stressful times

well, i have been absent lately but if anyone had an excuse for overeating due to stress its me. My mom is dying slowly from Parkinsens disease and is 2000 miles away and i have made the trip back three times in the past few months. mom is pleasant and grateful  for my visits but another family member is being very difficult about her treatment and most everything. Really makes it hard. Long story not worth going into.

So I ate more than a few inapporpriate calories; mainly in trying to get my mom to eat more but thats an excuse. Also in glasses of wine dealing with stress. another excuse. But the good news is I only gained a pound or two that I lost on the last trip.

The stress is only going to get worse in these last days or weeks. I ate some cake and ice cream that I shouldn't have eaten. I stopped tracking food while I traveled. But this is not going to lead to a failure of my vsg. I will get through it. Stress is no excuse to overeat and gain weight.

So If i can get through this we can all get though anything. Really. Life is not about food. Its about loved ones and eating more won't help.

More later as this unfolds. But I am not eating my way through it.    Diane

Hey Diane,

Hope it all works out for you and your family.....tough times.....

Your so far advanced on this WL thing.... nothing to worry about......it will always be there and you know what to do....

frisco

You're right, stress isn't a reason to eat, but I think eating with your mother now is a good reason to eat. 

My thoughts are with you and your family Diane.

f

I'm so sorry, Diane. My husband has Parkinson's-I hate that disease. Don't worry about the eating too much--you have so much else to deal with. Watch it, but don't let that add that to your stress level! If you gain, it will come back off when you get back into your regular routine. One thing about being so far out from surgery is that we do have established routines. It's when the long-term established routine starts incorporating too much food or stress eating that we can get into trouble, not usually when we have a relatively short term upset in the patterns. Anyway, I'm thinking of you and your mom...

Lizanne

So sorry you and your family and your mother are going through this. So many folks on the main forum can see the eating problem when they hit a snag. Many of them struggle with seeing who and what can fix the problem. But, you have a fantastic plan, so you already are seeing the wrong food choices and trying to fix them, even during your times of stress. That's huge, imo.

You are in an extreme, stressful situation. IMO, you do what you have to do to get through it. Catch the bad eating when you can. Forgive yourself when it happens anyway.

Your maintenance plan will be there waiting for you when all of this stress is in the past.

**BIG HUGS**

I'm the queen of excuses. I have a million of them.

I don't think this is an "excuse" excuse. It's more of a reason. You have a lot going on and I'm proud of you for moderating your excuses. There are times when we fall back on our old habits and when, frankly, you "need" the comfort that we used to get because we haven't fully - and, I'm sorry, but I don't think we ever will completely - embraced other ways of coping.

Take it for what it is. Forgive yourself, don't beat yourself up (and it sounds like you're not, just reinforcing what you're already doing and already know), and fully be there for your mom right now. The sleeve and diet will be there.

HUGS, sweetie. I hope you know I wasn't saying "oh, just ignore it all right now"... I'm worried about sending this that it sounds wrong, but you know you're doing great. You're doing what you have to do and you've got a healthy grip on things. I'm in awe of you. I'd have gained 50 pounds myself. I fear the day my mother gets ill. :( She's my rock.

thanks all for your kind remarks. I am back to daily food journaling and weighing and my usual program. the sleeve has enabled me in the past to get away from eating due to stress and i think its not going to fail me now. love all you guys and my sleeve.  and my mom, whose mind is failing, nevertheless tells me how great i look . diane

You & the changes in mindset and habits will see you through this, the sleeve will just lend a supporting hand to make it a bit easier. In dealing with my own ageing diabetic and ill mother, who is again going back and forth to the wound clinic- you are in my thoughts.. the future is certainly not looking bright on that side of the hill, but we both will make it through the stressful times w/o doing any unneeded damage to ourselves in the process.

I'm so sorry for all you are going through. I find walking really helps me when the stress gets to me. I prefer to walk outside. I'm glad you are back to tracking. I know when I eat off program I can feel it and I wind up feeling worse instead of better.  

You deserve the nutritious fuel that will help you weather this storm.

I am thinking of you.

Lynda

Oh I am so very sorry you are going through this.

Painful to say the very least.

Hugs to you.