Bear! Love it! I guess that's not much different than my annual first rattlesnake! A bear is just so much more cool than a snake! 

As for the nightly eating. I'm going to be blunt. I don't think your night eating is any less conscious than my kitchen "walk byes". Rather than unconscious, my walk byes are automatic. I know what I am doing, but I give in to the automaticity of the habit with virtually no thought. My walk byes have a strong value for me. It is also the behavior of disordered eating and thinking. To me, it's akin to getting up to pee in the middle of the night and lighting a cigarette just because it's what you do. 

Your night eating must have a great emotional value for you. That's okay and nothing to be angry or upset about. It's just part of who you are and it's a part of your story. I think it would be good to figure out what need that night eating is filling. Once you have an idea of that, you will be able to better redirect the behavior to something that works better for you on ALL levels. 

It took me a long time to figure out that I am not even hungry when I do a walk by. I am still drawn to walk by eating - DAILY. For me it fills the need to be doing something. My drive for walk by eating is strongest when I am bored. Bored and tired - lethal combination. 

For me the only thing that has worked is a PROMISE TO MYSELF that I will not do a walk by for _________ (fill in the blank - 5 minutes, an hour, today, etc...). At the beginning I tried to do a whole day. HA! I was insane with desire. It backfired. I switched it to "I promise no walk byes for 30 minutes". Then I upped it to an hour. I have also used a strategy taught to me by someone here that I think that comes from AA. It's along the lines of, "Today I choose not to _____ and promise myself that I will not _____, BUT I can have _______ tomorrow if I still want it." Then tomorrow you can choose to do the same thing again or have whatever it is, but it will not be an automatic, thoughtless act. 

I don't mean to offend. I just don't think this behavior is about the food. Changing snacks, or what's in the house, sure will help, but it won't get to the root of the issue and my gut is telling me that's what needs to happen for you to change this behavior. 

I've got your back. 

124.2 today. 1/2 a day of extra work today and a full extra day on Thursday and my normal MWF days. We are busy right now trying to open up access for a bunch of new patients! Get 30 minutes in on the TM yesterday, none so far today. I may just skip it.

Met with the plastic surgeon. I like him. I got quotes on 1/2 of the procedures and should get the rest in via e-mail tomorrow. I'm considering breast lift with augment, arm lift, circumferential body lift with medial thigh lift. It will be done in two separate surgeries - breast/arms and then belly, butt thighs.

Dh is here ready to take a lap around the neighborhood - can't turn that down!

Paula

Hi , just a follow up. Today was a month after I last saw dr. C and he told me to lose 2 lbs in a month and report back.  So at 130.5 today I think that was 2 lbs about.  So I emailed him and he said good job.  I sorta feel dishonest because I have been up and down and today was a down day. Tee Hee. but nice to see a kind response.

The situation with my mom is hard because she has a roommate who is crazy and has caused my mom's care service to quit because she is such a *****  So now in two weeks my mom will not have care and needs 24/7. We can't find another service. may need nursing home.. a big mess and all long distance.  dines