I understand completely about the emotional eating. (I did it for years.) But, if you can make sure you have some low carb foods for when you need that comfort, it will help tremendously. I know, I know, sf jello just isn't the same as ice cream! But sometimes we have to compromise, replace the wants with the needs. You need something, even if it's to fill some sort of emotional gap, you want something carby, but you don't need the carbs. What a merry-go-round!

If you can manage, you might make yourself some muffins, wrap them & put them in the fridge for when you need something to fill that gap. I always go for the sweet snack when I need something!

Just keep plugging along, Mab. You're really doing well.

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Nita

That is fantastic to hear that you aren't reaching for food to work through things. It's hard I know. Take care and have a good week!

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Mab - A few pretzels (or a few dozen) is no big deal. You just do what you are doing and continue with the plan and try not to get ambushed by your emotions too often. TGIF!!! Have a great weekend!

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my blog

Hey Mab!!!

I hear ya on the emotional eating... oh yeah, hear that loud and clear!

I think it's part of the process of achieving "wellness". If we truly think of controlled carb eating as a lifestyle change, then it stands to reason that we are thinking in terms of holistic health, and not just weight loss. Adjusting our thinking and re-programming our responses to stress (ie; food triggers) is part of overcoming our addictions. (That's not to say I've actually mastered doing this. I can dive head first into a box of Krispy Kremes with even the slightest provocation! )

Have a safe and relaxing weekend!
Kelly

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Kelly
Highest recorded weight: 103.2kg/227.04lbs (03/15/08)
Current: 97kg/213.4lb-13.64
Goal:150
"Resensitizing myself to the urgency and severity of my weight problem is important in keeping myself motivated. I have to remind myself that my body will not tolerate this abuse forever." Jeannette Fulda, aka PastaQueen

Mab, I'm prone to emotional eating as well. When I do it, I just try to note how I feel, see if it addressed the reason (not usually), and move on.

I also try to do something similar to what Nita suggested: having stuff on hand for LC versions of comfort food. OMM, Mock Danish, or the 3-Minute Chocolate Cake with a Scoop of LC ice cream on top all work nicely for this. While ulimately, it's more adaptive not to eat to fix emotional issues, if I'm gonna do it sometimes, I at least don't wanna feel bloated and yuck when I'm done.

I'm also wondering if counting each day as on or off plan is helping you...'cause if you do eat something offplan, it looks like you feel like it's completely starting over every time...but if you eat onplan 90% of the time, that's NOT restarting each time you go offplan. That's 90% effective.

I really think the carb-hit you take when you do eat something offplan is way less of an issue than the emotional hit you take for feeling bad about it...

Hang in there, Mab, and do something kind for yourself this weekend. You deserve it.

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

Mab, just popping in to check up on you, see how you're doing. I hope you had a nice weekend, and that this week is just peachy for you. (Oops, peaches are kinda high in carbs. Wonder what other term we can use? Melons are fairly lc, how about "hope this week is just melony for you". Nah, sounds kind of weird. Let's just stick to peachy - virtual peaches, that is.)

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Nita

Thanks for all of the support and encouragement! It is much appreciated!

I was on and off plan for four days. And though this will make some cringe - I was perfect yesterday. Took a mile long walk. Ate four small meals. Went and did something for myself. It was great!

I know, I know, I can't talk about perfect, it doesn't exist. But this is how I would love to feel every day. Things just go right and I do all the "shoulds".

Still working on some stuff and I really am working on giving up the perfect and appreciating what I do accomplish, but after 37 years of being a perfectionist it is not going away over night!!

Today, trying to do the small meal thing again. Had eggs for breakfast. A small pork chop for lunch and I am going to have a small cottage cheese around 3:30.

The hard part will be that I have a drs appointment at 6, so I won't get home until 7:30 or so. I didn't plan a meal, so I am going to try to eat a salad as soon as I walk in the door so I don't get pulled in by any of the food my son and hubby eat.

Interestingly enough, I feel grand. Now, just to stay away from my arch nemisis - the scale.....We'll see!

Again, very seriously, thanks for all of the loving support. I appreciate it!

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Mab-you're "perfect day" reminded me of a book i read on depression. David Burns, I believe, called "Feeling Good." One of the things he talked about was perfectionism vs. being good enough, which is something I pretty heavily related to.

I remember in particular, one of the exercises he suggested was to do something kinda halfway, like make your bed but not very well...I tell you, it took everything I could do to mostly make my bed, but not do it perfectly... ha!

It's not a challenging for me as it used to be, but I know the feeling well...with time and focus, people seem to be able to find that balance that works for them.

LOL @ Nita's "melony" day....

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

Mab - at times like that, where eating a meal will be delayed I find that buying a small package of nuts can really help to stay the course. Happy OTH day!

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Thanks all!

I'm doing pretty well! I have been on plan since Sunday, which lately is a good run for me! I did the foolish and got on the scale this morning. I swear that thing is my arch nemisis! Dr. Evil Scale....no, I'll have to work on the James Bond like name for the scale, but you get the point!

I'll be off from work and visiting friends tomorrow through Sunday. I think I actually do better when I am at home in one sense - I can eat 5 to 6 small things and not feel hungry. Going to give that a try. Just will have to remember SMALL things. Not 5 or 6 big ole meals! LOL!

Thanks again for the friendship and support. It means the world.

Dixie - I am going to look up that book!

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I ordered it! Got it on paperbackswap.com, my favorite!
Thanks it looks good!
I have turned into such a big self help reader in the last two years! Never used to read them at all. Now they are every other book! Ones for business, personal finance, self help, etc.
Must be getting older...hope I'm getting wiser!

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I really liked that book a lot, and found it very helpful and very reasonable in his approach. He addressed some of the thinking errors that people tend to make when they're depressed, or when they are just getting down on themsevles.

In fact, one of the things that I still remember from it helped me a lot: the notion that motivation doesn't preceed action, but follows progress. That was a revelation to me, because it totally rang true.

Let me know if you like it.

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

I will let you know. With paperbackswap it can take a week or more to get your books, but the price is right!

I have actually been reading a lot about this kind of thing lately and have finally, dragging my feet the whole way, decided to go to therapy.

We'll see how it goes. Thought that I needed help developing some of the skills to reprogram how I think about myself and how to create better habits with food but with people too.

It is kind of interesting because I think starting losing weight and going on that journey is really taking me down a different path in life and I guess I am looking for some enlightenment in other areas too.

Ok, TMI. But whatever helps you through, ya know?!

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Give up that scale and go with this one - lol.

OhGizmo! » Archive » Celebrity Weight Scale

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Not TMI to me, Mab. I can relate a LOT because as I lost weight, I really had to deal with lots of different issues that I was not prepared for. How you think about yourself, how you interact with others, how others respond, it all came into play for me...My personality actually changed in some ways with the losses, and it kinda blew my mind in many ways...I just thought, "Oh, you lose the weight, that's it." Not for me...

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?