Sheryl wrote:

I've found I gain weight for two reasons (1) low blood sugar, or (2) eating
when I'm not hungry (defined as "compulsive eating").

I know exactly how eating like crazy because of low blood sugar feels!  I
really have a problem with this.  I have never felt as good as I do now on
the paleo diet and I know it is probably because the blood sugar problem is
gone.  And your words regarding ambivalence in being thin really touched me
because I know I have a problem with part of me actually "wanting" to stay
fat (5' 7" and 173 lbs.).  Regardless, when I got up to 175, I decided
enough was enough!  I have read several books touting the perfect recipe to
good nutrition and tried them out but none of them worked.  This is the
first "diet" that has made me feel better about myself.  My husband is on it
and he likes it too.  He has lost 12 lbs. and that really urks me because he
eats more than I do!

Regarding coping mechanisms you mentioned, in the last four weeks I have
given up carbs (which I absolutely love--nobody appreciates french fries and
cookies as much as I do), cigarettes and nail-biting.  All this at once has
left me feeling as if I have nothing left to do that will give me that
"comfort" that I need.  And everyone always suggests that you replace these
"bad habits" with exercise, so I started a kind of "dancing aerobics" class
three times a week.  But I will have to admit that I really don't like to
go.  It's not doing the dancing that I dislike, it's the time that it takes
to do it that could be spent doing other, more enjoyable things.  The good
thing about the exercise is that when I regained the 6 pounds, I didn't feel
any larger.  I am hoping that at least part of the six pounds that came back
was muscle tissue.  Any suggestions for other coping strategies?

My body weight has been steadily creeping up for the last 8 years.  I'm not
sure what my "natural" weight would be.  Maybe if I continue with paleo, it
will get to where it wants to be.  I think your advice about 'external rules
about what to eat and when can be very destructive when they lead to
feelings of deprivation" was right on target--for me, at least.  The minute
I start thinking about food I'm not supposed to have, the more I know I just
have to have it or I'll die!  I do better when I CHOOSE to eat or not to
eat.

I just want you to know how much it meant for me to hear that you have had
the same struggles that I have been experiencing and how well you are
learning to manage your body.

Thanks so much!!!

Katrina