Emotional Eating

I always knew I was a compulsive overeater -- I always want "more" food, and actual hunger has nothing to do with it. It really hit home for me yesterday that I am also an emotional eater. A couple of days ago I came down with a bad chest cold. It was lousy, and my lungs burned when I coughed. I have to be very careful with infections because they tend to run rampant due to immunosuppressant meds I take for rheumatoid arthritis. A bad chest cold usually turns into pneumonia and a full week off work. When my fever got up over 100, I was positive I was headed for pneumonia. I felt extremely sorry for myself. As I hung out in my lazyboy for 2 days, all I wanted to do was EAT. It was ridiculous. I would have a snack, and then immediately start thinking "what else can I eat now?" I haven't had that feeling in a long time, and it was very telling. I did ok with the food, basically having little snacks, but the psychology of it really taught me something about myself and my brain as it relates to food. And the good news is, no pneumonia! I am off to work this morning, and very very happy about it! Back to an orderly way of eating, too.

Life is Good

I am looking forward to my little wedding in 3 weeks. Dan and I will pop in to City Hall here in Chicago to tie the knot on June 5. Monday he came downtown and we walked over to Jeweler's Row where we picked out some nice matching wedding bands. Now we need to get a license, and we will be all set. I am still doing well on Weight Watchers, but as expected my losses have slowed down. I was averaging 2 lbs per week, and I knew I wouldn't be keeping that up much longer. I will be very happy with 1 lb per week, we'll see. I have to eat this way for the rest of my life, so I am trying not to worry about it. I am enjoying my own delicious cooking every day, I rarely feel deprived. I did have a few moments of "poor me" this past week at work. The lawfirm I work for was celebrating Administrative Professionals Week the way they do every year, by throwing fattening food at us just about every day. Tuesday was pizza bingo. I love bingo, so I decided to partake. I did pretty well, I had 2 smallish pieces of margherita deep dish pizza, it had either goat cheese or fresh mozzerella, and slices of fresh tomato. It tasted very good without being all ooey-gooey with a ton of melted cheese. I also took a large portion of salad and enjoyed the bingo. I did well! One of the moments of "poor me" came on Thursday, when they catered lunch from Portillo's. Sausage, ribs, Italian beef, fattening green salads with pasta in them. And of course, the crowning finale, Portillo's chocolate cake. The best chocolate cake in the history of the Earth. My favorite. I absolutely did not have the points for a lunch like this, so I just brought my own lunch and retreated to an empty office with my book. I did not go anywhere near the catered lunch. When I got back to my desk, along came Julie, my sweet little cubicle mate, enjoying a piece of cake. Good thing I love her! Ha ha I comforted myself with the fact that I will be going to a party at my sister-in-law's house on Sunday, where I will be able to have a treat for dessert. That afternoon I called Peggy to check on the time of the party and to see what she would be serving and what I could bring. Guess what she will be serving for dessert? PORTILLO'S CHOCOLATE CAKE! Yes, life is good!!!