8:41am

Okay, so. i haven't been doing the greatest with my "life-change." Of course the vacation was in there, and it's not like i've been gorging myself everyday...but i can definitely notice a change. i feel heavier, and not just weight-wise. i've been making okay decisions, but some of them could have been better. ALRIGHT. A lot better. Dammit.

i don't know if this has anything to do with it at all, but...a few days ago, i just really got sick of taking care of people. Sometimes i get this way - where it seems like everything i do, every word out of my mouth is to make sure others are okay, to make their days better, to do whatever i can for other people. And...well, i just got tired of it. No matter what i said, i felt like it was for someone else's benefit - placating someone, reassuring someone, making their mood better, etc. So maybe if i got sick of taking care of other people...maybe i got sick of taking care of myself and just kind of...put it on the back burner for a bit. i dunno. i don't feel hopeless, or like i've ruined my chances...but i know i need to get back on track.

i need help, but i don't know what kind of help i need.

We had a great, great vacation. We timed it perfectly, leaving just when it was getting busy. We had an awesome condo to stay in, and Darrin had his first experience in a jacuzzi. *snickers* i wouldn't be surprised if i came home to one some day.

i think that i really needed the time away - not just from work, but to really reconnect with Darrin since our big breakdown. i feel like we're doing so much better, and i feel so good about where we are, and where we're going. We had so much fun together, and i fell in love with him all over again.

Beyond that...i wish i had something more interesting to say, but...alas, i am wordless. *chuckles* i'm ready to get back on track with my eating habits again. i bought the Volumetics book, but wasn't really impressed.

Tomorrow will be busy, as i've got payroll to do tomorrow, and after being gone for a week, i'll need to make sure everything is spot-on before noon.

Tuesday - 7:04am

i kind of feel a little disgusted with myself. i've been eating alright, but i can't seem to get in the groove of exercising. Over the weekend, i took two two-mile walks, but i didn't do anything yesterday. i know i make excuses that i work long hours, i don't have time, etc...but i can't make excuses anymore if i want to make changes. If i really want to change my life, excuses are not going to cut it anymore.

3:48pm

i'm beginning to wonder if i should be so diligent about the "numbers." Counting calories, weighing myself, etc. Part of me is wondering if that is actually hindering my progress. i almost feel like it's a crutch - i can eat whatever i want, as long as i stay within the prescribed number of calories. This change isn't about numbers for me - i really have no "goal weight" or anything. So why am i putting so much emphasis on it? i know it's important information, but...is it being helpful in actually changing my HABITS? i don't know. And then, of course, i wonder if that's just me trying to justify not keeping track anymore because i feel like it's too much work. Meh. =(


Wednesday - 10:31am

Darrin and i went for another walk last night, and i had a really good salad for dinner. That helped me feel better about how things were going. i did weigh myself just out of curiousity this morning, and i was at 257. Not bad, really. i need to think of a really good reward that i can give myself when i hit 30 pounds. i think i want to wait until i hit and maintain 30 pounds - maybe for a week? And then reward myself. It's only 4 more pounds, and Darrin and i are going walking again tonight.

i heard a song on the radio on the way into work this morning (at the asscrack of dawn) that said "You love me, but you don't know me..." That kind of got my mind wandering. i don't know that i could answer the question of "Who are you?" i've got a few general ideas, but i don't have specific answers as to who i am. It also made me wonder who i am to other people. Anyway - random thought.

Tuesday - 1:33PM

i actually tried to do a little reading last night from "The End of Diets: Healing Emotional Hunger." i can't seem to just sit down and read it, it seems like i have to go in spurts because it makes me cry. How girly is that?

Anyway...there was a quote at the beginning of one of the chapters (not like i read that many) that said something along the lines of "The thing in your life that you deny the most holds the most power in your life." i'm not exactly sure of the exact wording, but it was something like that. And it's true...the thing that i am most afraid of at any given time is the reality for me.

For instance: when i was certain that i would never be the slave i dream to be, when the thought terrified me and kept me up at night that i would never realize this growing part of me - it was true. i wasn't being the slave i could be, certainly not the slave i am now (small part that it is). i was taking actions that drove people away from that side of me because of my fear. i guess a part of me felt like i was taking measures to protect what felt very fragile and vulnerable to me by forcing people away from it.

For instance x2: This one is a more subvert, and therefore more scary to me. Food holds great power in my life. i didn't realize this until very recently, and now i struggle with it more than i care to admit. Sounds dramatic, doesn't it? i wish i didn't struggle, but i do, and i need to acknowledge it before i can succeed against it. i never knew what i was doing with my relationship to food, and now, it's gotten me into a place i don't want to be. Yes, i'm 28 pounds away from that place, but i have a long, long way to go.

i could go on a diet and loose the weight. i know i could. But i need to change my behaviors, and that's what is scary. It's like...food is comfortable, you know? Why should i not be comfortable? But i also know that being comfortable isn't allowing me any growth...at least mentally speaking. =/


Wednesday - 9:35am

Last night as i was driving, i was hit rather suddenly with exhaustion. By the time i got home, i was definitely feeling it - Darrin said i was acting strange. This morning, i am in a funk i can't seem to get out of. Usually when i come to work, those feelings disappear because i can focus my mind on other things. But today...it's not working. i feel like i'm ready to burst into tears, while at the same time feeling oddly numb. i want to hide from every single person on the planet. i talked to Darrin earlier and he got so worried that i tried to play it down...but i don't think he bought it.

One shred of silver lining...i'm not hungry.


Monday - 3:30pm

Wednesday i ended up leaving work early, and i took a mental health day on Thursday. i felt better after that, and had a good weekend. Right now, i'm in the process of booking our vacation. =)