Start of the Third Week on Management!

It's been a good week 2.  I have not deviated from the programme, nor wanted to. 

I am still following the principles of Paul McKenna and stopping when I am full, eating slowly, and savouring the food I have been eating this week.

This has been instrumental in my current success, I think. I was so worried that once I began eating again after so long, I would possibly not be able to stop.  Thankfully that has not been the case so far, and I do not believe it will be the case in the near future.  I went to the LL meeting tonight and we discussed the different things which may lead us to eat when we are not hungry. 

Boredom, procrastination (avoiding doing something we don't want to do), fed-up, tired (can't be bothered cooking something healthy), angry at partner but can't communicate our feelings, habit, don't want to feel left out (social situations).  There are a lot of things that lead us to eating. 

We talked about what strategies we could use to stop us from giving in to those feelings and situations.  Distraction was a popular one, writing out 'thought records' was another.  The act of writing down and analysing thoughts and behaviours and coming to a healthy conclusion is one of my favourites.   

Driving home, I thought about the meeting and the constant vigilance that is needed to counteract 'crooked thoughts', those thoughts that lead us to eat when we are not hungry, and that have been the cause of our serious weight issues. 

I have come to realise that these 'crooked thoughts' will never really leave me.  They will always be in my head waiting to pounce when I am vulnerable.  I guess that I will have to learn to live with them and take it one day at a time.  I can never have a day off, never relax.  I feel ok about it at the moment, it is good to know and be aware, I hope I never forget!