For starters, it could be your environment that's causing you to eat. It's why the majority of America is fat. Even though they're not truly hungry... in the evening when it's time to unwind from a long day... food is part of the unwinding process.
That's why most Americans overeat their calories in the PM hours.
Replacing a "goofy" goal with a "refined" goal should nt make you feel like a failure. It should make you feel smart. It's part of the learning process.
Hey Steve, I'm surprised how few people have talked about their environment, jobs, or other stress factors on this forum. A lot of people seem to think its beside the point. For me its everything. I eat from stress and have tried to change my environment to find a balance. I know when I went to Greece on a volunteer working vacation (earthwatch.org) I felt the structure made me feel very calm and since I knew exactly when I would have free time to myself in the afternoon, I did not get distressed about "what if I dont get to eat again until...?" which is often the case for me in jobs like admin assistant or retail. However on the Mediterranean, its normal to sleep, take a nap in the middle of the afternoon. I responded very very well to our worjking schedule, had no problems sleeping, and this is why after taking the LSAT Exam and getting a good score, I refuse to go to law school. I know in my bones the stress will kill me, and the only time you can "schedule" for exercise would be indoors somewhere at a tennis club or gym near your conglomerate law firm. Well I want to study hydrology now and spend part of my days outdoors, with more easy going people, for lower pay, and work my way up to a higher paying job, rather than feeling indebted to loans the minute I start working. When in greece I ate fruit and a small piece of toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and salads and/or pasta with veggies for dinner, drank only water. The time was very structured, but included big blocks of free time, which we dont get here in the states. Here's how it went: Wake up at 8. Have til 9 to get ready and eat a breakfast, do some reading if you have time left over. 9 we leave to go work on the boat. 4 hours on the boat. 1 we come back, have free time til 2:30 at which point we eat lunch. Free time can be spent sleeping, eating, or walking about town. After lunch, we watch eduacational/instructional videos and do work on cropping photos. Then we have dinner, and have free time after dinner for about an hour, then go to bed at 10 or 11. YOu get the idea.
However, how does this help M?
Hi M - I was wondering if you would be willing to give up the coffee/splenda? I know it probably isnt much in the way of calories but coffee has an intense affect on our brains and our feelings, and maybe its making you more hungry or less satieted? I wonder how the effect of only drinking water would increase your fitness/slimness? Hope this helps. And I totally get why you want to drop the last 7 pounds. I remember in 8th grade I was ten pounds more than the other girls but felt a million times away from them. = Ash
Seriously - having a scale makes a world of difference for me. You can get one at Target for around $25.
