37th Week. a Light Bulb Moment

Goodness gracious it is cold outside! The car's thermometer read -4* and turnout at the meeting was light, but I was glad I went.

Saturday was a family birthday party. Coney dogs after a variety to chip and dip appetizers was dinner, followed by cake and ice cream. I began by planning ahead, but over ate anyway. The difference between pre-WW days and now is my level of consciousness. I was fully aware and mindfully made the choice to eat spinach dip, but I ate it on veggies instead of chips and crackers. In order to enjoy the cake and some ice cream and also a lite beer, I skipped the chili and bun when I had a hotdog along with a good sized portion of salad.

My point is that I had a good time at the party, didn't feel deprived and while I didn't track everything (how much spinach dip was on those carrots? how many points in that dip anyway??), I didn't get out of hand by my definition.

Ever hear a sermon or lecture and feel that the point of the speech was aimed directly at you? One or two sentences at today's meeting hit me over the head. Suzanne said that she has read that 95% of people with weight issues are emotional eaters and she personally thinks the other 5% are in denial. We all laughed but I still didn't see myself as an emotional eater. She went on to comment that those who don't feel they eat when they are happy or sad but eat because they like the taste or feel of certain foods are emotionally tied to that taste or feeling.

 

What I've been learning since June is that one bite of something tastes just as good as 27 bites. I WAS an emotional eater! We all hear phrases like "too much of a good thing is wonderful" and many sayings about chocolate and all that it can humorously cure. Weaknesses in my personality have never been drinking alcohol to excess or shopping to the point of creating a worrisome debt. I'm talking habits, not occasional indiscretions.  

So why was eating different? I don't know at the moment, and maybe I never will unravel that mystery. Since I began eating as if WW points were dollars on a budget, or thinking of food as fuel rather than a pleasure (taste and texture) that I should stockpile, I haven't had a problem.

I was down 1.6 pounds at the scale today, for a total of 53.9 pounds. Onward and downward, with the light bulb shining brightly!