a Vanessa V. Kilmer blog - comments disabled

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Food Is Fuel

“Food is fuel, not feelings” is my new mantra. I say it everyday to remind myself that despite my upbringing and training, food should not be used as a substitute for feelings, or emotions or putting a damper on any of them. It seems to be working right now. I’m sure I’ll need a new one eventually, but it’ll do for now. Plus, I love alliteration.

I am still walking everyday despite the fact that I can’t breathe for the heat, humidity and mold spores from all of the rain. I feel very good about this: an accomplishment in the right direction. And I do feel stronger, less emotionally flakey and with a tad more energy.

5 comments:

Charlene Amsden said...

Vanessa, I just read your whole weight-loss journal begining to end, every post. I need to lose weight. I am afraid to start -- don't know if I can handle one more failure.

I grew up in a family where food was a pacifier, a reward, and a celebration. None of life's occurrances passed unfed.

Now went I want to reward myself I buy a novel or a video. I tell myself, food is not a reward for you -- it is a punishment.

Charlene Amsden said...

You know -- refering to the post on your other blog -- combined with losing weight, the sudden inability to sleep coupled with vivid and exhausting dreams might be something you want to talk to your doctor about. NOT for sleeping pills, but because these are also symptoms of sleep apnea.

I have sleep apnea. Sleeping pills are a VERY bad idea. See your doc. Ask some questions. Get a sleep test.

Nessa said...

Quilly - Me, too. Food was and is the center of our worlds. Even now as my mother tells me I need to lose weight, she brings me candy.

Food is such a bad habit for me now. I need to break the habit. I believe behavior modification is the best solution for most things. It may be slow, no easy, quick fix, but it's results are long lasting.

I guess I do have sleep apnea because of the fat around my neck, (another reason to lose weight) but the dreams have always been extreme for me even as a child and I wasn't a heavy kid.

I can't take sleeping pills, they don't agree with me. I learned that over 20 years ago. I'm not much in favor of most drugs, except as a last resort in extreme cases.

I like your idea as food as punishment. I may work with that a bit.

Jenn said...

Sorry I have been absent from these pages. Wow, Nessa, I'm really proud of you. I take courage to go on now, as I stepped off for a while to figure things out and feel generally depressed about things.

Food as fuel, not feelings, not love.

Nessa said...

Jenn: We all need breaks and I think we need despair sometimes, too.