Posts from — November 2011

Hi, everyone!!!  Did you have a nice Thanksgiving holiday?

It’s been one celebration after the next around here this past week!  It started with my birthday on Tuesday (we ate out TWICE that day!), then a  Thanksgiving feast on Thursday. On Friday,  the husband took me out for a date/birthday dinner; Saturday was my Dad’s birthday dinner(FEAST!) and on Sunday we attended a 50th anniversary brunch for a family friend.

Whew.

But, you know what?  Things were very different for me this time.  Normally, a string of events like these would throw me off the deep end in the food department.  I would often adopt the attitude of “why bother” when I was dieting.  Since I would be eating foods that weren’t “on program”, I found it so hard to feel as if I was staying on track.  I would feel guilty and often, defeated.  Those feelings would inevitably cause me to throw all caution to the wind and overeat.  It was difficult for me to not fall into the “all or nothing” line of thinking.

This time, because I am no longer dieting, there was nothing for me to feel guilty about.  There was no obsession with what I would eat, no pouring over menus looking for the lowest calorie option and no real focus on food.  <—– who is this lady????   I chose meals that sounded good to me.  And that was that.  I didn’t feel the need to power down every morsel in front of me because I had already “blown it”, as I would have felt before.  Dessert was a few bites of cake until it didn’t taste as good or I had enough.  I had no desire to wolf it down because of the “I shouldn’t have eaten it in the first place” mentality that I used to operate with.  Although, a bit of doubt crept in after the celebration week subsided and I decided to step on the scale, I was reminded of how dismissing those negative dieting behaviors was a worthwhile step as the scale remained exactly the same as the previous week.  No damage done – mentally or physically.

It’s so new,  this feeling.  This way of living.  And it is so very, very different.  I don’t always feel as if it’s real, almost like I’m pretending.  Some days, I don’t know how to act.  Some days, I feel like I should diet.  The old mentality tries to drag me back in.  But, I know deep down that I don’t really want to.  And that scares me a little.  I’ve lost a part of my identity. 

Being a person trying to love your body for what it is, not participating in body bashing with a group of friends (you know, the “my butt is bigger than yours” conversations!) and not talking about the latest and greatest diet is kind of isolating.  It’s like I’m not part of the Sisterhood of Struggling Dieters anymore, both in real life and blog life. 

My struggles are different now.  But, they are still struggles and ones that may take an eternity to ease out of.  I’m in it for the long haul, though.  As I’ve always said during the weight loss journey… Keep On Keepin’ On.  Same applies for this new journey.  Keep on keeping on…

Have a great day, everyone!

Do you find that someone is always talking about weight/diets in social settings?  Does it make you uncomfortable or do you feel more at ease?  I’m not sure if I’m being hyperaware or what, but I’m noticing more and more how negatively people talk about their bodies and how often someone says “I shouldn’t eat that” or “I need to go on a diet”.  I used to do that ALL THE TIME and now that I’m trying not to, I realize how uncomfortable it is to hear that from someone.  I don’t want the person to feel that way!  I want them to see their beauty! 

Hi, everyone!  So glad you were interested in this wonderful book!  I wish I could buy one for each of you, but since I can’t , please think about getting it at your local library.  It really is a great guide for having a better relationship with food!

Now for the winners…

Congrats, ladies!  Please email me your addresses and I’ll get your books out to you!

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving!  I’m still catching up from all the crazy fun, so I’ll see you on Wednesday for “regular” programming! 

Have a great day, everyone!

First, I want to thank all of you for the kind and supportive comments on my last post!  I have changed so much in just these short couple of months.  And learned so very much! 

I’ve gotten quite a few emails asking for more information about what tools I am using and steps I am taking to deal with the emotional eating.  Although much of what I have learned has been through the program of my amazing coach, Ellen Shuman from A Weigh Out, I can share with you a book that is an excellent resource in this area – The Rules of “Normal” Eating by Karen R. Koenig…

The approach of this book echoes much of the philosophy and tools that I received during my coaching sessions.  What I love most is that it is written in a sensible, non-judgmental way.  Whether you choose to stay on a diet or not, it is really written to give everyone tools to better your relationship with food …

There are excellent exercises in the book to help you understand your hunger, manage your feelings and connection to food and reprogram your beliefs using some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques…

Basically, this is your self-coaching guide to ending food struggles and eating normally!

I originally found this book in my library and loved it so much I bought three copies – one to keep (I’ve been highlighting and underlining like crazy!) and TWO COPIES to giveaway!

To enter, just leave a comment below telling me what you are thankful for today.  

I’ll randomly choose two winners and announce them on Monday, November 28.

(Disclosure:  I have no affiliation with the author and she has no clue who I am.  I purchased these books with my own moolah.  Opinions and review of the book are also my own.)

Have a great day, everyone!  And HAPPY THANKSGIVING!