Food Plan

[sugarssweetpea]

I am going to try to do something that I have really never done before, but seems to work for others. I did a calorie counting thing once where I wrote everything down that I ate & how many calories/fat there was for the day. I had limits & was able to stick to them, but then I became too focused on them & even if I was not hungry, I would eat that amount of calories.

I have decided to for a little while though to try to make a food plan every morning & stick to it.

1/2/08:

Breakfast: Bowl of Bran Flakes, Banana & 2 hard boiled egg whites

Lunch: Salad with carrots, baked bonless/skinless chicken breast, cauliflower, zucchini & squash, 1/2 apple & cashews/almonds

Snack: natural cheetos (I am going to try not to snack & if I do have to have one, make it veggies, fruit, nuts or pretzles)

Dinner: Beef stew with lean beef, carrots, onions & red skin potatoes.

I am going to try not to eat anything after dinner. If I do, I will stick to raw carrots.

I also plan to get more active, take daily walks, play more & work in the yard more.

I do not know how long I am going to post everything, but I want to see if it will help.
Thanks for letting me share.

[dave47]

Thanks for sharing Sugarssweetpea.

[Gambaru]

Way to go SSP. I find planning my food helps so much as it stops me getting caught short and also obsessing about what food I will eat later in the day. Fail to plan = plan to fail. Good luck!

[sugarssweetpea]

Since I ate an early dinner tonight (we went to church), when we got back, I was super hungry & I did have a sandwich & a little bit more stew. I still feel good about the day. No junk. I will post tomorrows plan in the morning.
Thanks & goodnight.

[Biscuits]

Hi Sugarssweetpea

Great to hear that you are going to try using a plan of eating, it is a tool today that i cannot do without. My desease is very powerful and cunning and is only looking for a small crack to slip back into my life but as long as i continue to work program in my life and use the tools of recovery it can find no way in. They are if you like my sheild of protection against a very powerful demon.

Yesterday was a great day for me, when i wrote my food plan in the morning i was convinced i had some minced beef in the freezer for my spaghetti bolognese but when i checked there was none. I had a choice to make, either change my food plan or walk into the village to get some. Today i chose to walk into the village to buy what i needed for my meal, these are miracles all be it small in my life today as it shows i will go to any lengths to stay in recovery. Years ago i would have just rustled something together but i love myself too much to put my recovery at risk today.

Hope it works out for you, just a little note about what i've leanrt about using a plan of eating. I know for me when i get bogged down with fat content and calories it doesn't work out well for me as this in itself becomes an obsession and reminds me too much of all the diet clubs i had attended before i found OA. I today choose to write my food plan before i have even left my bed, when my life is calm and i head is clear, this allows me to make the right choices concerning my food. I also learnt that i get it wrong sometimes and maybe do not plan enough food for a day but i have also learnt that i will not starve between meals so i stick to my food plan and learn from the experience. Remeber that a food plan is only a tool to be used along side so many others, on its own it is only a diet.

One day at a time we can live free of the bondage of food.

Loves and huggs

[dave47]

Reading your posts Sugar, you are pretty inspiring yourself.

[sugarssweetpea]

Today's food plan is as follows:

Breakfast: Bowl of bran flakes with a banana, 5 almonds & 2 hard boiled egg whites

Lunch: Salad with cauliflower, chicken breast, carrots, zucchini & squash, strawberries

Snack: Grapes

Dinner: Extra lean hamburger, Broccoli, red skin potatoes

Snack: raw carrots w/ lite ranch


Remeber that a food plan is only a tool to be used along side so many others, on its own it is only a diet.

Thank you for that. I started working 12 step plan & am getting a Life Recovery Bible as well. I am really trying to do this differently this time. I am needing to get past this last addiction & have come to the realization that I cannot do it on my own. I need to surrender my will to God's will daily & live a life of obedience to Him. Then I will experience true freedom of the bondage of food addiction. I have never been more serious about it than now.

I thank everyone for all of your ES&H and for all of your encouragement. You all are truely a blessing.

[sugarssweetpea]

I actually did not eat everything on my plan today. Was not hungry. I did not eat the whole salad for lunch, only the chicken breast & I did not have the grapes for a snack. I am going to have the carrots though as I am feeling hungry. It is also a mind over matter thing I think sometimes with having to eat at night. I am working on that. I just also seem to be hungrier at night for some reason. I did not get out for a walk today, BUT I did 2 hours of lawn mowing (with a push mower of course).I feel good today. Really good. I thank you God for giving me the strength & energy to get through the last 3 days & be obedient to you.

[lightseeker]

SSP -

your post is inspiring. I was thrilled to hear that someone could get through the day and not be hungry. It's been so long since I've felt that way. Good to know that it can happen!

Donna

[sugarssweetpea]

What's funny about that is that I was really hungry last night. My stomach was so empty & I almost got up and ate something at 11:30, but decided that would not be a good idea, so I did not. If I eat the amount I plan to, or know that is enough (portion size), sometimes I am still a little bit hungry. What I have found in the past though, is after about 1-2 weeks of being obedient in this & not overeating, I actually get full from that amount. Sometimes I cannot even eat that amount. It is pretty cool.

[Gambaru]

Well done SSP. Isn't it cool when we become aware of the real physical hunger signs? Yea for you!

[sugarssweetpea]

Sorry this is so late, but today's food plan:

Breakfast: Bowl of bran flakes, banana, cashews

Lunch: Salad (see above), grapes

Snack: Pretzles

Dinner: Pork chop, green beans, red skin potatoes

Snack: Raw carrots with light ranch

[Gambaru]

Keep up the great work ssp.

[sugarssweetpea]

Had applesauce(no sugar) & cottage cheese instead of the red skin potatoes & no snack tonight.

I have a hard time making & sticking to a food plan b/c I am not used to it & sometimes change my mind on what to eat forgetting that I made the plan. I will get used to it & am thankful that my choices when they do vary from the plan are still healthy ones.

[sugarssweetpea]

Today is as follows:

Breakfast: Grape Nuts, banana, 1 hard boiled egg white

Lunch: Salad (see above), strawberries, almonds

Dinner: three hot dogs (roasted over a bonfire), a handful of baked bbq chips, handful baked doritoes.

Snack: chocolate teddy grahams (I bought them as an alternative to the smores that I made for the rest of my family for the bonfire). They are low fat & have whole grain.

[sugarssweetpea]

Breakfast: Grape nuts & banana

Lunch: 2 corn shell hard tacos (one with steak, one with chicken) both with salsa, jalepeno peppers & guacemole. Brown rice & black beans

Snack: chocolate teddy grahams (struggling b/c the leftovers from the smores are still in the house, BUT husband is getting them out tomorrow. )

Dinner: 1/2 pork chop & veggies

Snack: baked doritoes & cashews

**note** I also have one cup of coffee in the morning & one glass of either cranberry juice or grape juice a day, 24 oz of milk & all the rest water.

[Gambaru]

Hang in there ssp and throw those smores out - put some bleach on them first! One is too much 100 of them isn't enough, well at least for me!

[sugarssweetpea]

Yes I agree, that is why I did not have any. I chose to have the teddy grahams instead. Anyway, I have decided that after the baked chips I have in the house are gone, I am not going to buy anymore of those either. It seems that they are a trigger as well as I seem to have to have them every day when they are here. I also over eat with them. Oh well, live & learn.

[sugarssweetpea]

I had a rough day with eating today. I overate on the baked chips & also dinner & had 4 cookies & 2 cups of soda this evening at a meeting I was at. I could try to justify it, but for some reason I knew before I left the house that I was going to eat it. Maybe anxiety about the meeting. I don't know. Anyway, back to it tomorrow. Obedience & healthy eating choices. This one day is not going to ruin the week.

[Jwife22]

Hi Sugar----one day at a time. I calorie count too. Make sure you are getting at least 1,200 calories a day. That's what it takes for your body to function. Also make sure you have no more than 1,000 calorie deficit a day so that you don't head toward starvation mode.

((((sugar)))) Its sooooo hard to lose weight and soooo hard when all these good things are out there to eat! But what a great attitude you have about losing weight the right way and not allowing a one day mess up to ruin your whole week!

[sugarssweetpea]

The few days after I ate the cookies on Monday went well. Got out walking, ate well. Then it seems that I became under a bit more stress & I have felt my anxiety levels raising lately. ANyway, I do not want to justify it by any means. I caved today. Actually it started last night. I ate very well all day until dinner. Then I could not stop eating. I overate & then ate leftovers late at night. When I got up this morning, I weighed in up three lbs probably from a combination of the building of muscle & eating so late. ANyway, I got upset with myself, causing more anxiety & stress & I have had a really bad eating day. All junk food. Really bad. Ice cream bar, crackers with butter, hot cheetos, m&m's, munchos, pizza, rueben sandwich, soda. AWFUL. Anyway, I don't feel any better, I feel worse. Back to healthy eating tomorrow. Not going to let it spiral. I have so many confusing feelings right now it is not even funny. I want to write about them, but do not even know how to explain them. Sometimes I feel like my brain thinks so messed up. Want to crawl out of my skin, want to scream, want to cry, want to laugh. All at the same time. I am tired, but do not want to sleep. Very anxious, very nervous. Lots of frustration today. Mixed with a little bit of depression, but able to laugh. Trying to figure all this out. I know that I feel a lot better when I am eating healthy & exercising. I feel free. True freedom. Thanks for listening (or I should say reading).

[Nina Kay]

SSP,
The main thing that I've learned since I've been here, is that the most important step is to get right back up and start again on your recovery program. Start right now and start where you are. You can start over at any time. You don't have to wait till tomorrow or next week. You can actually start over in the middle of the day, the end of the day, and so on .............. I'm so glad that you came here and shared this with us. You have to know that I surely understand, as you've been reading in my posts. We can't let this destructive eating disorder win and make us forever miserable. We will turn it over to God, as many times as it takes.
((((((((((((((((Understanding Hugs))))))))))))))))))))

[sugarssweetpea]

Thank you Nina for your encouraging words. I really need them right now. I blew it again today. Went shopping hungry (actually went shopping this afternoon b/c my husband is working & I knew that he would not see the chocolate I was going to buy (did buy)). I ate two candy bars, half of a large candy bar & about 7 mini reeces pb cups. Also ate 4 hot dogs & a slice of leftover pizza. I did throw all of it in the garbage. I do not know what is going on. Last week, I was doing so well, so positive. Then all of a sudded out of nowhere - BAM - and I am back to the same old stupid emotional self. I am so tired of this emotional rollercoaster. I do know that I am still struggling in my quiet time. Have a hard time getting up in the morning, but I have noticed that the days that I struggle most with my emotions & struggle with my eating & anxiety, frustration, anger & such have been the days that I do not get up & spend time with God first thing in the morning before anyone awakes. He gives me the strength I need to get through the temptation, I cannot do it without Him. I do not know why I insist on trying. Laziness of wanting to sleep in in the morning. Anyway, I have some reduced fat chips & some cheese dip that I bought that I will consume later. I cannot fool myself into thinking I will not. Anyway, I have my alarm set for the morning & hopefully tomorrow will be a lot more of a positive day. Need to die to self. Humble myself, stop going after the instant gratification & live in obedience to His will, not mine. Thanks once again for listening.

[Gambaru]

Hang in there ssp. You can do this! Don't stop believing in yourself.

[sugarssweetpea]

I am feeling pretty depressed. Tired, depressed & up 5 lbs. 5 Lbs since Thursday b/c of all of the junk & amount of food I've eaten. Utterly ridiculous. I could have been down another couple if I would not have done that. I know that I am not supposed to focus on what I have done, I am just so frustrated with myself. I am so unhappy in this body. Every time I get going & start feeling up & good from the food change & exercise, I go & mess it up & eat what makes me feel terrible. Why do I do this to myself? Why can I not just do what is good for me. Is there a sick part of me that likes to feel bad? That likes depression? I don't know. I did get up & have my quiet time this morning, but on that note I am ashamed of what I have done to the body that God has given me. I know that He is a loving God, a God of second chances, but I am so tired of disappointing Him. Tired of letting everyone down. I am sorry.