The story of my Journey through the minefield of weightloss and personal discovery.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Emotions

I initially started this post as something quite different, but I don't think I want to go there after all.

I have had a really bad week. VERY emotional. I have learnt that I am not at a point yet where I am controlling my emotional eating when I am faced with the really big stuff.

My weekend was 50/50. Friday night and Saturday were great. I got to go this weekend to Sydney to be with my partner. Yay. By Saturday night though, my emotions were in total haywire.

See, I suffer from depression and one significant trigger for me is how I feel about being a mother. There are many things that as a parent I feel like I have failed in. I am living at home with my parents, and my three children, while I try to finish my degree. I have moved here a year ago because I could no longer afford to live by myself in Sydney. My children have problems- my youngest has ADHD, which emotionally I blame myself for even though logically I know I am not to blame. My eldest son has emotional and anger issues because of the abuse he suffered from his step father and he is very resentful toward me for a lot of the time. I cannot put a roof over their heads without support and it makes me feel vulnerable and like a failure. Each of children has some sort of emotional problem and most of the time I feel like these are my fault. I am not helped by either of my ex's, both of whom are quick to point out that yes, I am at fault (for everything, apparently, including my ex's drug habit, because I nagged him!).

This weekend we had a visit from a friend of my partner's who is in a positon, through luck, to be able to assist us financially somewhat. It's great, I'm so grateful, but I also feel resentful. I know that sounds ungrateful, but it brings up so many feelings of inadequacy for me. She has asked my partner what he needs to get ahead with things. The honest answer to that is "a house of our own" (for a variety of reasons, which I wont go into now, but lets just say that my parnter's condition basically makes that dream an impossibility by our own). Obviosuly, its not something we can say to her. It's a very genuine need, but not possible to raise with her. I mean, you can't just ask someone to buy you a house, right? The thing is, I really, REALLY want to, even though I know its totally inappropriate. See, it taps into all those feelings of inadequacy and helplessness and failure. I want so badly to tell my partner to ask, because our own property would solve SO MANY problems for us.

So ontop of feeling like this, I received an email from my eldest son, telling me that his dad is putting the pressure on him to go and live there. It makes me soooooo angry, because he has studiously avoided any real interaction in our son's life, from responsible parenting, to financial issues, to time spent with him, my ex has done everything he can to get out of it. Now though, he wants him. Now, when most of his raising is done. Now, when he is easy to look after. Now, when I commence full time work as a lawyer next year and suddenly start earning a lot more money then I have so far. I was devastated by the email. I experienced my first, all out anxiety attack and it wasn't pleasant. My son was so stressed and freaked out, no idea what he wanted to do, he felt like he couldn't not say no to his dad because if he did, he was worried his dad would freak out and not want him there anymore. Thing is, my ex is such a pathetic piece of **** that it's possbile he might just do that. I try to reassure my son that his dad will never stop loving him, but we both know without a doubt how petty his dad can sometimes be.

My son said that my ex has told him he thinks he can do a better job raising him now, because he can put a roof over his head and has money for things (an interesting statement because he has told the Child Support Agency that he only earns a really small amount of money each year- so I don't see how he can provide better?).

Anyway, it pretty much hit every insecurity that I have, leaving me to feel gutted. Am I such a failure if I can't even offer my kids a sense of security? So I have eaten, a lot, even though I know that I will regret those choices once I step on the scales. I have not tracked, not exercised and the weight of my depression is bearing back down on me again. Last week I felt so confident that I was making the right changes, in the right mind set, but now, I feel lost, lonely and like a failure at the one thing that means the most to me- being a mother.

How do I get it back on track??

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Changes

I have felt since I restarted at WW that this time was somehow different to previous attempts. I felt more focused, more willing, less resentful of the changes I would need to make. I realised the other day that this is also having flow on effects to other areas of my life. I am tidier. Busier doing things rather than sitting down all day. More oganised. Less tolerant of allowing myself to be slack. Happier to be exercising. More settled and pratical. Its very strange for me to feel like I am pulling my life together. I have tried that for so long without success that I think I had convinced myself that I COULDN'T achieve those things. But now, I am doing it. I feel proud and happy with myself, two emotions I didn't think I was capable of anymore. I've had a few wonky days recently, but they haven't thrown me off track. Every morning I wake up, it's a new day and I have a new attitude. I am happy for this mindset, but I find it somewhat peculiar because I have tried so hard to get there before, but haven't. I can't pinpoint why I have it now, I just do. It's the same thoughts and feelings I had the first time round. A quiet confidence that this is something that I will achieve.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

100 Grams

That's all. At least it got me to an even 4kg lost now. I knew it wasn't going to be a big loss, but still . . . .
My aim this week- more exercise. And get my emotional eating back under control.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Headaches

WI tomorrow for me. I am not sure how I will go this week. I have been good, sticking to my points, I haven't done as much exercise as I would like, because I have had a headache almost every day this week. I don't know why. Nothing I take makes it go away and it's left me feeling very drained and lethargic. I have been eating well and drinking lots of water, so I know its not that. Normally I only get headaches at TTOTM, but I'm not even due for another week or so. I just want it to go away.
I had one lapse this week, last night, as a matter of fact. After a stressful couple of days, I was doing really well and not letting the need for emotional eating get to me, but last night I 'broke the seal' as it were. I opened the packet of choc chips that I have there for baking and ate most of the packet! Aaarrrggghhh. It made me feel sooooo sick. And this morning I was so nauseous, I am sure it was because of the big chocolate hit. So I won't be doing that again! It's the main reason why I feel that any loss I have this week will be minimal. Besides, I know I can't expect the large losses to last forever, so I figure I am about due for things to slow down. That's ok though, because in general, my thinking on this is so different this time round. If it slows down, ok, I feel so much better eating healthy anyway, so I won't stop that now I've begun.
Off to do some Wii now that I have finally made the headache receede enough!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Another kilo down!

Well, I jumped on the scales this morning to register another lost kilo. REALLY happy about that though I'm finding it strange to weigh in at home, instead of a meeting. Somehow, the scales at a meeting always seemed so much more truthful. Mine seem . . . friendly. Too friendly. I weigh in at the same time, same day every week, but for some reason, I'm not sure I trust the numbers. I have no reason not to, just . . . years of never really believing I can do WW for more than two weeks before the "Week 3 Wobbles" hit, and having a gain that week, have made me sceptical. However, I'm starting to believe that this time, maybe I CAN do it. This time has always felt a little different, but now I'm starting to believe.
Achieved my Wii goal yesterday- got it all set up and did the first day of the 30 Day Challenge. I am sore today for it, but that's ok, coz I figure that's how I know it worked. I will have today off, then go again tomorrow.
One of the other posts talked about obsession with WW, tracking, being on the boards etc. I know that feeling. Every time I do WW, I go through the same thing. This week has felt out of the ordinary for me- with the youngest home for two days with impetigo and my daughter off to her Yr 7/11 Peer Support camp. I haven't been doing much- after two months of not having a single moment to myself, I spent yesterday relaxing with a good bok and today is panning out the same. Although I am not going to spend all day today reading! Next week should hopefully see a return to all things normal- kids all back at school, five days of the week stretching out ahead of me, so I will really need to focus on NOT being obsessive with my WW stuff. I need to do some work on my TAFE Certificate and do some reading for next Semester's uni courses. I need to focus on exercise, but also on keeping the place tidy. I can't think properly and I get depressed easily when my surroundings are all messed up. I need to be aware of that.

Monday, February 1, 2010









These are some of the images I found to stick on my 'inspiration board'. They are things that catpure my imagination and speak to me about who I am.

A strange thing happened when I was trying to compile this. I realised, I don't know what I want to look like at goal. I don't know who I want to be, how I want to dress, what kind of things I will be doing. That was pretty weird. I still don't know for sure, but I've made a start and I will hopefully be able to add to this as I go.

For now, here are some things that I know inspire me.