Hi Sarit,

It's good to hear from you!

Oh my...yes, you have had a lot of stacking! And how great that you have thought about it...learned from it. So sorry to hear about the loss of your precious one.

You've done a great job coming back. You seem to enjoy being very active. I'm wondering if taking a class or having something to look forward to this summer would be helpful. Down time is great, but do you need some kind of creative outlet...or social outlet?

Colette

: 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