Nice of you to revisit. As you heal you will become better and better at preparing and have less and less "slips". Life will happen and you will stay steady and get through them. Good job for how you dealt with it all this time.

Hi everyone,
: Haven't posted in a long time. Have
: been going thru a process this
: past April.

: It began with a 3-day vacation at the
: end of March, during which I did
: my best to stay on track.
: Considering the circumstances, I
: did quite well.
: On my return home, there was a hectic
: week of
: planning/shopping/preparing for
: the Passover holiday, including
: guest sleep-overs. Lots of
: pressure, but still on track.
: Then the festive holiday dinner, plus
: more guests for holiday meal next
: day - still on track.

: Then guests went home, had a major
: clean-up day, then a week off from
: teaching (schools closed for the
: holiday).
: So huge holiday pressure/excitement,
: followed by excessive downtime and
: empty space.

: In this downtime, I watched myself go
: places I had not envisioned ever
: returning to - all whites, tons of
: sugar.........even coffee!!
: I always felt that whites,
: sugar.......not good, but I'd soon
: get back on track.
: But COFFEE!!! That was a definite red
: zone. I knew that if I ever hit
: that point again, it would be a
: huge danger signal.

: Interestingly, I was not down on
: myself. I was observing the
: process with interest. I knew it
: would not be forever, but did not
: know when I'd get back to eating
: properly. One thing I decided - I
: would not force it. I would let it
: happen. (A very new
: approach for compulsive me.)

: I don't remember when it happened
: (have not been journaling since
: February) but breakfasts have been
: steady again for about 2 weeks.
: And lunch/dinner have become quite
: stable too. Whites are for the
: most part turning brown, and sugar
: is slowly taking a back seat.
: Don't remember when I stopped the
: coffee, but it's a non-issue now.
: Started journaling again today.

: So what have I learned?
: * I learned that I am skilled in
: planning for events that take me
: out of my routine (vacation time /
: holiday dinners / family
: get-togethers).
: * I learned that the
: "doldrums" following an
: intensive phase is challenging for
: me.

: What will I do differently next
: time?
: * I will stock up on frozen meals for
: doldrum times well in advance
: (before the hectic phase
: starts)........This way, won't
: have to think/plan/cook much
: during a doldrum, when mental
: capacity and internal motivation
: are spent from all the intensity
: that came before.
: * I will make it a point to take
: daily walks during doldrums to
: gently re-energize myself......BE
: raiser.
: * I will make at least a minimal
: schedule of things to do in
: unscheduled doldrums - important
: BE raiser too.

: I will be more than happy to hear
: your ideas/advice. Summer vacation
: is coming up - the yearly 2-month
: "vacuum" after a hectic
: school year.

: One thing I did not mention - in that
: doldrum week this April, we had to
: put our dear Labrador to sleep
: after 16-1/2 years. Though we all
: took it "well", I'm sure
: that this - together with
: everything else - contributed to
: the slide in my food skills.

: Glad to be back,
: Sarit