Lovely that you can. Others are still learning to handle our feelings and the way we behave in response to them - and as you know, it's quite a challenge to change behavior, even when you can see what the kind of behavior is that you want to emulate. It takes real commitment and reprogramming. That's all I'm saying.

Woman, you are my hero. Way to go!

I got the "what about all those starving kids in China?" thing as a kid from my grandma and mom. My answer was always the same, "please send my meal to them".
Talk about guilt to eat.

I tried using that on MattMatt and his reply was "you're trying to make me eat so you can send me to China and they can eat me!"

Never understood the logic of the "think of the starving children" argument. But damn if it wasn't a good one during the whole "Hands Across America", "We are the World" trying to save farms and Ethiopia phase.

For me, it was not so much about "learning" it was about "doing". I spend a lot of time trying to "learn" and intellectualize the process which didn't work at all. For me, the phrase "I'm still learning" was just an excuse to continue to do the same thing. I had to stop learning and start practicing. That's the ONLY way I came to actually CHANGE my behaviors. It's a leap, but it's a leap that I had to make if I wanted any results. But, "working on changing my behaviors" was really saying "just doing the same old bad behaviors" Awareness did absolutely nothing to facilitate change. Action did.

Believe me, I tried!:D

Changing behaviors is not like turning on a switch. It is a constant and consistent effort that requires practice and can result in having to practice many times before the change is perfected.

When trying to change a behavior related to things that bring comfort (whether food, smoking or alcohol) the person involved needs to do what works for them. If the behavior can be changed quickly with minimal struggle and set-backs then great. If it takes a lot of perseverance and results in set-backs is that person less of a success? No. They will just take longer to get to where they need to be. It's an individual journey made by an individual. There is no "one size fits all" scenario.

The thing that got me was the whole metabolism changing when I hit my early thirties. Can't eat three pieces of pizza any more... Gotta stop at 2.

I told my mother that once when she gave me the "starving children" line. I couldn't sit for days after....

It does, and it sure ain't easy. But it can be done -- I'm a big subscriber to what NA was talking about -- acting your way into right thinking. You force yourself to take contrary action until your thinking eventually follows, instead of the other way around.

The "clean plate club" thing my parents did too. But that was because I ate next to nothing as a child. Or you feel like you're "wasting" money if you go out to a restaurant and don't eat everything. But that's why doggie bags were invented :)