*shy* hi everyone... this is my first ever post...
i don't mean to bring everyone down or be a poor influence, but... do you ever feel like you're never going to be able to do 'this' (stick with our WOE(s), maintain a healthy weight)? i'm supposed to be on induction, eating only proper foods, but... i live in a really bad situation and despite the bad things unhealthy eating does for me, food is my only solace and, i find myself ...although very tiny, needing to one tiny piece of not-allowed sugar free candy when i am finally alone and relieved - and having to stop myself from it being a whole lot more or finding myself wanting to bend those rules (like, rationalizing how bad the damage will be if i surrender to one piece of low carb bread) - to survive my sadness ...and i don't know what it's doing to my efforts and i don't know how long i can keep them up, and i feel like a failure...
have any of you ever been in this place - trying to not continually fall down at your WOE but, desperately emotionally needing at least a little bit of inappropriate food to cope? and if you were in the strict stage, how bad was the damage from those little cheats?

*sigh* ...i just need to get out of this place...

well, thanks to anyone who read this...

~*blu*~

Putting your emotional needs first can be an integral part of succeeding with the needing food for comfort.

Feel free to start a journal of your own so that others can encourage and help you along the way.

Emotional eating is not easy to deal with. Finding the source of that emotional discomfort is important nonetheless.

I know the place you're in very well, and I know the comfort food can bring...immediately. But I think I've found that when my world is coming down on me and everything is out of my control....food becomes the one thing I CAN control, and that's where LC'ing helps me. It doesn't take stress, sadness or fear away...but it gives me one thing in my life thats stable.

I hope the clouds clear for you soon.

I eat emotionally too, to numb feelings of anger and resentment that I feel too. What I finally feel works for me is to allow myself to continue comforting myself this way but developing my own comfort foods from LC sources.

For example, I used to love eating desserts of any kind- I felt bereft when I realized those had to go. But then I realized that almost everytime I had dessert, I also had a cup of coffee with it.

So, now one of my major comfort foods is a cup of coffee which I make luxurious by adding flavours, spices, cream, cocoa etc, etc, etc. So I still get my emotional fix, but I'm no longer damaging myself with the excess carb load.

Are you a cook? Do you love to experiment in the kitchen? you can teach yourself to customize and create new favourites by researching cooking/baking techniques and flavour combinations and trying the hudnreds of recipes on the Kitchen forum here. Once you let your creative juices flow through your mind, you might just find that your creativity can be your outlet for negative emotions. I know that it works really well for me.

I wish you the best, and hope you can find a workable LC way if LC is really the way you feel you need to go. You are very small so try not to get too small ok?

thank you all...

you all made really good suggestions...

again, i don't want want to be a negative influence here but ...gosh, it is just taking all i have not to cave in. i used to be deathly heavy and i know i don't want to go back there and i try to ask myself "do i want to gorge myself on this pasta and put my life in danger again?" but sometimes, the only peace i can find in my life, is late a night, curled up in a ball, eating some kind of dessert and on the edge of crying... you see, i live in an abusive home and i'm all alone, and i'm crumbling and/or going crazy...
i have to somehow survive until things change ...though i don't know when that could be...

thanks you all...

Are you a child living at home with abusive parents, or an adult living with an abusive partner? I have been in both situations and understand the comfort that can come from endulging in comfort foods. The problem is that the food NEVER provides a long term solution. There are people available in just about every area that are willing to help you find a long term solution to your situation. Please take the time to research your options for improving your living situation. No one deserves to be mistreated.
As far as the diet is concerned. Dr. Atkins said in the rules of the induction diet "you are on a qualitative diet. This means that if the food is not on your diet, you are to have absolutely none of it. Your ""just this one taste won't hurt"" rationalization is the kiss of death on this diet."
As I said before, I know how strong the pull of our favorite comfort foods are, but they really are not helping your situation any. Please find the kind of help that will improve your life. I wish you the best.

"Dr. Atkins said in the rules of the induction diet "you are on a qualitative diet. This means that if the food is not on your diet, you are to have absolutely none of it. Your ""just this one taste won't hurt"" rationalization is the kiss of death on this diet."
As I said before, I know how strong the pull of our favorite comfort foods are, but they really are not helping your situation any. Please find the kind of help that will improve your life."

...i know i'm not supposed to be eating things and i DON'T think that just one taste won't hurt - i eat one tiny sugar free candy and i don't think that it won't hurt, i beat myself up enough over it...
thanx...

I was just quoting the book, I did not mean to sound like I was judging you. If you are using Low carb alternatives to what you would normally eat, you are making better choices. The point that I was trying to make was that you deserve to be treated well and would benefit greatly by trying to improve your living situation. I'm sorry if I offended you.

thank you for writing back, suzanne... for some reason, although i had visited the thread after your first response, i didn't receive a later notification when you replied again ...i don't think you meant to sound harsh, i just felt kind of shamed (i know it's against the rules to eat certain things and, cheating is cheating no matter how little ...but i was confiding how i have been feeling unable to fight the intense urges...) but thank you for writing back ...it's okay...

about my situation, i just don't have much options ...i don't have any money (i'm not seeking charity here, i'm just explaining) and don't know how to drive to be able to just go away to somewhere (if i had a car, at this point i'd even live in it...), and i don't have any friends... i wish i knew how to drive and had a car because besides sleeping in it, i'd like to be able to take a little of my belongings at least, some people say ...who cares about things, go on foot to a shelter, but... i literally can't even afford bus far and am not well enough to take myself to a shelter, and i don't have the personal strength to be completely homeless (IF i can survive this one *sigh*) ...my little things, some are irreplaceable and if there was any way i'd like to be able to hold on to them ...i've just got to survive somehow...

thank you for lending your support...

~*blu*~

I think many of us have used food for our coping mechanism and yes it is a hard thing to break. But ... (if you are) being in an abusive relationship, or in a an unsafe environment is no excuse to give in. YOU are worth more then giving in to it. Perhaps online journaling, social networks like facebook or myspace can at least burn "Time" and allow you other ways of venting then food. Even come here and post away, read success stories, play in the journals. It's time to learn and find NEW coping mechanisms for you! I ... personally deep clean, play on facebook, blog, read, and maybe piddle here every now and then.

The most important thing is that you are safe. IF not, you need to call some kind of authorities, and find out what your options are and how to get help.

no excuse to give in? ...a person is suffering and, i mean, i wasn't looking for you to be like "there, there ...eat all the carbs you want, you're having a really hard time, poor darling", but... treating it like i'm being weak or something? i don't think posting here was a good idea, please disregard my original post
...thank you to the people who responded here that were kind and caring ...good luck to all in your weight loss journeys~

I, honestly (and I don't want to step on any toes), think you have every right to feel the way you do! If the situation you are in makes you want to eat to make yourself feel better, than that is how it makes you feel! Nobody should judge you (I am not saying anyone is) for feeling that way. And don't beat yourself up FOR feeling like that. If you need someone to talk to (I have had a rough time in my life as well), please talk to me. I am always on here. And also remember that everyone's opinion differs. Do what works for you!

Foxy

dear foxy, i want to email or pm you but, i can't figure out how ...are we allowed to contact each other? i don't want to break any rules but i do want to talk to you ...in case i'm never able to get in touch ...there's so much more i want to say, but... thank you, from the bottom of my heart... that's all i can say... i'll be here in case you write back-- ~*blu*~

I didnt mean what I said the way it was taken. Rather then trying to explain ~ i will just simply offer an applogy.

okay, sheila, thank you for your good intentions... ~*blu*~