Conference rocks::weight_control

    Nancy,
    
    I would say, eat as much as you are hungry for, but eat "properly".
    To me, "properly" means starches (rice, potatoes, pasta), with side
    dishes of fruits and vegetables.  Stay away from rich, high-calorie
    foods.  Eat as many potatoes as you want!  Don't starve or deny
    your hunger because you'll most likely lose.
    
    Glenn

    P.S.
    
    By "rich, high-calorie" foods I mean cheese, milk, chocolate, eggs,
    butter, etc.  You get the idea?
    
    Glenn

    Hi Glenn,
    
    I have been eating alot of grain products, fruits and vegetables
    and some chicken.  But I've also been snacking on chocolate and
    chips and junk food that I seldom used to eat.  I've been trying
    to eat the "right" foods, but what bothers me is that I've been
    eating sooooo much of everything.  I am afraid that it will catch
    up with me and the weight will show on me and the scales all at
    once.  I want to gain some control over my habits.
    
    I've read a number of your notes and they have been very helpful.
    Thanks!!

    Nancy,
    
    I suggest that you get some "professional counseling".  It sounds
    as though you are trying to satisfy a hunger that has little or
    nothing to do with food.
    
    Lynn
    (one who has been there)

    
    
    Another alternative is the group called "Overeaters Anonymous".
    It's a great support group for people whose eating has gotten
    out of control.  It helped me a great deal several years ago
    when my eating was uncontrollable due to excessive personal
    problems and stress in my life.  There are groups everywhere.
    The phone number can probably be found in the yellow pages or
    from directory assistance. 
    
    	My 

    Hi, I know what you are going through with the uncontrollable eats.
    I went through something similar my last in college - after student
    teaching was over, there were about four weeks with nothing to do
    before graduation.  I began to eat constantly, driving to one hamburger
    stand to another, drinking shakes, hitting the candy machine.  Bottom
    line, I gained almost ten pounds overnight (literally, it took longer,
    but it seemed overnight.)  And, I truly felt hungry.  Now, in
    retrospect,it was the anxiety of leaving the college "safe"
    environment,going into the real world for the first time in 21 years,
    that was taking its toll.  The eating was only a symptom of that
    anxiety.  Someone in an earlier reply asked if you were seeking
    counseling, do you have an emotional situation or change coming
    in your life that may be triggering this.  I wish you the best of
    luck in resolving it - all of our prayers are with you.  bobbie.
    
                     _ from a past compulsive eater_
    
    

    
    
    Nancy do you drink Water?  I bet that will help you and also
    I go through what you are going through now and then but 
    what helps me is the support from this group..
    
    The main thing though is as someone told me you are very
    special and do you reall need or want that food?
    
    What has food or over eatting done to you has it made you
    Happy or has it got you the jobs you wanted ?
    
    I know listening to things like this got me thinking..
    I know another good one is to live meal by meal and day by day.
    Don't worry what you did yesturday but today do what you should.
    
    If you want to write to me..I'am happy to listen
    
    
    You made a big step by writing this.. You will do it I know.
    
    
    Look in your mirror I know it's hard and say I am important 
    this is what My Pastor told me and you know it took some
    time and I finally did it... 
    
    You are special and I willbe cheering for you
    
    Read Joe Coyles stories in the 100 pound losers and in the
    Progress report.. you will be motivated..for sure..
    
    
    Ann
    
    

    
    I have been experiencing the same problem, but to a lesser degree.
    I am not under any stress or having emotional problems.  It just
    seems like my body is crying out for potato chips, cookies, chocolate
    and the like.  What I have done is to find a reasonably low cal
    substitute for all of the above.  For example, pretzels or popcorn
    (without butter) instead of chips, raisins for sweets, and hot
    chocolate instead of a candy bar.  I have been drinking 64 oz of
    water and tea with one sugar.  That helps somewhat, but satisfying
    the craving without doing too much damage has been a greater help.
    The only reason why I can take this approach is because I no that
    this WILL NOT last very long because I WILL NOT allow it to.  So
    far, even with NO exercise, I have managed to maintain a 6 lb loss
    (this eating has been going on for 1.5 weeks).  I'm sure it will
    pass (maybe Sunday since the temperature will be near 60).  Sometimes
    we just need a change of pace.  Well, I'm rambling now.  If you
    need more support, maybe you could ask a friend at the job, at home
    or both to check up on you to make you a little more accountable.
    I don't eat NEARLY as much when my husband is around.
    

    
RE: -1 >The only reason why I can take this approach is because I no that
 Should read   
       >The only reason why I can take this approach is because I "know"
        that
    Sorry for using a reply instead of properly reading over my entry,
    however, that really bothered me.
    

Hi Nancy,

I have also gone through periods of uncontrollable eating, so I know
how you feel, too.

A few suggestions here that might help a little:

Extract the note that you posted and keep it somewhere so you can remind
yourself how badly you feel about all this.

Before you start to eat uncontrollably, stop and think about why you are
going to do it.  Maybe even keep a record of the why's as well as the what's.

When you feel you want to eat uncontrollably, try to do something else first,
and then see if you still feel like eating.

Substitute if you still "need to eat".  Crunch on carrots, munch on popcorn
or raisins, eat WW frozen desserts to lessen the physical damage.  Eat other
food that's good for you.  Take something to eat, go into another part of the
house/apartment, find something to do, and eat it.  Maybe this will keep you
from wanting to go back to the kitchen for more.  I realize, by the way, this
part goes totally against good eating habits, but so does the original problem
we're trying to solve.

Find a phone away from the kitchen, and call a friend who you can talk to for
a while.

Take a limited amount of food (or no food) with you and take a walk.

And, as was suggested earlier, try to find out what the psychological reason
is behind these cravings.

Good luck, and feel free to write or call...

Jill

I had one of those days today!!  But when I felt it coming on I told
myself "well if yer gonna eat then eat the RIGHT things"!

I started my day off with two slices of bran toast.. very good... some
juice and a cup of coffee... about 10:00 I realized I was having one
of "those" days as I was filled with the "hungry horrors".. so I had
an apple thinking it might help.  At 11:00 I had another apple.. at
12:00 I had a very large orange.. still it was there.. I had a sandwhich 
of nut pate' for lunch and a granola bar.. still the nag.. so about 2:00
I had two rye crackers with a low fat cheese spread.. it was still there!
I had another granola bar and another apple!... finally I wrote some 
reports I was working on and tried to forget it.. right now I am feeling
so full I can barely move..  by taking my mind off it I gave my stomach
a chance to talk to my brain I think!

I always say.. if you think you are going to have one of those days you
can give in by eating the RIGHT types of food thus giving into the urges
but not the bulges!  If I added up all my calories for the day, even 
given the fact I was eating constantly today I would still not have had
that bad a day calorie wise (I try not to count calories, as I like Glenn
eat a starch based diet with fruit and veg and don't believe too much
in calorie counting).


Hang in there and stock up on salad makings, fruit and some good grain
crisp breads!!!

gailann...  (a very full gailann I might add!... whew!)

    
    Inability to control ones eating is known as "Compulsive Overeating".
    It's the process of using food to deflect ones emotions. A Compulsive
    Overeater has no defense against overeating. It is impossible to
    gain control without some form of help.
    
    Overeaters Anonymous is probably your best bet, it really works.
    
    							--- Neal

    This looks like a good place to mention today's WW "thought for the
    week," which struck me as worth sharing:

>>>    	 Self control is something you do, not something you have.	<<<

    Think about that.  Control is an active process, and an ongoing one. 
    Our leader has been on maintenance for 14 years, but she doesn't "have"
    self-control, she exercises it by making conscious decisions based on
    priorities and an understanding of the consequences of her actions.

    Beverly