Most of my problem is habits and mental hang-ups, how do you guys approch this??
Example--Friday night, I go to the auto races after a hard week of work, I like to stop at the pizza house get my small tuna grider and bag of chips.
Yes, I know I could change to tuna salad or something, but thinking of never having my grider/chips gets me so down, I just wanna quit this WOE.
No it has not gotten easier.
I NEED HELP !!!!!

Alan,

One thing you have got to do is sit down, think about what you're trying to do, and make a decision:

Which do you want more, getting healthy or a tuna grinder? Being thinner, or potato chips? It really is that cut-and-dried. If you really want to make a change, the tools are within your grasp, but nobody but you can make that choice.

I totally understand how mental cravings are harder to overcome than physical ones, but you can do it, and the rewards are SO great. It will get easier, but you have to focus on what you CAN have, and how much better you feel, instead of what you've given up.

Develop new, healthy habits, and give yourself a "legal" reward on Friday night. You can do this if you really want to, and you might just suprise yourself.

Hang in there, Alan, and give the woe a fair shot. I'm rooting for you.

Trina

Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy.
And cooking done with care is an act of love.
- Craig Claiborne

alan, one of the things that I've learned, both from personal experience and from reading, is that you can't just "cut out" a bad habit. You have to replace it with a good one.

clearly, you're stop at the pizza house means more to you than food - it means, a hard week over, a few moments of quiet, a well deserved reward. and there's nothing wrong with that - but what we need to do is help you find something else you can eat or do that gives you that same feeling. You know what I mean?

for instance, is there somewhere else you could stop on friday after work where you could have a quiet bite to eat that is more on your plan? or , maybe catch a movie on fridays (you can sneak in some macadamia nuts or beef jerky to eat...) ? You might even try going to a gym on friday ( i know, sounds weird when you're tired, but a lot of people say it gives them MORE energy).

how about buying some low carb bread and chips, and making your own at home?

I don't know what the thing that does it for you will be, but I do know that as delicious as grinders and chips are, they aren't worth giving up a healthy way of eating for.

Hang in there alan!

Sometimes, starting this WOE brings up lots of issue that you need to resolve, and they aren't going to be resolved all at once. But you CAN work through them, and find what works for you.

We believe in you!

LCandrea

why not splurge for a while and go to a nice restaurant instead? Get yourself a steak dinner or a chef's salad.

**************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

We have a pizza joint near-by that makes out-of-this world Italian Beef Grinder type sandwiches. We ordered from them a couple of weeks ago (my night off from the kitchen). when I ordered, I asked if they could make me one without the bread. They said SURE. It's Italian Beef with mozzarella melted on top under the broiler. No Problem.......they cooked it up in a foil tin. I don't eat chips, so that's not an issue for me. But what about asking them to do one for you without the bread, bring it home and have Pork Rinds instead of the chips. Sound good? I have found so many ways around the "usual" stuff that finding alternatives are not a problem anymore. You have to shift your thinking. You have to find things that still fulfill your desires, but that fit with this WOL. It makes it so much easier. You can't just get rid of behaviors, you have to replace them. Or you will leave a void that will get filled with something else unhealthy.

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

I can totally understand Alan, as barbara K said you have to try alternatives.... You basically have two choices - eat what you used to, or try a new choice - same thing with out the bread, salad, Steak/salad.... lots of possibilities out there. Today I met a friend for lunch at one of my favorite deli's - they make the best Reubin sandwich this side of NYC (in my humble opinion). The last time I went to this deli I did get my Reubin, but only ate 1/2 and brought the other half back to work and gave it to a friend. This time I decided on getting the chef salad...while myfriend ate the Reubin, I had my salad with ham, cheese, turkey, cukes, and dressing....(I really wanted that Reubin, but...) I know how hard it can be, but I also know that I want to lose more weight, and that Reubin today would have been dangerous. If I had that Reubin sandwich, I would have to drink extra water, eat light tho on plan for a couple of days to keep from showing a gain - for just one sandwich - yes....
So.... Sit down and do a little talking to yourself and decide how to continue when friday comes this week.

http://www.youravon.com/cnorulak

carolyn in texas
started 8/11/03
327/288/150