One more thing about not beating myself up over treats.

I alluded some time ago to having lapsed in and out of bulimia in the past.  

This is one reason it's really, really, really important for me not to get into a headspace where I eat something and immediately afterwards feel that I should not have eaten it.  I know where that leads if it happens often enough.  You could call that headspace a "near occasion of sin."

....In the long term, this is why  I must regard no food as off-limits or "bad;"  

...in the medium term, this is why I must accept that I can and will, at times, choose to eat a larger-than-usual meal, and that I can and will eat a smaller-than-normal meal next time;

...in the short term, this is why  I must stop eating before I get so full that I have an ongoing physical sensation reminding me that I just ate a big meal and it's still in my stomach.

Avoiding guilt-over-food, both by reducing the guilt and by reducing the food, is not just a feel-good thing nor a weight-loss strategy.  For me it is, shall we say, medically necessary.

Comments

[mary]

I agree that it's really important to not view any food as bad. I'm trying to practice that with my daughter and instill the "in moderation" ideal.

I'm having a major problem now at 6 months pregnant that I feel I can barely eat anything without feeling uncomfrotably full. I'm also waking up at night with uncomfortable reflux, even if I eat several hours before bed. The bummer here is that I feel I can't even have a "treat" since I can comfortably eat so little to begin with... And I've been having some mildly painful cramps, so have initiated my "drink lots of water to avoid contractions" regime. I'm definitely enjoying this pregnancy less than the first.

[entropy]

I am so happy to read about your excitement and satisfaction of reaching your goal weight. Heartfelt Congratulations!

I don't remember exactly how you reached that number. Did you just go by what is recommended for your frame? And in the beginning did you think that it was too low a number, that you would be "too skinny" once you got there. Also, now that you're there, is it a comfortable place to be?

I would like to lose my baby weight plus the 25 lbs I already had before she was born but that's still probably 15-20 lbs more than my 'ideal' weight according to some charts. I don't want to be that skinny. I guess because I think I won't feel like me anymore and I'm worried about the extra skin thing and think that those few extra pounds might smooth things out a bit. ;)

I'm curious to know what you think.