Nails

I know this is a weird post but I need to blog about it.  If anyone knows me well they know that I am a nail biter and always have been my entire life.

 I am focusing on my nails for a few minutes because I cannot believe that they look like this now, for some reason since starting this program I have not bit my nails not once.  Actually, I really didn't notice that I wasn't biting my nails until a month or so ago when I looked at them one day and said "omg my nails are growing".  The literature says that one of the side effects of being on Optifast is brittle nails but I have had the opposite experience, they are growing and are as strong as ever. I recently had the opportunity to have a manicure through work as a part of a cosmetic event they were having and I signed up for a basic manicure and when my manicurist looked at my nails she couldn't believe how long and healthy they looked, she cleaned them up and applied this pretty polish and told me to keep doing what I am doing!

So, after she said that to me I then spent most of the evening after work reflecting on what it is I have been doing and I have no answer.  Obviously my nail biting was going hand in hand with eating behaviors and my nails were never actually healthy before because I ate like shit.  So not only have I lost weight and worked on behaviors with this program my skin, hair and nails are at their healthiest.  Part of this program is to determine and work on ways to cope with those times we want to eat or handle rewards or even a tough day and I now know that one way for me to do that is through weekly at home manicures, I purchased a nail file some cuticle oil, and a few pretty colors of nail polish and when I am having the urge to eat I will pull them out and paint my nails!