What's important to feel good about: that you're starting now. By doing it, by stemming the damage, you're avoiding the yo-yo that could make it all worse.

It's an unfortunate truism that successful weight loss, the ability to stick to a plan, doesn't demystify food for us: in some ways it makes it worse. I've never stopped having that oral reflex and I think (it;s been a long time now) I actually thought _less_ about food when I was heavier. Dieting doesn't solve eating disorders: it may create them.

For the oral part, that's kind of why I'm always drinking something (though I know you object to artificial sweeteners) and why sugarless gum is as important to me as to an ex-smoker. Can hot tea comfort you too? A workout certainly can, though it requires that precious commodity, time. Still I do think it's key.

As for rebellion, there's always rock and roll?

This is what I'm loving about the Core plan. Eat until you're satisfied. Yeah, it's a smaller-than-I'd-like list of foods, but they're good foods, satisfying foods even. And when the cravign for McDonald's french fries hits? Five points for a small bag, baybee, and you get 35 points for a week.

I'm a rebel too, by the way, and so what I did was stick online long enough to get the Core plan down, and now I'm going it on my own, doing what i want when I want and not listening to anyone say I'm doing it wrong.