healthyayo's Journal, 20 Jan 10

Healthyayo, I wish you a lot of luck. I definitely can relate with your emotional eating. I too have that problem. We have to see ask for support in those moments, and remember what is truly important to our happiness. Emotional eating is a band-aid to the real issue at hand. I have been a yoyo dieter for years and I am so tired of it. My self-esteem is shot, even as much as my husband may compliment me, unfortunately it doesn't sink in. I try to focus on the positive things in my life and what I have to offer and use that as my catalyst to be good to myself. We deserve to respect ourselves, we are worth it. 

you are too hard on yourself, but you've recognized what your response is in a time of stress - eating - you should try to pick up a new hobby, something that occupies your hands - anything - and focus in on that, particularly in times of stress. Keep your hands occupied and they will be too busy to open the refrigerator door. 

I feel your pain. I have always been one to let my emotions rule my hunger. Also raised with the enigma of "eat everything on your plate" by my parents. That is another issue I fight all the time. ..and another reason I am overweight. I was feeling the same way you were tonight. I too had an emotional day and really wanted to eat everything in sight. Luckily I didn't but I could see myself going there. It was a tough, tough struggle not to. In my despair I ended up eating an Atkins bar, which I know stalls my weight loss!!! Here I was.... fully well knowing it was bad, yet I went ahead and stuck it in my face anyways!!!! It is like someone else took over my body and I had to do it. On top of that...I almost reached for another one!!! Fortunately I came to my senses before I got too out of control and got a grip on myself. Once I snapped out of it...of course, I was immediately regretting it. However, I am saying to myself that it is okay that I messed up a little and that tomorrow is another day. ..and I will do better tomorrow. :) I am one who sometimes expects too much too soon when it comes to weight loss, and have to keep my guard up on that too. I know that loosing it slowly is best, but look in the mirror and want it gone now. LOL That is why so many fail. Don't feel badly, just dust yourself off and start over again. We can do it!  

All of you stick with the plan - if you do you'll see results in four or five months on your chart and you can look forward to losing more weight. Be careful shopping and buying too much, where you have so much extra food around to eat that can be a distraction and set one back too because their will be so many temptations to overeat the excess food if you're feeling down... In a matter of months hopefully all of you can look back and see more weight loss or reach your goal for maintenance depending on how much each one of you has to lose. Imagine where you'll all be at the end of the year if you stick with the Atkins plan! It does work - you all can do it... 

Thanks for the advice. Finally, today I was able to get back on track for breakfast and lunch. I am planning an induction dinner also. Thanks for getting personal with your experiences. They were very supportive. I think that being off work for 7 weeks creates terrible problems for me. I am going back to work in two weeks, which is when I do much better because I am busy and around a lot of people. Thanks again. Peace...