Mood swings

The day started off on a high note. Although Dunkin Donuts has apparently changed it's egg white flatbread sandwich slightly, I managed to overcome that surprise. I got to work extra early, which meant I ate breakfast before weighing in -- something I've never done because I worry it will add to the number on the scale. When I stepped on the scale, though, I was delighted with the result -- two pounds less than before vacation. That brings me to a total of 49.6 pounds since January. I was pumped.

For the second day in a row, I even had pizza because it was offered free at work. I was thinking about the weigh-in, but I ate two slices anyway. It tasted so good. (All things in moderation, right?) At this point, my mood was good. I had a busy afternoon ahead of me, but I felt relaxed and comfortable ... some might even say I seemed cheerful.

A few hours later, my mood shifted dramatically. No need to get into the details, but I have really been trying to analyze my emotional food triggers -- you know, the times that make you want to eat the whole pan of baked macaroni and cheese or the entire bag of potato chips. This was one of those times. I've always thought of myself as someone who handles stress well. I've had to deal with a lot of it in my life and I think I'm a relatively sane person. What I'm discovering, though, is that negative feelings and stress cause me to overeat. That's not really a surprise, but I do think it's important that I recognize this and try to start dealing with it. That's the only way I will be successful in the long run.

Later in the day, my mood shifted again when I got a piece of good news. But it was short-lived. The cause of my "bad mood" is gnawing at me. That's what my brain does. It latches onto one little thought and just won't let it go ... well, until it gets distracted by something else. But sometimes it can take days. I guess that's what has me worried heading into the weekend. Will I spend it focused on this one negative thought? Surely, that won't be good for me. Luckily, I haven't overeaten. But the thoughts are there and I want to.