I'm proud of me, just wanted to share..

[JustBelieve]

I'm an emotional eater. Happy, sad, angry, nervous, elated, empty.. you name it. Some of you may have read that I am doing this for health reasons.. (to stay alive) more than to lose weight, which I also need to do.

Well.. yesterday some events happened that absolutely ripped my heart out. I hurt so bad inside. This time, as big and hurtful as all of the emotion was, I didn't try to eat it away.

As I was sorting through the feelings, it dawned on me that I wasn't reaching for food to try and cover the pain. I cried.. well.. wept for a while. I acknowledged it and told myself I'd be ok. Instead of shovelling food down my throat, which I know the dire circumstances if I do.. I accepted the pain and faced it and hurt through it.

When the tears passed and I got it all sorted in my mind, I still hurt dreadfully, but I found something to smile about, I was so proud of me for not eating. I credit my devotion to this.. and credit the WOE for allowing me the strength and control to do so. Breaking the out of control appetite, urges, and addiction to needing food, allows control.

It seems to me, if I got through yesterday without eating it away.. I'm well on my way to success

[shortie19]

Thank you so much for the inspirational post. Your sharing of what sounds like a very difficult time has been an inspiration for me today.
It is truly wonderful to lose the binding that food can become and just deal with life without the "food crutch".
Hang in there and thanks again. Keep coming back we all need each other.

Shortie19
224+/201.5/130
Since 1/1/03

[Emelia]

It's amazing how painful stuff can be when we don't medicate it with food...

...but how much BETTER we feel afterwards, first for not caving into food, and second for knowing we are learning to handle our emotions.

Way to go!

Emelia

"We can only learn to love by loving." - Iris Murdoch, Irish writer
294/208/174 since 25-Nov-01

[beejay]

Shortie is so right, your post made my day. I too am an emotional eater. You certainly deserve some accolades today! Remember we're all here for you.

265/203/155
Started 7/15/02

[horsemom]

Congratulations.

Conicedentally, something very similar happened to me this morning. Something I had wanted to happen very badly fell through. I cried, and for a few minutes got that, "*#(@ it all I want a sandwich, I want cake, anything, I don't give a *@(! anymore"... then I stopped and just let myself cry for a bit and the 'attitude' went away.

Well... a few hours later after resolving not to give up on what I wanted, I went to a few other sources, and viola! It is working out!

Now I feel good, but even more I am so glad that I didn't give into that momentary *@(@ it all. All that would have done is add weight back that I've worked so hard to loose, it wouldn't have solved the event that started it. And in my case it would have been so unworth it anyway because it was fleeting. Not all emotional events are simple solutions... but probably a great many are, it's not worth throwing away weeks of work for it.

315/301/150 (Started 8/17/03)

[BrightLady]

Congratulations! That really is a major turning point!



Always eat your veggies first!

[April]

I'm so glad you posted this.

I've found that although it's very difficult for me to face heartache (and I've had plenty, folks), most times it's better for me to experience it and not smooth it over by turning to food or cigarettes or alcohol or sleeping pills (or whatever else I could use for a crutch). I've learned that in experiencing the heartache I become strong.

I've become very strong in the past ten years.

I'm not saying that I'm perfect and that I'm not an emotional eater because of my low carb lifestyle...I am very much an emotional eater. It's just that lately I've chosen not to give in and to just face the trial and move along.

My family tells me that I'm a survivor and that they could never have endured what I've been through (which I will not go into here because it's not appropriate for this forum).

I just wanted to share with you that living through adversity, and the facing it head on, will make us strong...strong enough to face other challenges.

I'll shut up now...

April
352 / 205 / 180
5'10", large frame, size 13 shoe
www.geocities.com/aprilreinhardt

[HelpWhenICan]

Thank you for sharing this. It really is inspirational. I hope you are doing better, and if you need to talk. We are here.

222/215/150
Started Atkins 8/19/2003