9 Week Holiday Challenge (close group) wk 2

QOTD 10/9/11 Sunday: Are you an emotional eater? What feelings get you to that place? What is your strategy for overcoming emotional eating?

Yes I am an emotional eater. When I have too many feelings at once that I can't seem to process I tend to look for comfort foods. I'm reading this book right now about how to overcome emotional eating. After this stressfull week I've had, I'm not sure it's helping me.

QOTD 10/9/11 Sunday: Are you an emotional eater? What feelings get you to that place? What is your strategy for overcoming emotional eating?

Yes, yes, and YES. This is why I am fat. No other reason. Well, besides the fact that I struggle with depression, BUT that means that I am emotionally unhealthy and that's when I eat. I loved the strategy that one of you said about working out first before giving in to temptation. LOVE that. My strategies are:
-Eat a little bit of what I want. In fact, if you were to see my food diary you would see that I eat out a lot (even fast food) and have many treats.
-I will drink hot, sweet tea.
-I will get a little frozen yogurt which satisfies my sweet tooth.
-I will lay in bed, if at night, and watch tv to try and distract myself.
-I will remind myself just why I need to lose this weight.

QOTD 10/9/11 Sunday: Are you an emotional eater? What feelings get you to that place? What is your strategy for overcoming emotional eating?

I don't really consider myself as an emotional eater; however, I was so upset yesterday with my 2lb weight gain that I just pigged out anyway! So maybe I am a bit of an emotional eater!?!?! It was our family Thanksgiving so turkey, mashed taters, gravy, stuffing, etc.....oh yes then the piece of chocolate cream pie and 4 Reese squares!!!! Oh yes, and the 4 rye and diet pepsi! Oops! And now I'm gonna get a little personal but I think part of my weight gain is because I'm full of S@*T! Literally! It's been 13 days people! Ugh. (I know you're shaking your head Darlene Medeiros but you know me....lay it all on the table!)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone (Canadian)!!!

You are so funny. I can GUARANTEE you that those two pounds are s*^t! Can you take a laxative or do a suppository? Maybe citrucel. You will feel so much better when you have "done your thing."

QOTD 10/9/11 Sunday: Are you an emotional eater? What feelings get you to that place? What is your strategy for overcoming emotional eating?

Yes I am. Especially when other areas of my life are not going well. i did it last week. Or if I feel like I failed at soemthing. I usually take a long walk or talk about it with someone and get it off my chest.

Ok I'm playing catch up from a VERY long weekend that was not relaxing at all. *sigh*

QOTD 10/8/11 Saturday: Is there any speific body part you're looking forward to "re-discovering" or discovering for the first time as you reach your weight loss goals?

My stomach. I've been pudgy and squishy in my middle since I was about 10. I've never had a small core and that's my goal. I want to get it toned and as non flabby as possible. It's the first place I put weight and the last place for it to come off. I'm not sure I'd know what to do if I didn't have a muffin top anymore


QOTD 10/9/11 Sunday: Are you an emotional eater? What feelings get you to that place? What is your strategy for overcoming emotional eating?

OH yes! Feeling out of control or overwhelmed usually. I never want to eat when I'm super happy and productive. Only negative feelings and boredom.

I try to give myself 10 mins of redirecting my thoughts, drinking more water, PRAYER, assessing what is REALLY making me feel this way and going for walks. Patience and self awareness have helped me a lot. And I have found that since I quit watching the Food Network and most "food" related shows, I don't struggle as much as before.

Hey guys! I am sorry I am late on these QOTD. I wasn't able to get to the internet the last few days I was there, and had to turn the data function on my phone off because it cost a bundle to use it there. So, I will catch up on Thursday-Sunday now. I hope you all had a great, productive week last week!!!

QOTD 10/6/11 Thursday: What is your workout routine? Do you always do the same thing? Do you mix it up? What kind of music is on your iPod (if you use one)?

I have a pretty standard routine in the amount of time I spend at the gym, but I try to mix up what I do while I am there. I spend 1 hour a day doing cardio. This ranges between the elliptical, treadmill, stationary bike, and stairstepper. Every other day I add in upper body work and do the "arm bike" (not sure what it is really called, but it is a bike for your arms basically), the rowing machine, sit ups, and push ups. Then the opposite day I do wall sits, lunges and squats. I used to use a playlist on my iPod when working out, but lately, I have just been putting my iPod on shuffle and listening to everything on it. I also read a book the entire time that I am doing cardio, it makes it go by quicker. :laugh:

QOTD 10/7/11 Friday: Do you allow yourself to have a "cheat" meal or "cheat" day once a week, where you allow yourself to eat whatever you want? Why or why not?

I don't allow myself a cheat meal or day. I eat anything all week long, as long as it fits in my calories. So, I don't feel like I am depriving myself of anything. So, I never feel like I need a cheat day. If I do go over in calories because I ate too much of something, I will just spend more time at the gym to make up for it. I think that I do it this way because I don't look at the way I eat as though it is a diet. I look at it like a lifestyle change, so to be good at it, I have to eat a bit of everything, and just take that into account with my calories. I don't restrict myself though. I listen to my body and eat what makes me feel good, while keeping it in the appropriate calories. also, because I have been eating this way for two years, it has become easy for me to do without a cheat day.

QOTD 10/8/11 Saturday: Is there any speific body part you're looking forward to "re-discovering" or discovering for the first time as you reach your weight loss goals?

Hmm, this is a good question. Mine is my waist. I want to have a flat stomach again. I had one until I got PCOS. at that point I started to put on fat in my stomach. I really am looking forward to having a flat stomach, and not worrying about love handles at the waist of my jeans. I am getting much closer to this goal, but still have a ways to go.

QOTD 10/9/11 Sunday: Are you an emotional eater? What feelings get you to that place? What is your strategy for overcoming emotional eating?

I do not tend to be an emotional eater, luckily. I just

QOTD 10/9/11 Sunday: Are you an emotional eater? What feelings get you to that place? What is your strategy for overcoming emotional eating?

Yes I am an emotional eater. Being bored or wrestless get me there. When I am very tired and overwhelmed, I go there too. THe first step is to recognize that I am trying to fix a feeling with food and it does not work. The 2nd step is to find an activity that will make me feel better (less bored, less wrestless etc..) because that does fix the feeling.

That hardest part is not giving in and letting it all go!