Legends of the Fall

[terribhappy]

This is my new journal for the loss of my last 20 lbs. If my body wishes to go lower great but I think 145 is a good and healthy weight for this 5'6"+ frame. My goal is to get as close as I can to this weight by Dec 12, 2011.

I will meet this goal by eating a simple Plant Strong Whole foods, Starch filled diet with no added fat, keeping processed foods to a minimum.

Honesty, Positive outlook, Continuous effort, Support, Love and Laughter will help me achieve this.

LOL I have to laugh... they are seeing 6'5" and I truly see 5'6". My guess would be the 5'6". I wish you luck in acheiving your goal. I am a newbie just getting started my first week. Been pretty rough for me with the spiking sugars into the 300's. I am hoping they will calm down soon.

[carollynne]

Hi Christine!! I miss our posts on the circle thread.
Do not worry about a few feast items in your day. You are bigger than all the candy anyway. It does not control you, you just choose to treat yourself now and then, no biggee. You really have lost a lot of wt. so Relax and it will be ok!
have a good weekend, I know what you mean about the mall walking being a hike. At times, it can really be that for me, or just walking around Walmart too. from one end to the next for me was a long trip, but then I can also remember how I could hardly stand in line to check out or walk around so much, and after all my yr in the gym and water classes it is so cool, to be able to do so much again. Not even wearing my knee brace anymore. No need to!
So you can do this, just put one foot in front of the other, and you are half way there.

[LoriJenny]

Hi Christine! I think we have all felt discombobulated at times...I sure have! Your weight loss speaks volumes about how much you have changed your habits! I know you will get back at it in full swing in no time!! You are awesome. I hope your new living situation is working out really well also!!

[Christine in Cali]

My Sister has threatened to cancel my b-day reservations at Millennium if I don't get back on the program wholeheartedly. Sundays are the days I really need to look at and why I feel the intense desire to eat bad. The time I was able to not be tempted was when I had brought the banana ice cream. Although it had maple syrup and PB in it, I feel it is a better alternative to junk....Maybe it can be an only on Sunday type of thing till I can find an alternative or am I just teasing myself? It is so hard this food thing.

[to_our_health]

My Sister has threatened to cancel my b-day reservations at Millennium if I don't get back on the program wholeheartedly. Sundays are the days I really need to look at and why I feel the intense desire to eat bad. The time I was able to not be tempted was when I had brought the banana ice cream. Although it had maple syrup and PB in it, I feel it is a better alternative to junk....Maybe it can be an only on Sunday type of thing till I can find an alternative or am I just teasing myself? It is so hard this food thing.

Hi Christine,
Nice to see you again...it's only been a few days but feels like longer since we've heard from you.

You know, Mike T eats banana "ice cream" (no PB though!) but it's simply a dessert in a vast sea of whole plant strong foods. Seems like it's a matter of where the focus is and what is driving the decisions.

You say Sundays are the bad day, maybe it's time to really get to the bottom of what is behind the intensity of the craving. What is it about Sundays for you? (Don't expect an answer here! Just something for you to answer for yourself.) Emotional eating often has pain underneath that we "self-medicate" through what we've come to enjoy as yummy comforting tastes and textures to distract ourselves from the pain. But as long as the pain is there it's hard to think about taking away the distraction. So in that sense, you might be teasing yourself.

Just my thoughts at the moment. If there's one thing I've noticed about you, it's that no matter how down you've gotten, you've figured out a way to hang in there, to get support, to come back to it and keep going in the face of challenges. Sending you hugs and wishes for that same grit to kick back in with this latest challenge.

[Christine in Cali]

to_our_health

Thank you for your comments, and stopping by to say Hi. I work at a Deli/Liquor Store on Sundays for 5 hours, surrounded by all the junk you can imagine. Plus having to fry up meat and make sandwiches on top of it. When I am not busy, I am bored. This is when I am at my weakest. I need to figure out how to get past the food type items that are staring me in the face. I guess I have to white knuckle it, actually this could be good situation, cause if I can win the battle at the deli I can be stronger in other situation.

[LoriJenny]

Hi Christine! I think that is such an essential question...how do people handle the cravings??? From what I've read, I think you just have to tough it out, having faith that they will go away...and then...they do go away. Other than that, I think maybe there are some strategies that work, like filling up on healthy food at first, no letting yourself get real hungry. And watching the dvd's, reading books etc... this is something I'm still dealing with too.

[to_our_health]

to_our_health

Thank you for your comments, and stopping by to say Hi. I work at a Deli/Liquor Store on Sundays for 5 hours, surrounded by all the junk you can imagine. Plus having to fry up meat and make sandwiches on top of it. When I am not busy, I am bored. This is when I am at my weakest. I need to figure out how to get past the food type items that are staring me in the face. I guess I have to white knuckle it, actually this could be good situation, cause if I can win the battle at the deli I can be stronger in other situation.

Oh! I didn't realize Sundays were the Deli days! No wonder you're having a tough time!! I can't even imagine frying up meat and then to be bored and surrounded by all the old junk...yikes!

Maybe it calls for every strategy in the book. Like Frozenveg's "not food"...all that junk is no longer food, no more than the shelf it's sitting on or the box it comes in. Like having a good Dr. McD book with you to dive into when the junk starts calling your name. Like getting quotes you like from others here on the board and putting them all on a card you whip out and read in tough moments. Maybe texting someone who's in this with you. Like making something you really like and having it at the Deli. Like visualizing your ticker when tempted, maybe imagining yourself a year from now seeing the ticker all the way down to goal. If there's no one around and you're all by yourself, maybe talking out loud to that junk, having a conversation to end the relationship. All these things and more to drown out that siren call until it no longer has power over you...

And one of these days maybe you'll even be able to leave the Deli job!
Here's hoping...

[janluvs2heel]

to_our_healthThank you for your comments, and stopping by to say Hi. I work at a Deli/Liquor Store on Sundays for 5 hours, surrounded by all the junk you can imagine. Plus having to fry up meat and make sandwiches on top of it. When I am not busy, I am bored. This is when I am at my weakest. I need to figure out how to get past the food type items that are staring me in the face. I guess I have to white knuckle it, actually this could be good situation, cause if I can win the battle at the deli I can be stronger in other situation.

Christine-while it may be hard you are there for the time being. I find it easier to control/get rid of my sugar cravings by staying at home, tuning out the world. I buy McD food & plenty of it, then make sure I dont get hungry, I try not to go out at all. If I can do that a couple days in a row, I am usually ok. By the time the deli job is there, you would be in control. Think about how you will feel at the end of the day when you go home & have not eaten off plan. Do you take food with you? On those down times when that food is calling to you, just tune it out. Look past it, sure you have to cook it & that is challenging, but it is not going anywhere. Junk, Candy, Fast Food is never leaving, at least in my lifetime so I have to deal with it, I may fall down once in a while but I will be darned it I stay there.
Good luck to you. You have done amazing & it shows the strength you have.

[Christine in Cali]

Hello Lori, Jan and Sally.....nice to read your posts.

Jan.... I have today off and although I am going out to hike this AM I will not stop anywhere for coffee or other things, like to a store. I will make today a safe haven day and work at sorting things in the apt. I do have healthy McD food to eat, so no excuse. Tomorrow I am at the Deli, but won't be alone. You're right about the junk never going away, so dealing with it is the only answer." Just deal with it" sound like a great saying on a shirt.

Sally.....

Maybe it calls for every strategy in the book. Like Frozenveg's "not food"...all that junk is no longer food, no more than the shelf it's sitting on or the box it comes in. Like having a good Dr. McD book with you to dive into when the junk starts calling your name. Like getting quotes you like from others here on the board and putting them all on a card you whip out and read in tough moments. Maybe texting someone who's in this with you. Like making something you really like and having it at the Deli. Like visualizing your ticker when tempted, maybe imagining yourself a year from now seeing the ticker all the way down to goal. If there's no one around and you're all by yourself, maybe talking out loud to that junk, having a conversation to end the relationship. All these things and more to drown out that siren call until it no longer has power over you...

I will use all these suggestions. There truly are a lot of strategies, I just need to apply them. Plan, Plan, Plan, this is the only way around it.

Lori....When you wrote about "If you don't eat that candy bar you feel like your going to die" I so related. My mind keeps telling me to do it and gives me all kinds of excuses of why it's OK, or who cares if it's not OK, just eat the dang thing. It's learning how to quiet the voice and flicking the off my shoulder.

[janluvs2heel]

Sometimes when I go out to teach my dog training lessons, I so want a cup of coffee or worse in a cup. Or sometimes when I am done & I am even a little hungry, I find it really hard to deny what my mind wants. I know what my body needs & it is easier now.
I also suffer from those feelings of if I dont eat it, something horrible will happen to me (and duh, something horrible might happen to me if I do eat it). My problem has always been if I eat one of something, I go balistic. So I am working really hard on that. The last time & it has been a while, I went off plan, I really controlled it. It was very short lived & I got right back on plan. That was a big breakthru for me.
On those days when you alone at the Deli, have you ever tried just sitting looking at the food, having maggotts crawling all over it, ants or even worse, cock roaches? I have on occassion, it is gross but it kind of gets your mind back in the game.
I do agree though, the longer you stay away from eating the easier it gets to just say no. Sometimes I have sudden cravings that come out of the blue, those are the hard ones because one minute I am fine, the next I am chowing down on SAD, but I hope the longer I am on this plan, that not only will I control them better, but I will also not give in at all.
Enjoy your hike & your McDougall Day!!

[to_our_health]

Christine,
I saw this article this week and then saw the link posted in the Lounge and on FB by Jeff. Don't know if you saw it but here's the link:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-0 ... ience.html

Food addiction is finally getting science behind it...I thought of you and so many others who have described this struggle that way...you might find it at least validating to read it...

[carollynne]

Christine, yes it is me!! hope all is well, and I am really routing for you! I , too, have avoid the candy aisles in stores, and my mantra is: this is all a big toxic waste land, all poisons to me... then at home we have a lot of Halloween candy!! But I tell myself, if I have even one tiny piece then I will want more and more and more! no way then.
Good luck!

[LoriJenny]

That is a great mantra and attitude Carollynne...you are so right!

To Our Health...thanks for posting that article...really powerful information!

[blondie]

Hang in there Christine, you're doing great!