One for the Vets on VSG Forum

That's high praise, BrotherMan.  Thank you.  Here's to just being ever watchful and willing.  :}

And this one final (haahahaha) thought about the self-destructive behaviors I was talking about.

The "substances" I use to nurture myself or flog myself are going to change.  The BEHAVIOR remains the same.

Example.  A binge is a binge is a binge.  It dosent matter if I am masturbating excessively, obsessively cleaning my house, eating tubes of raw cookie dough, or spending more money for things I do not need (or masturbating while eating tubes of cookie dough and spending too much money!  :} ).  While its a nice thing to know WHY I do those things, its more important for me to acknowledge that I DO those things, be watchful of my behavior, and make an exit strategy when I find myself heading that way, or if I become aware while I am there. 

I can "feel" when a binge (of whatever sort) is coming.  I can feel when I want to use a substance or a behavior to change my chemistry/mood, and for me to understand that I do this and recognize it is coming, helps me to say "hello weird and itchy feeling, I have been expecting you" and I dont have to FIGHTFIGHTFIGHT it, because its just a feeling, its not right or wrong, or true and wont last forever, its just how I feel at the moment. 

Knowing that in my past X thing  happened to me, and that binging on X was a way to numb/self soothe/distract myself is fine, but KNOWING things doesnt change my BEHAVIOR.  Acting differently changes my behavior. 

Just "believing in myself" isnt going to change my behavior, ACTING differently will change my behavior, and then feelings will follow.  So much we try and grunt up a FEELING and think its a long to change to our behavior, and mostly?  Its not.  The further we get away from the "thing" that was painful enough to make us decide to change - the less "feelings" will help to manipulate us.

Behaviors change when we act differently. 

Okay!  End of "footnotes" re: psychobabble :}

**also - I GOTZ THE ISSUES!!  :}  So, what I say absolutely does not apply to everyone - but it is what has been true about me in the past, and it is what has been true long enough that I need to recognize it and behave differently - so my future can look different than my past. 

peace out klownz! 

I am far from being a vet but I am 5 1/2 months out and have lost 94 lbs so I guess you would say I have been successful. My best advice to you is to follow your diet. I eat 3 meals a day and 1 snack. I try to keep my water intake as high as possible. I also (on most days) keep my protein over 60 grams and my carbs under 40 grams. I don't exercise as much as I should but I do try to keep active.

Good Luck!

My dear OH friends you all slay me with your generosity, knowledge and help daily. Thanks again for coming thru on these posts. You all rock. Blessings, Sharon