There’s no doubt I’m a stress eater – I can attribute at least 50 of the pounds I need to lose to specific traumatic events. Since starting this site, I’ve made some poor food choices, and I’ve given in to cravings on more than one occasion, but today is the first time I’ve really faced the challenge of eating to placate negative emotions.
Last week, ‘South Beach’ Steve over at Log My Loss launched the “Hot 100 Challenge” to get people to set weight-loss goals for the last 100 days of 2009. It’s a great idea and, knowing that working out has been a key factor missing from my current regimen, I decided my goal was going to be a minimum of 30 minutes in the gym, 3 days a week. The very next morning, I broke my toe ๐
“Oh well,” I thought to myself “I guess I won’t be participating after all.” And I’ve been limping around in sort of a funk ever since (not just from the toe mind you, it just seems to be icing on the maelstrom-of-problems cake I’ve been served recently).
So, today ended up being a terrible day at work, and on the drive home I was incredibly tempted to call up a friend of mine and hit up the local Claim Jumper to throw down one of the ridiculous meals we used to eat (a couple of years ago, I would easily take in 3500-4000 calories at such a meal). I wanted it real bad – I swear I could taste the bacon on the potato skins and the whip cream on the chocolate shake. I didn’t want to just cheat, or go over my calorie limit for the day, I wanted to gorge myself until I felt as bad physically as I did emotionally.
In the end, I stopped at the local deli and got a roast beef wrap. I’m really happy with the decision I made, and, in large part, it’s due to the accountability this site provides that I made it. So if you’re reading this, I want to say thank you.
I also want to announce my (revised) goal for the Hot 100 Challenge*: 3 pounds a week.
Just because I can’t get into the gym right away, doesn’t mean I don’t have other room for improvement. In the last 22 weeks I’ve lost 34.3, which averages out to 1.56 pounds per week, and for the next 93 days intend to double that figure. While not astronomical, it’s going to be a challenge, particularly while I’m kept inactive due to my toe, but I’m going to pull it off.
I totally understand the stress eating (aka emotional eating), I have been struggling with that too. Sometimes I eat just to quell the anger or unhappiness I feel in my heart, which honestly is a physical feeling. Hang in there!!! We’ll all figure it out somehow. ๐
“Don’t worry. I don’t have low self-esteem. It’s a mistake. I have low esteem for everyone else.”
Come drink some low-carb beer with me. I promise not to step on your toe.
Yeah, I have to get up there and see the house. Just seems like I’ve always got something going on. Since I got back from Jersey my schedule has been really crazy and funds have been really tight.
Soon, I swear.
Dude thats awesome. Every time you fight a craving like this, you gain strength. And if you need some extra motivation, I saw the one pic on facebook of you at the wamu reunion (um, random) but its your face, all close up and you look AMAZING!! your face looks so slim!!! Even since I last saw you, you look slimmer and healthier!!
Wow! Showing that kind of restraint in the face of emotional eating takes courage and strength. You have every right to feel good and to feel proud and to walk with your head held high. You made an awesome decision and it will show! Broken toes are the worst. Hard to work with and easily forgettable until you put weight on it and see stars! What about doing some upper body weight work while that puppy is healing? Does your gym have a hand bike? Take it easy and keep fighting.