So hot, making bad food choices and grazing

Happy New year from Brisbane, Australia. Today is new years day and it was 33c degrees here, that is 91f. It is so hot, there is no escaping it, it feels. The heat is breaking my sleep and I have to return to work on Tuesday after the holidays. 

Iv been grazing all day and I feel rubbish. My fuse for tolerating things is very short, and my libido is non-existent. 

This Tuesday is 11 weeks since my surgery and I have lost 20.2kgs. Iv had to buy all new underwear and new work clothes which feels great, and I dont regret my surgery for a minute. 

The heat and my frustration is getting on top of me and today I have reverted back to my old grazing food coping strategy. I have uni work (study) to do, which my mood is preventing me getting on with. 

I have stopped shaving my legs, my hair is super dirty, and everything is sweaty. 

I'm tired and my psychiatrist has been away for 3 weeks over the holidays. My gel nails are chipping and all the cats hairs are sticking to me. My SO is trying to write a book and has locked himself away which has left me alone in the heat. 

This is just a rant, I think not seeing my Dr for 3 weeks and not sleeping well with the heat, I am feeling a little delicate. I'm just looking for support I guess.

Thanks for reading if you have, I hope you all can keep warm / cool wherever you are and that the new year is good to you. 

I suggest that you start with a cool shower, shave your legs, wash your hair, and remove your gel polish.  For me, hygiene always impacts my mood!

Hi from New Hampshire, USA!

Happy New Year! Congrats on the 44 lbs - that's awesome! Keep up the good work. It's ironic, when it's cold here, we eat more comfort food. When it's hot there, you tend graze more. Either way, we have to get ourselves back on track. Stop grazing! That's why you feel like rubbish. Once you get back on schedule - you'll get to be your old self again (minus the food lol).

Do you have an air conditioner?  I couldn't survive without one. Maybe you should invest in one so you can sleep better.

You can rant to us anytime....we'll listen.  We've all had our days (and weeks).Stay cool, keep calm, and try to think about something other than the heat.  Have a nice glass of ice water and put an ice pack on the back of your neck and forehead.

Good luck.

Thank you for posting and asking for support.  You will be okay and you are definitely not alone. The holidays can be difficult and stressful.  You have done amazingly well on your weight loss!!!  I too have had some challenging times with my plan. It is a learning experience.  One step at a time, one day at a time.  Keep writing and expressing your feelings. Take a cool bath or shower. Take care of you. You are worthy!!!!!  Big hugs!  

If you don't have air conditioner there are very inexpensive do it yourself air conditioners. Here is one even I could do, and I am not handy at all.  I also second Gwen's idea- a cool shower does wonders. 

..and keep all crappy food choices out of the house (or locked away in your SO's private bin) so when you don't feel great (which will be off and on for the rest of your life), there's nothing to graze on :) Replace grazing with a hobby - I have taken to grown-up coloring books and colorful markers, and random books and movies from the library. Anything other than food to try to set myself up for success. 

All that being said, hang in there. It'll ge better and this isn't the end of the world :)

I know this is a rant but, in reality, this is just life. It will often be too hot or too cold or too lonely or too something.

this is the head part of having wls. You need to find new non food coping strategies. 

Good that you are working with a therapist, but see? Even she is not available all the time. We have to learn to deal with things ourselves. It is an ongoing job.

Happy New Year from Canada!

I'd send you some snow to cool you off if I could; you're more than welcome to it all.

Rant all you want; we're all here to listen. 

Do you have a bathtub?  How about a nice cool bath? Put your feet up and read or just relax in the cool water.  Or a cool shower, if you don't have a tub.  When I'm super hot I drink some ice water and sit near a fan, even with the air conditioner going full tilt (I couldn't live without one...we have hot summers here too). Is there a swimming pool at your Uni?  I'd suggest the ocean but know you have all manner of scary creatures that can kill you swimming around out there, lol.  Our lakes are so much safer; sorry :-).

I'm sorry your psychiatrist has been away.  I used to be in therapy and it always seemed my psychologist would go on long holidays just when I felt the worst.  I used to write him long letters. I never gave them to him, but it helped so much that I started a journal and just pretended I was chatting with him.  It helped a lot.

Someone mentioned adult coloring books. One of my friends bought a curse word coloring book.  She loves it, lol, and uses it after a stressful day.  She says she may even frame some of the especially descriptive pages.

Hope this feeling will pass soon and you'll feel better...and cooler.

Take care,

Kathy

EmJay - congrats on the weight loss!!!  I live in the desert and I understand hot and crazy!  I also work in mental health, so I know how it feels to be hot and a little off!

Do what you gotta do to get cool. 

Make your sleep a priority (if we don't sleep, we get a little cuckoo for coco puffs).  If your mind is racing with thoughts at night, keep a notepad by the bed and write the thoughts down.  See if you can get them out of your head so you can rest. 

Take care of yourself.  You need extra TLC right now, and you're the one who knows what you need best.  Bubble baths work in cool water too.  Get some lovely scented soaps, shave your legs, luxuriate! 

Drink water, take what protein you can, and love yourself.

When you need to rant, here we are!  All in the same boat!