Well, now. Having re-discovered the importance of making such things to myself, I will share my commitment to myself. I had made one, then lost track of it. It is clearly important to make commitments and then re-define them from time to time. When I started TSP after Easter I did so great for a month. Then I began treating myself to sugar treats again. Now I turn to such treats too often and feel bad about myself. I selfishly want to feel good about myself.

My new commitment to myself is to stick to the program in this way right now: No sugar except on holiday's so I can enjoy a slice of cake with my kids on their birthday's, etc. No more SomerSweet desserts except once a week, and in emergencies. Whole grain bread and pasta is OK. One SomerSweetened decaf mocha each morning is OK. Occasional white rice with dinner is OK if it is what my family is having and I am too tired to fix something else. (Young kids eat soo much white food).

This is where I am at right now and I am making the commitment to myself to stick with it. By the way, an emergency means when I am feeling the strong need, or powerless even, to avoid eating sweets or binging on something. I'd rather do it with a low carb, low sugar dessert like SomerSweet ice cream (that I will make and store in the freezer), than to eat Ben and Jerry's. (Like I did last night, and several other times recently).

My main focus is on good old sugar, which is really not good to me at all. Right? Right.

What a challenge getting off that stuff.

Judy

Hi Judy --

It's great to see how much thought you've put into your commitment to yourself. Can I offer you a few other suggestions that may help you stick to your plan too?

If you have a really bad sweet craving, try having some protein first...you know, maybe fill up a bit on ham rolls and cheese or a hard boiled egg. If you still really want the sweet stuff then go ahead. Having something low-carb in your stomach before you eat a high carb food will slow the release of sugar into your blood stream (at least in theory) and hopefully reduce the amount of insulin released.

If your weight loss stalls or you are having a particularly hard time with avoiding carbs during the day...you may want to take another look at the decaf mocha in the morning. Even artificially sweetners can cause some people to spike insulin and lead to cravings.

Finally, the best thing to do with a binge or emotional eating is try to figure out why it happened and/or chalk it up to "how I ate yesterday" and move on.

I think your commitment is great and wish you luck in sticking with it!

Lisa

Hi Judy!
great thots on being good to yourself! having a plan and sticking with it is awesome! i do atkins a few days a week, but incorporate more carbs via TSP plan on weekends. my energy level is way up and i am on track again, finally!

good luck!

Hi Judy,
You are a brave woman and I try to remember it's progress not perfection. I'm in a hell of a better place than I was 5 weeks ago. One hint: When I get a craving I eat a teaspoon full of bee pollen and as LisaF mentioned I'll eat a treat only with/after my protein and other favorable food. Take care! Maureen

It is being fun having a renewed commitment not to eat sugar! I'm doing great on the carbs! Lisa, you made it to your goal weight, eh? Congratulations!! Are you still enjoying TSPing just as much? I continually find that the longer I do it, the more I like it. The times I am unable to do it just right because I have not been able to get to Whole Foods Market to shop, I miss it!

I wanted to elaborate on my vice, my morning decaf mocha! At this point I can not fathom giving it up, and I don't see it as an interference for me as yet. Cuz here is my morning routine: Wake up, take a Synthroid pill for the low-thyroid (which has gotten better, by the way), wait one hour, drink my ImmunePro undenatured whey protein (for the CFS, and it is healing my thryoid by surprise!), wait 20 minutes to 1/2 hour, take my Integris Life Solubles for all my vitamins and antioxidants, and take my other amazing supplements, make my decaf mocha with: instant decaf, unsweetened cocoa, SomerSweet, dash of cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, heavy whipping cream (4 carbs), and off I go for my morning drive to the Regional Park where I walk/run 2 miles five days a week. I sip the mocha on the way there in the car, but I especially cherish it after my walk! I savor it, and take the last swallow after my TSP breakfast when I am back home.

So, you see, I have a little bit of bliss carved out for myself each morning. In my mind it is such a minor imbalance that it goes against logic to split hairs over it.

It is really great reading about the successes in here.
Thanks for posting!

Judy

Hi Judy...yes, I still enjoy TSPing as much as I always have! It has provided a great balance for me....

As for your morning routine...it sounds great and if you are happy with it then don't give it up. What I was sayingis that if you weight loss suddenly stops and you've been eating according to plan all along, then the mocha may be the problem. But as long as YOU are happy with how things are, I see no reason to change it!

Keep truckin'

Lisa

One thing I noticed in your post that you might tweak (when you can handle it)... when I finally made the commitment to eat better and love myself enough to succeed was to bring my husband and our two boys along for the ride.
They are now eating the whole grain bread, the whole wheat pasta, the brown rice. I decided that it was SO important for them to learn how to eat right at a young age, rather than get fully addicted to the things that have caused us so many problems.
They are getting to withdraw a little slower than me and hubby did; they still have unauthorized snacks too often, but once the transition is made fully, they will only cheat with us, when it is planned.