What Do You Do With Your Hands?

[Deigh 15]

I'm five days out and this is really strange but I have had trouble because I don't know how to watch TV or read without a snack next to me. I'm going crazy. I am still just sip sip sipping liquids so this is my chance to break my grazing habit, I think.

So while reading or watching tv, what do you do? I was thinking of getting silly putty or something to play with while I sit there. I do knit and I can do basic stuff while watching tv but there are only so many garter stitch scarves I can make! And I can't knit and read.

I don't know how to be this person. I haven't been hungry in days. I don't want to go to the fridge at night, at all. I feel a little confused about how to live this way.

Am I crazy? Did anyone else feel a little thrown off and adrift by this change?

[Felicia 28]

So I have this exact problem. Try grabbing a sugar free popsicle or Jello. Some people have even said sucking on ice cubes helps, I don't care to do that but I do munch on popsicles.

Keep drinking your fluids! That's the best thing for you to be doing. Here are some things I do when I am going crazy for munchy Snacks. I take a walk, I do my nails, I put lotion on,I shave my legs, I tidy the house, I vacuum, I do wordsearches/crosswords/sudoku, I do leg lifts, I grab some small weights and work my arms, I get online either here or I play games at iwin.com. This one is silly but I color LOL. I have a 2.5 year old daughter and when I'm really bored I will grab her coloring books and crayons or markers and color. My boyfriend actually told me that when he went to rehab that coloring was something the therapists encouraged the people to do. It is theraputic I guess.

Just try and stay busy, keep the junk out of your house, and keep sip sip sipping. You sound like you are doing really good just keep up the good work. Good Luck!

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

When I want to keep my hands busy, I give myself a manicure. I get cuticle cream, a couple of types of files, nail clippers, etc and give myself the works. I even have one of those paraffin dip vessels and really treat myself.

Something else you could do?

• Organize old pictures into albums.
  
• Write an old fashioned letter with pen and paper to someone you love
  
• Address a card and enclose a note to someone either celebrating something or enduring something (this could be birthday, new baby, promotion, sympathy, or just a "thinking of you" card)
  
• Give yourself a pedicure
  
• Put a deep conditioner on your hair and cover it with warm towels
  
• Give yourself a facial
  
• Plan a home improvement project - even if you really don't need it or can't afford it, no one says you can't dream and plan it. Get some design magazines or check the internet.
  
• Polish your leather shoes
  
• Organize your clothes by sizes. Get your three boxes ready - Keep, Donate and Throw Away
  
• Bring one drawer at a time into the TV room and clean and organize your drawers. Get new shelf paper and line all of the drawers with shelf paper.
  
• Find an organization you support and find out if they need volunteers to do things for them that you could do at home (stuff envelopes, etc).
  
• Check with your local child protective services office or homeless shelter and see if they need baby blankets. If you knit or crochet, work on blankets for a good cause.
  

There are a lot of positive things you can do with your hands - pamper yourself, improve yourself, keep in contact with someone you love, help somebody in need, Lots of things to do besides EAT.

Good Luck.

Sharon

[swizzly 901]

I tend to knit, crochet, use the internet, and clean out my drawers one at a time. But I wasn't a major TV snacker, so that's what I did before, too. I think this is temporary and you'll feel better soon, it's just a weird phase. Keep your hands busy and keep yourself distracted for a while. GOOD LUCK!!

[MegInNOLA 531]

I like my laptop for this--I can play games, surf, check email, etc. and not worry about food at all. :-) My mom crochets and knits--I'm thinking of taking up one or the other as a hobby, because she makes lap blankets for elderly nursing home patients and lots of folks' new babies. :-) Seems like a productive sort of hobby.