Days 11-14

I have decided to put these days all together so that I will have the tools I need to start dieting. I have found myself eating lots of goodies and not being able to work on stopping cravings because I tell myself I can eat what I want right now because I’m not on a diet.

Today I’ve been differentiating between hunger, desire and cravings. I realized that when I eat a meal I’m really not that hungry – about a 5-7 on the hunger scale. I also noticed that when I finish the allotted amount of food that I’m pretty comfortable, about a 2. The thing is that I eat until I’m a 0 or -1. I keep eating until I’m full. Then I eat some more. Once I start eating I tend to keep eating – doesn’t this apply to one of the laws of physics?  So 20 Minutes after I’m done with my meal I’m stuffed.

Here is what I learned from this activity today.
1. I’m allotting myself enough food. I’m still a tad hungry when I finish, but if I’d just wait I’d be comfortable.
2. I eat too much each meal. In my book I should be a bit hungrier before each meal.
3. If I would eat slowly without distractions then I would have more emotional satisfaction from my meal.

Solution – Eat my food and give no choice to eating more. Use techniques to stop eating from the craving section because that is what I’m feeling, not hunger. Even if I was feeling hunger, I feel I a lot enough food that my body should get used to the smaller amounts. I need to remember that I need to eat separate from my children – either before or after. Dinner is different because hubby will be the referee.

Some quotes from BDS that I liked are below.
Thought: I want to eat more.
Response: Okay, I’ve finished the food I planned to eat for this meal, and I’m still hungry…But that’s okay. It’s okay to be hungry. It is not an emergency. Walk away and find something else to do. (The computer or calling a friend or going outside work well for me)
Response: Okay I’m hungry no big deal, I’m going to eat again. Here’s a chance to strengthen my resistance muscle.

Hunger is never an emergency.

Most people don’t eat every time they’re hungry; they wait until their next meal. I need to learn that skill, too.

I will do day 12 later as I fast anyway each month.

Day 13
The more you wait out a craving the less intense and frequent they become.

You will find yourself saying. I’m feeling a craving, but I know I can tolerate it and it’ll go away…It’s great that I’m tolerating it! Instead of feeling deprived, you’ll feel good – proud, strong, confident, in control.

Ways to Get Rid of Cravings are
Mindset Techniques:
1. it’s a craving and it will go away.
2. Think about how giving in will undermine your confidence and how standing strong will strengthen you.
3. NO CHOICE! Nothing bad will happen if you withstand the craving, but you will be so proud of yourself in a few minutes.
4. Imagine the aftermath: Go ahead and think about eating the food you’re craving. Imagine it in your mouth. Now visualize when you feel weak after and out of control. Se yourself feeling upset, giving up, continuing to eat more and mores, feeling worse and worse. You feel heavier in your body and spirit. Now which seems better: eating or not eating?

Behavioral Techniques
1. Distance yourself from the food
2. Take a drink.
3. Relax (yoga)
4. Distract yourself – computer, outside or call someone on the phone, plan the next day, look at a cook book and pick a new recipe to try

Thought: I know myself. The next time I have a craving I won’t want to control myself.
Response: That’s probably true. But I can keep reminding myself that I don’t want to be at the mercy of my craving forever. To get rid of them, I’m always going to have to do one of the two things: either give in and eat and never lose the weight I want or use the anti-craving techniques so often that I just won’t have many cravings anymore. Once I find out these techniques really work, I’ll be able to wait out my craving so much more easily.


My plan for food tomorrow is

Breakfast: 1 bowl of cereal
1 banana
Milk
Lunch Spinach Salad
Watermelon
Snack PB and Jelly Sandwich
Before Dinner Four baby carrots
Dinner Grilled Salmon
Lots of Peas
Dessert Apple

I will do 30-60 minutes of yoga. (This depends on how long my kids nap.)

I need to remember to tolerate hunger and cravings and know that I can withstand them.

Breakfast Options
Cereal toast oatmeal malt o’meal
Milk 2 eggs milk milk
Banana canned fruit canned fruit canned fruit

Lunch Options
Salad
Fruit
And
Macaroni and cheese, or
Pasta with red sauce or
PB and Jelly Sandwich or
Egg Sandwich or
Ham Sandwich or
Chips and salsa (quesadilla for kids) or
Leftovers.

I am doing a great job following this book and planning. I will give myself no choice tomorrow and I will distract myself if I have cravings.

I think like a thin person.

Here is my Night Routine
Brush Teeth etc.
15 minute Tidy
Laundry
Write Tomorrow’s Meal Plan
Evaluate Today and Record Thoughts
Prayer
Read Next Day’s Plan
Check on 3yo to make sure he’s asleep

Tomorrow is the day I take control and eat like a thin person and become a thin person.