I’m calling that “Mattitude!”  I love it!

Beth - I was wondering about MREs - the stuff they give the army.  Look them up and see if those would work for you.  You should probably also investigate what kind of flak the Chinese customs people will give you for bringing food into their country.

Thanks Matty, the apple is a great idea.  I hadn’t thought about it before, but I could definitely whip that out.  I SHOULD have said, “My blood sugar is dropping and I’m getting stupid.  I need a break for a few minutes.”  I really could have said it.  OR I could have grabbed my PB and J sandwich and eaten it also. I will do better next time.  Planning is important, and so is follow through.

Hi Annual,

I had thought about MRE’s, but my memory of them from one of my classmates in ROTC were pretty grim.  Of course, they may have improved since then.  I’ll see what I can find out.

Generally, you’re okay to bring food into another country as long as it isn’t raw fruit or something like that.  I got in trouble for bringing billtong back to the States from South Africa, but that’s raw dried meat.  It was a gift, and I wasn’t super sad to part with it. :)  I’ll check on China though.  They undoubtedly have their own rules.

I do know this.  I cannot use fiber bars as meal replacement.  I tried to use them this past weekend, and consuming three in one day had some (ahem) painful results.

:)

Funny!  I remember being in Mexico on a mission trip and all my friends were out saving the world for Jesus and I was…not.  Yeah, you definitely want to keep looking.

“Mattitude” - I’m so flattered!  But I gotta tell you, I found it here!!  Between all you guys cheering, and then recommending Crystal Renn and Brene Brown, I’m starting to “get a life”.  Who’da thunk it!

That’s great Annual.  I have been there, done that in a couple o’ countries now.  You guys have all been so helpful with coming up with ideas for what to take with me.  Thanks!

OPIOOM addiction—
This type of drug addiction is powerful, as you have been expressing.  OPIOOM stands for Other People’s Inferred Opinions Of Me.  We are all socialized to be tuned in to how we may be affecting others by our behavior or what we say or how we express ourselves.  This is not a bad thing.  It is normal.  But, we who have weight problems are under significant cultural pressure to hide our eating because of the common belief that overweight people don’t deserve to eat when they get hungry if they deserve to eat at all.  To eat in public as an overweight person is to be judged as indulgent and spineless since avoiding food is “known” to be the antidote to being fat.  We feel terrific pressure because of our addiction to the Inferred Opinions that other people have of Me.  We don’t even really know what those opinions are, but we just Infer what they are, and they are never good.  So, we have anxiety when we even think about eating in front of others, especially in a work environment.  And we may also feel pressure about eating naturally when we are in a social situation.  This is all understandable based on what we know about our cultural prejudices.

HOWEVER, it is possible to break the curse of OPIOOM addiction and the Feast or Famine Cycle that it promotes.  It may take some practice, and certainly some courage, but it is worth the effort because the goal of OWNING YOUR DIET depends on it.

Sincerely,
Jean