Well done lorchen. And always keep 'your boy' in mind, he and the other kids you teach and mentor are the reason you go to that school every day, they are the important ones. And YOU!

I never thought I was an "emotional eater" until I read the workbook "Do you use food to cope?" (I just checked. Looks like its still available on kindle for $3.99) When I worked through that book, it helped me to identify that I ate out of anxiety, and it even helped me to identify the original time/events/person in my childhood from which that anxiety sprang. Then it seemed, once I identified that, it lost its power somewhat. I don't seem to have the urge to automatically eat something sweet when something makes me anxious.

But I think that Lorchen's original post has the best advice in it. Just don't keep that stuff in the house. There are still foods that I won't keep in my house (I'm looking at you, chocolate chip cookies.) If I really want one, I will go and buy ONE.

Sorry I missed you, not that it is something we watch very much - more a case of catching it by accident...
Glad the pair of you had a good time

Could've not said it better Renata!

This too shall pass Lorchen. (That's my mantra lately) Just deal with it the best you can and focus on the good people and things. That was a great idea to set up this thread. It sure will help a lot

Good job Lorchen!!

Lorchen wrote:
Lorchen, when a certain someone behaves unbecomingly toward you, as you take the high road, I also hope you will turn your mind to what "your boy" said this evening. If it were I, what you overheard, would pump me up for the rest of my days! What you do for him is what really counts in the end, so I hope you will hold that thought! You are truly one special human being! Making a difference in someone's life is what really counts.

Big hugs to everybody for their wisdom.

Jeanine, I reach retirement age (62 years and 2 months, but could work longer) in mid-July 2014.

I'm very determined not to let the behaviour of one person jeopardize my efforts to get healthier and stay healthier, but it's tough at times.

On the positve side: A national radio programme was broadcast from my school tonight ("Any Questions"). It's a discussion programme with a panel of well-known people, often politicians. The audience submits questions before the programme and a few get selected. I only stayed in school for this because one of our special needs kids wanted to stay. He is a bright lad, but in a wheelchair. His father was involved with running this event and so couldn't look after him himself. We both submitted a question. Mine was picked (you could have knocked me down with a feather) and I had to stand up in front of everybody and read it out (10 seconds of fame.... giggle). I overheard "my boy" telling someone after the recording session: "Question 2 was my TA. She is very good!"

Lorchen,

Swedish rye crackers (the Ryvita type) are healthy and low in calories and go great with a few triangles of Vache Qui Rit cheese which only have 20 cals per. You can have a satisfying "cheese fix" for about 100 calories - works for me so far... When do you retire?
Jeanine

Lorchn, When I was on a commercial diet plan, their advice was that if you had a serious craving, such as for chocolate have one piece or a very small portion of something like cake or ice cream and eat it slowly savoring every bite. Then get busy doing something and wait fifteen to twenty minutes, before having any more. Usually the craving will go away in that time. Also they suggested waiting fifteen to twenty minutes from the time you had the first craving before you had your one bite. Sometimes the wait will reduce the craving. But their advice was not to totallly deprive yourself or the next time the craving could be out of control. Stress will make the cravings stronger so doing some kind of stress reducing activity during the "wait" time is also helpful. Good luck with your diet and with your manager. Hugs Ann (drinking Earl Grey tea as I read the forum)

Lorchen, I can't really offer any more advice than that already given.

I believe comfort eating gives the person causing your stress has power over you. Don't let them win!!! You are better than them. I had to smile at Rosemary. It is so easy to break the diet by one biscuit then eat the rest of the packet, or in my case so oftern the comment is 'I'll start the diet tomorrow.'

Yes we have always supported our kids and been there for them. As they get older they are busy with their own lives, but it does them no harm to realise that actually we parents have needs as well. Much better to offload to them than bottle it all and risk our physical and mental health.

I hope that the post here offer some encouragement. We are all here for you. Come and gripe at any time, we'l get back to you as soon as we can.

((((((((((Lorchen))))))))))

Lorchan, I'm sorry you have had such a lousy day. I think that Rita has a very interesting take on the situation.

Rita, in schools they don't necessarily control the money, but quite often you are working alongside your line manager and don't always get much time apart, which can be b*** awful if you don't get on with them.

I have to admit that I have found it easier to resist the temptations since starting my diet, especially as sugar has been kicked into touch (sugar is as addictive as heroin), but I have to watch out for sugary alternatives such as dates or sultanas sneaking past my guard. I'm not perfect, (I think I am getting hooked on the sugars in the linctus I have been prescribed for my cough ) But you have to also try to remember that it is not the first 'slip up' of the day that does all the damage, it is how you react to it and then continue for the rest of the day. Will you go

1) I've eaten 1 choccy biscuit, but it stops here!
OR
2) Since I've eaten 1 choccy biscuit and broken today's diet, I might as well not bother about the diet for the rest of the day - and eat the rest of the packet while it is there......

Here's how I see it: There are people in life who make us feel good and there are people who make us feel bad. It sounds like your Line Manager makes you feel bad. The people who make us feel bad are to be given a wide birth. Unfortunately that's not always possible in the workplace. But, if you could get it into your head that 'Line Manager' = person who makes me want to eat the things that are bad for me, then that is the first step in shifting your own thinking.

1) Line Manager = person who makes me want to eat things that are bad for me. (And tear my hair out!)
2) line Manager = self-sabotage
3) Self-sabotage = disempowerment
4) Line Manager = disempowerment (Ask yourself this question - who gave the Line Manager that power over you?)
5) Recovery = taking back that power from the Line Manager to use for your own benefit and good health.

Take back the power which you have unconsciously given to the Line Manager. Every time you see the Line Manager do a mental note to yourself and say something like "you can't make me fail anymore. I am stronger than you. I take back the power I gave you (without realizing it) because I need it to give to my granddaughter, stone by stone."

I don't know what a 'Line Manager' is in your profession Lorchen, but in mine they are the people who control the money. Is it the same?

Hi Lorchen,
I have what I call "selective memory" I go shopping and I say to myself "DON'T BUY CHOCOLATE OR ICE CREAM" and when I get home there is chocolate and ice cream in my bag.
Where did that come from?????
I don't remember that I wasn't going to buy any then of course I have to eat it otherwise it is such a waste of course the waste goes on my waist !!! :shock:

Keep on with the diet and tell the line manager to get lost or something like that.
Anne

Eye candy. That is one of my solutions. I can find lots of it on this website. Just like Lotti, keeping my hands busy helps me. We all need ways to calm and sooth ourselves. Its important to develop a list of activities both mental and physical that will do that. Actually, telling youself that you will find new healthier ways to sooth and then practice doing them will help. Telling yourself that there are other ways to sooth frazzled nerves and practice doing those things will actually create new neural pathways in your brain. You are not just changing your body by dieting but you are also changing your mind. Various forms of meditation can help with this. Just finish doing a training regarding these techniques. The research is impressive. Brains scans show changes in the brain. Lowering of blood pressure has been documented. (My husband has been able to reduce the amount of BP medication he takes by practicing meditation.) Blood studies indicate increase in immune functions. Meditation can help change the way your brain functions.