A RARE EMPATHY

Then I realized that, for the first time, I got it. I truly understood the power food holds over anyone who's struggled with it. For me, the eating had felt so unimaginably good. It had felt like a warm blanket of comfort during 9 months of discomfort. It was what had kept me going as I deprived myself of every other vice that pregnancy refused me.

The quote above was lifted from a story on Jezabel, written by a pregnant woman.. Interesting that so few women who go through this remember that feeling and have the empathy to connect it with the feelings those of us who struggle with weight (while not pregnant!) might go through.

I am especially glad that she didn't end the story with how fast she worked off the pregnancy weight!

I EAT TOO MUCH - PART 102

I seem to have lost my blogging mojo when it comes to my dieting life.  I feel like all I do is come up with a new plan and then fall off and then avoid posting so I am not just going on and on about my stress and other issues which I seem to be powerless over.  I am told that I internalize everything that is going on in my life and then it turns around and comes out in rashes and overeating and insomnia and even, lately, in spending money I don't have.

So - blah-blah, me-me-me, stressity-stress, eat-eat.

I will say that I have made some improvements on my overeating, at least.  I am overeating fairly healthy foods.  I have been making chocolate covered almonds with dark chocolate* , very lightly covered with dark chocolate.  I only had one round with some nicely dense whole grain bread and then refrained from buying that again!  I am eating a LOT of fruit, especially watermelon, blueberries and apricots.  Oh, and Golden brand Zucchini Pancakes.  Very tasty and low cal and better than the ones I tried to make myself.  I have only had beef once and chicken twice since I last posted.  I found a lot of recipes using beans in things and have come up with some salad combinations of whole wheat pasta, beans and greens which is a good protein combination. 

I finally got the nerve to weigh myself and I am up 10 pounds from the last time I had the nerve to weigh myself in April.  That makes me about 23 pounds up from my lowest weight last summer.  Few of the clothes I kept from last summer fit me well but I have resisted buying more than a couple of tops. 

So that is the update.  The food is healthier, the amounts must come down.  A work in progress.




* Melt Dark Chocolate Chips in the microwave (about 1 minute on high) and mix in toasted almonds.  (I buy raw almonds and toast them in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes.)  Stir until covered and then turn out on a waxed paper covered cookie sheet.  Put in frig until completely cooled, then break into pieces and store in frig or cool spot.  Figure your calories based on the amounts of chocolate and almonds you use.  From there you need to estimate your serving size.

NOW I AM TRYING A MANTRA

I have been doing pretty well on the Anti-Inflammatory eating plan.  I have had a couple of slip-slidey days and I am working out how to deal with those things which cause me to overeat and/or eat the "wrong" things.

Stress is the big one, .but  boredom is another.  Specifically boredom at work.  The other night I had plenty to eat in my little lunch bag.  But it was very quiet and very boring and I was wanting to fill up that time and fill up that void of nothing to do with food.  Tonight I didn't really bring enough to eat but I snagged some peanuts from the bar and got pleasantly filled up.  Did that stop me from wanting to eat?  No.

So I found myself saying  "You are not hungry.  This is not about food.  Food is not the answer."  Which is, of course the quote I have on my header!  So now I am reinforcing that little mantra by sharing it here. 

Shall we chant in unison?