Scared to eat

I think its OK to be scared of returning to a lifestyle where you eat pizza, bar food, and 800 calorie sandwiches on a daily basis. Having those things on an infrequent basis is fine. You don't want to put yourself in a position where you are not eating anything because the only food around you is junk. So, make sure you have plenty of healthy things to eat at home. If you are going out to a bar, its fine to skip the drinks (someone's got to be the DD anyway, right?) but make sure you have something to nurish yourself. I keep a single serving of nuts and trail mix in my car in case I'm ever in need of a healthy snack.

If you are afraid of eating even healthy foods and are not hitting your calorie goals, you may want to speak to a professional. Its very easy in this society to develop an unhealthy relationship with food. Best to address this before it gets out of control.

9 and a half months into my lifestyle change, I can tell you I am amazed at all the benefits beyond what I set out to get. Working with a nutritionist is an excellent idea, and I hope you allow your Doctor to set that up for you.

Remember, it's your lifestyle change - not your mom's or friends. I eat differently now and love it. I went from 174 to 131 and didn't think I could get to 140.

I have to eat out a lot of business. I can readily by pass mindless eating now of such things as the bread basket that the waiter brings or the chips at mexican restaurants. I no longer crave sweets and only have had them at a few celebration meals with family, (October is my birthday month)... but I did record those and I am within my goal range of 129-135. I believe the activity I add contributes. I make meals within my plan, and have extras for my family (healthy extras)

I have added more walking and standing, yoga and barre 3 to my activity. I use a Nike Fuel Band and my husband uses a fitbit. I have a desk job, so it is a sedentary life style so I have to push for more activity in my day. I don't have an hour to work out all at once, so I take in activity in 10- 30 minute times.

Those low-cal flavor paks aren't good for you and I think they just make you thirsty. I found this "spa" water recipe on Just a Pinch recipe site and it is really great. I have a Zero water pitcher to filter our tap water. Our water is horrible and has a lot of lime and other minerals in it, so I got this filter and it works great. All you do is core an apple and cut it up in thick slices and put it in a gallon (which is how much I make as I drink this in a day) or quart pitcher add 1 cinnamon stick and refrigerate overnight. This is a very refreshing drink and you won't believe how good it is. If you can't take cinnamon or have an allergy to it, just replace the cinnamon with some fresh mint. This is not heavily flavored but has a hint of flavor and is really refreshing. They have other flavored "spa" water recipes but I like this the best.

I hear ya! I get paranoid too, and take in most of my calories in liquid form. If your thoughts become really obsessive and you can't concentrate on anything else, and this food issue begins to consume your life, that is a warning sign. Please seek help if this is happening so you can avoid the dark abyss of an eating disorder. EDs can creep up on you unsuspectingly; and they ruin your life!!! :sad:

As long as you are around folks who are eating junk all the time, it's going to be a temptation, but as long as you are at LEAST eating 1200 calories per day and making sure you eat the color of the rainbow weekly (lots of fruits & vegetables)...you will be losing weight in a healthy way.

You could ask you bfs mother to make vegetables without the butter for you. My MIL always makes things special for some of the DILs b/c they are very picky eaters. When we go, I just eat a lot of salad (even though she makes it with ice berg lettuce and tomato....that's a very lame salad)...I also try to fill up on any vegetables she makes and only take a tablespoon of the "dressing" (stuffing) and things I shouldn't be eating...thereby not appearing to be picky while being picky

I know that some days I'm under by a lot, but I'm not trying to eat that little. My food just adds up that way I guess.

It might help if you plan your day's menu in advance, so you won't find out too late that you went over or too severely under.

I think this is very good information. My girlfriend was in treatment for anorexia and they did this......it will also serve a dual purpose of not only not going over, but also you plan your meals to provide your body NOURISHMENT and energy to function and if it's planned in advance for that purpose, then.....it is what it is. This is what my body needs, and this day of meals is already planned. Can't change it.

It makes me sad when people start to feel so guilty and bad about providing their body with nourishment, because it can end up a really slippery slope. It's hard though because food CAN end up an addiction, but unlike other addictions -- drugs, alcohol, etc -- it's not as easy in *some* ways because you can't just give it up. You have to learn how to live with that element still in your life.

I hope you can find a good balance and if it's too much for you alone, please talk to a professional about it (I didn't look at your diary).....even if you're eating well, but are still so overwhelmed with this

I understand what you're going through. You can have some not so healthy food- just in moderation. I am much older than you are and at my age your metabolism virtually stops. I have lost 34 pounds since the beginning of August. I still need to lose another 30 pounds or so. I allow myself to eat junk food on occasion. I look at the calories and allow myself to eat a little bit. This has to be a lifestyle you can stick with and not so restricted that you beat yourself up over every little thing you eat.

This past Saturday, I was walking out of a shop and there was a Chik-fil-a restaurant and boy did the chicken ever smell good. Instead of getting it, I went to another shop and tried on some clothes. That's a huge motivator for me to stay on track with this. I have dropped two sizes and it feels awesome. Just remember this is for your health. Don't totally deprive yourself. Make sure overall that you stick with the healthy stuff- save a Saturday to eat junk food, but only have two pieces of pizza versus four or a handful of chips and salsa versus a bunch. I also work out four to five days a week. I actually like working out now...Make a deal with yourself that you will start working out, if you don't already. I can relate with thinking about everything I put in my mouth, but more along the line as to whether it's worth it really. Good luck to you!

I know its really hard to, but being in a relationship is partnership. Talk to your boyfriend about your struggle, and ask him if maybe he can make some of these changes with you, so as to not make you stumble or tempt you. My boyfriend is a really big encourager when it comes to this stuff, because i ask him to be. Its just one of those things, that you cant keep him guessing, but if its something you want then talk to him! You can show concern for what he is eating, because no one should be consuming that kind of food all the time, its not good for his heart or his health. So its partly your responsibility too to kind of help him be aware of his eating habits, and how to create a better support system for you by partaking in it himself! hope my ideas helped!