I (almost) always have wholemeal bread, wholemeal crackers, salad veges, fruit, yoghurt, milk and tinned fish, reduced fat cheese, nuts and peanut paste in the house. If I'm hungry for a between meal snack, I use any and all of those things, and the best way, for me, is a carb, vege, protein combo - a mini-meal.

Most of the times I crave food though, it's not because of physical hunger, it's emotional, so a some diary writing, or chat to friends, a relaxation session and a walk would help better than food.

I emotionally eat as well. I like to go on forums, or try and take a quick nap (when I have the chance) when things get *emotionally* rough for me. Usually a nap brings everything back into perspective.

Also, on the food side, baked beans. (Popcorn I guess, but that's rare.) I tend to drink coffee, various kinds of tea - I don't like milk added, and I like chai tea, and lo-cal soft drinks. All those things take a while to get down and fill tummy space, so they can help after the food's eaten and before it's registered.

And also on the emotional side, there's music.

OMG. I LOVE black tea with 1 sweet and low. That is my ideal comfort drink.

Hi Brandy. That's cool that naps work for you. It sounds really logical and healthy.

I know it's often sleep I need, but I have a poor response to day time naps myself. I don't know if maybe something really short would help. I think under 10 minutes gets a recommendation as a booster. Maybe that would work, because it just so relaxes and destresses. My hormones start going weird when I sleep though and I have this tendency to wake up, half awake half asleep and do horrible things in the kitchen. I'm hoping that my new pattern in the morning, of always doing other things before I eat, instead of making eating the first thing I do after opening my eyes, might help give me a different pattern ... but I think it's more than habit ... it definitely feels like hormonal things to do with sleep have a big impact.

Yayeee!! So now I can buy hundreds of dollars in supplements!! What a great idea. Then I will be able to gain 20 pounds of muscle!! Yippee!!!

wait ... um ...

but ...

I just lost 20 lbs on purpose, mainly to be lighter.

Soz partha, your post's no use!

It is cool that I've lost 20 or so pounds though, don't you think? Seeing as I tried to.

With the 48 hr day, althought that would be dbl nights for me, LOL...

andTo the no binging stopping....

WooHoo for the number going downI mediate but I always fall asleep during mediation...I use c.d.s and I lay down , Im supposta sit but I think it makes no difference, it still works the same...I have been getting some pretty good heavy sleep.

I agree with finding some other souce of getting things out or distraction.

Ya know it could have been a lot worst...ou are getting there, you are right and you are managing and dealing with it

These are good foods and knowing it is emotional is the key...now you just gotta find what workse to deal with it at the moment and do what you can when and where you are...

HAHAHA - you cheeky lil thing you

Thanks, cinders.

I had some pms and a friend request from Partha, and I now think she might be an actual person who is trying to share what worked for her. So my apologies if I have been unreasonably flippant about your post Partha. We do often get similar looking posts here which are just the work of robots trying to sell something.

It is true that I'm not looking to build muscle though. Later on maybe, but not for months, and even then I wouldn't be looking for bulk. Also, I'm pretty happy with the way my weight is coming off right now, so I'm not looking for any special secrets, just to add to my knowledge bit by bit as I find the time and the need.

i always wanted to sleep early but fail. My mind seems to be working overtime and i only feel sleepy or tired after 1am in the morning...

is there anything wrong with me? Any suggestions.


rene

Anytime, Im sorry I haven't been by for a bit.:huug2:

Im so glad the scale is moving and you are happy with itI finally have the scale moving too...who would have thunk I would be one of the few ppl that loose when on a permant over night and not gain but in all reeality my body really needs very little right now to function...Im never hungry with working the nights...

I get reasonably flippant with spammers. Your first read was spot-on. I gave it its due attention

Spammerz! If you get an address, lemme know, I'll drop by an slap 'em.

20 pounds already, Felici?
Me = glad to hear it.

I can't tell if there's anything wrong with you. However, a lot of people have the same problem of not being able to get to sleep as early as they'd like. I don't think that means they have something wrong with them, but mostly I reckon they'd be better off, if they could.

Certainly anyone who is trying to lose weight will find it easier to do if they can get an amount of sleep that helps them feel good. From what I've read, and from people I know, the amount needed seems to fluctuate from person to person.

Most of the time, I don't have a problem getting to sleep. I have a problem getting to bed, which is something different to you, by the sound of it. My ongoing issue is more to do with time management and self discipline. Just recently, I've had a few nights where I can't easily sleep, after I go to bed. That's different. That's because of some unusual circumstances I'm in - the night before my first day in a job that I've been working towards for 10 years, for example. For that, I'm just sorry I couldn't sleep better, but rather resigned. It's not a thing I can practice dealing with really.

So, falling asleep isn't too hard for me. If it was I would try the things they suggest for insomnia. These ideas are off the top of my head - if I had a problem I'd google for websites specific to the issue.

- Try to get up at the same time every day.
- Don't eat too close to bedtime - maybe have milk before bed, though.
- Consider the possibility of alcohol related issues - this can lead to sleep disturbances.
- Take time to unwind before trying to go to bed - an hour or so of relaxing activities - not exercising too close to bedtime, not going on the computer too close to bedtime, or doing doing intellectually stimulating activities, though reading may be helpful.
- Try to develop a regular routine that leads to bed.
- Get enough exercise (but earlier in the day, not late in the evening).
- Deal with issues that are causing stress.

That last point is something I need to do regardless of being able to sleep or not. I talk about it in this diary quite a bit. One of the things I do that has come up here a bit is relaxation exercises. Actually the relaxation exercise routine I follow is an amalgam of many I've tried and practiced over the years. Because of the practice, I can relax my body very fast. I have to do more to develop the mental side of of it though. There are heaps of exercises on tape/CD. I don't know about youtube, I wouldn't be surprised if they have stuff there though. I do know that many people listen to a CD to help them relax and fall asleep - maybe a relaxation exercise that directs them to think in specific ways, maybe just some appropriate music. I've also had a few people here suggest yoga, which sounds like a great idea, though I haven't tried it.

Spending time getting relaxed can be worthwhile, because some of the relaxed state stays after the exercise is over. Learning to switch the process on is worthwhile, because it can be used repeatedly during the day if necessary. Of course, dealing directly with underlying issues causing stress, may be necessary, but additionally, considering how we are reacting to stressful events can have a big impact. Maybe the events can't be changed, but our way of thinking about them can ie Is it necessary to be stressed about them? Our thoughts impact on our emotions. For example, if someone should be with us but they haven't arrived - how do we feel? Before we find out the real reason, the way we feel depends on what we think (believe), about why they aren't there.

The other benefit of a relaxation exercise, is that it can be developed and combined with meditation or positive ideas that we want to put into practice in our lives - things like affirmations. These can have positive benefits all of their own in terms of helping us to get to where we want with our lives in general and with weight loss.

I hope that all doesn't seem too OTT as a response to your post. I guess a lot of this is just a reflection of where I'm at with what I'm trying to do, and thinking about your issue has sent me back clarifying the ideas I've been trying to work on for myself. Obviously I don't know a lot about your own position.

I'm glad to hear that things are working out for you. I saw your diary today because I went to new posts, which I haven't been doing lately. I don't think I've had the right diary on my subscription list - anyway, it's good to see that you're making progress. I really like the new do too.

This is very unusual spam! I have spam positive rep and all! I hear you though. Thanks.

Ta! You never know - maybe this will be the Saturday when I finally make it through the Saturday stuff back to the Health Club before it closes. (It closes so early on the weekends - 5 pm Saturday and 1 pm Sunday.) Anyway if I do, I will weigh in and post a weight. I am still way up on my numbers from this time last year, but I am down a nice bit on last November.

Today I stayed at school as long as I could, collecting a ton of stuff to do on the weekend, but using the time I was there to arrange things in the room and put up an alphabet display and number display. I had to fight off the head cleaner, who appears on Fridays to try and get the school closed even earlier than usual. I think we both made our positions clear - I won't push the deadline too tight, and I won't be chased out too early either. I was sort of comfortable about it, though I wish I didn't have to defend myself on that front.

Anyway, driving home and I got that Friday night cheesecake yen. I dealt with it during the drive, reminding myself of how often the reality of that pleasure falls so short of the idea. I even made a connection to the negative feelings it would lead to soon after I ate it and to the feeling of trying to buy a bathing suit with my body out of shape. It seems all very logical to think that way, but I don't usually.

I was home very briefly, before out again to shop with my daughter, including a few groceries and take-away Chinese for dinner. I was over the cheesecake, and any go for broke, binge starting thoughts but still wanting a bit of down time in my food. I dunno how healthy or unhealthy that was. It was certainly influenced by my not having eaten for a while, and by my generally lowish calories lately. So I added some planned extras to the evening - a glass or two of champagne (OK, Val, a pinot noir ), and a small amount of some quality chocolate.

I don't count that Chinese as all that special. It's just the easy serve yourself stuff, I've been getting on Fridays for a while. It would be more calories than an every night meal though. What I actually had was only one glass of champagne, the Chinese, a SkinnyCow icecream and the chocolate. By the time I ate the chocolate I wasn't that much in the mood for it any more, so maybe I should have skipped it (Idunno icon missing). Hopefully I got a yen out of my system though. Maybe not - I'm not interested now but there are all those damn Easter Eggs. I should have taken the time to eat between school and grocery shopping and then I might never have cared. Anyhoo, I doubt my calories were much over maintenance, if that, so it was all cool.

The awkward thing was that I was tired as and fading fast by the time I ate. So I fell asleep straight afterwards. That wouldn't be a problem if I was by myself, but I'd committed to watching a tv show with the girl (full of pornographic pictures of food). I dozed and watched, and then when it finished I got the expected call to go collect my son from a friends. The TV show was interesting, the experience was unpleasant though. I so felt like I was trapped in a bad place with cravings. I should say I was so sleepy that the sleepiness helped keep me resting instead of hunting food, but also I was remembering things like how I don't want to binge, and how Qjay said something that made me think he reckoned it took 5 hours to get over a craving, so maybe if I just waited it would go (even though it NEVER feels like it will ever go while it's there ... ). Anyway, time passed, the sleepiness passed, the craving passed. It's all good.

I am going to bed now and hopefully I will stay awake long enough to bliss out before I sleep.