Newbie discovers the key

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mommyami1
mommyami1 Posts: 154 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi Everyone! So I was sitting at home last night after the baby went to bed. My husband was out on a trip (he works for the railroad). I knew I wasn't really hungry but I wanted something. I was watching So You Think You Can Dance and feeling bad, watching bodies that mine somewhat resembled just two years ago. I popped a bag of buttered popcorn, sprinkled it with Topsy's cheese topping and chomped the whole bowl down. This morning it dawned on me... I felt lonely when I did that! It was a first and possibly the key to why I've been gaining weight since my husband went back to work after being laid off. Well, plus the fact that I had a baby almost a year ago. Still, i think now that I've learned this about myself, I may be closer to tackling my goal. I don't usually do these message boards but I think these might help. Having a sense of community with people with the same goals could keep me on track. Thanks for reading.

Replies

  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,411 Member
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    Good for you, 1 step at a time and being aware of yourself.
  • geckoseven
    geckoseven Posts: 32
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    Thumbs Up! Now to conquer it :D
  • hulietta
    hulietta Posts: 19 Member
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    This is KEY to weight loss! You've got to look at your habits and figure out WHY. If we just lose the weight without looking at the problems underneath, we will have trouble keeping it off, in my opinion.

    GOOD JOB! Keep up the good work.
  • TwinMamma09
    TwinMamma09 Posts: 140
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    That is great that you realized that and now you can take the steps to change it in the future. I'm a mom of twin girls and my husband work schedule is so different than mine so I can completely relate.

    Keep up the good work and get that body back!
  • 80lbslost
    80lbslost Posts: 93 Member
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    Yes- making a mind/body connection is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. It took me years to figure out LOL. Good for you : )
  • jamr753
    jamr753 Posts: 51
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    Good for you to learn the behaviors that cause us to gain weight. I'm kind of going through the same thing right now, "why did I eat that?"..... The one that I recently found was when feeding the girls (1 year and 4 year)...I was eating their food and then going and eating dinner with my husband. (he gets home later than I need to feed the girls).....so it was like I was eating twice... So learning your bad behaviors is one the steps to becoming what you want!! I'm here with ya!
  • mleipe
    mleipe Posts: 54
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    That's called "emotional eating". I do it, too.

    Alcoholics Anonymous will tell you that you should never get too hungry, too angry, too lonely or too tired because these will put you into emotional states in which you are inclined to drink. I strongly believe that the same principles apply to weight loss - last night you put yourself into a state that triggered you to eat emotionally.

    Understanding this idea has helped me quit smoking, cut my alcohol consumption down to a very respectable and non-destructive level, and helped me onto a two-pound-per-week weight-loss track for several weeks now.

    You can do it, too - hang in there and find things to do that don't put you into emotional eating situations.
  • Yeoville
    Yeoville Posts: 9
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    I can totally relate! My husband travels alot for work, and I find my self just walking around the kitchen looking for something to eat - without even being hungry. Keeping yourself busy I find is the key to avoiding that lonely eating. Whether that be cleaning your house (my house tends to get quite clean when he's gone :)) or picking up the phone and calling a friend or inviting a friend over. Thats helped me alot. Good luck!!
  • pmusholt
    pmusholt Posts: 22 Member
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    yes we are all emotional eaters.Its really great that you found out your temotional tirgers, because now you can fixed it or do something about it.keep up the good work
  • mandi23k
    mandi23k Posts: 1
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    That is really funny because I do the same thing. Although, I think it is more because I am bored than lonely. I also recently came to a big realization that has changed the way I feel about my body and my workout.

    I have been really hard on myself lately because I have been gaining weight ( was always about 130 now am 143) and recently went up a jean size (have always been a 4, now a 6). I have been working out for over 2 years, eat well (lots of fruits and veggies and white meat, always under 1,200 calories) and could not understand why this was happening.

    A friend of mine (who is a dance instructor) told me that I went up a size because I have been gaining so much muscle in my upper legs. It is true that I have been and in my upper body too. But I still have not seen any results in the tummy area. This is the only part of my body that I can't seem to get toned and the only part I really feel I need to work on. She told me to start doing circuit training for abs. Us women are meant for child bearing, so we gain and store our weight (and stress) in our belly and hips. For pear shaped women (like me and a lot of others), this is the problem area, the hardest thing to lose/tone, and the best solution is circuit training.

    No one had ever told me about it, but I did some research and it is true. I had never realized what the problem was and was really getting down on myself. When we finally find a realization about why we are gaining weight (or simply not losing it) we gain hope because we can then make a plan and set goals. I am happy to say that it has been about a month since I got this information. I went out and bought Jillian Michaels' 6 week 6 pack. It has a lot of circuit training and works out your thighs, butt, and upper body too. I just finished week 3 and am going to move on to the next level on Monday. I can already see a difference in tone, but not in size (still in a 6) or in scale weight. But I am finally O.K. with that. I realize that it is not about the number on the scale or the size of the jeans, but how tones you look and how good you feel about yourself.

    Good for you for realizing what your weakness was. Try to find other things to help you feel less lonely. Maybe read a book instead of watch TV because you connect with the characters better. Also, you need two hands to read a book so you cant use them to eat : ) If you are not a big reader, maybe try to get off the couch and do some exercises in front of the TV while watching it instead of reaching for the pop corn? Fitness Magazine had some good tips and exercises on their website (for free) for when you are watching TV.

    Whatever you do, goof for you for finding out and using the information to move forward!
  • mommyami1
    mommyami1 Posts: 154 Member
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    Thank you so much for the encouragement, everyone! And thank you for sharing! I stretch in front of the TV every night but I know that's not burning too many calories. This morning I held my little one and danced to some music videos. Maybe I'll do that when I watch SYTYCD from now on. And once he goes to bed, I could turn on my Wii.
  • jamr753
    jamr753 Posts: 51
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    That makes so much sense! My middle sections has been the my downfall lately (after 2 kids)..... I just bought that video yesterday (an impulse buy) because I'm so tired of how my midsection looks, I don't expect a 6 pack but I want it semi-flat..... glad that you like the video because I'm going to start it tonight. I agree that as much as I want the scale to go downwards, the feeling that you feel fit/flat in areas is just as rewarding.....

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