Re: On Travel and the Zero Hunger Zone (rambling a bit, sorry!)

[Guest guest]

I don't think you are rambeling. These are some interesting observations and you pose some really good questions for all of us.

For me, I don't think my problem is not being present and being on auto pilot as those times such as when I'm tired or bored or when I'm in let down mode at the end of the day. It takes effort to stop, and assess what it is I'm feeling and whether I am hungry or not and if I am what it is I really feel like eating to nourish my body. And to be honest, sometimes I just don't care. That is what is so great about IE is that we get to choose.

--Alana

-------------- Original message --------------

I was out of town this weekend, traveling to an oldfriend's retirement party, and was so very surprisedat my eating while on the road. I had actually beenthinking, before the trip, that I was going to haveto prepare myself for crappy eating, road-trip foodgrabbed at the local drive thru, etc. What happenedinstead really suprised me. I hardly ate at all.Weird! I got up Sunday morning, before hitting the road, and fixed a good, protein heavy breakfast. Goton the road and made the 5 hour trip with only a stopfor a Coke Zero. Got to the hotel and had a iced teaand then went to the retirement thing that was HEAVYladen with food and didn't touch a bit of it. Didn'tget back to the hotel until after 9pm, and ordered aburger, the first thing I'd had really since breakfast.Up until that point, I had not even been HUNGRY, at all.Not in the least. I hadn't been not eating because I was TRYING not to eat - I just wasn't hung

ry. Same thing on the way back - had a very light breakfastat the hotel, nothing at all during the 5 hour trip back home, came in and went to the gym, and then had(gasp! the food police would be appalled!) just sometortilla chips and spinach dip (with a glass of wine)for "dinner." That was it. So I was trying to think about what in the world was sodifferent - what knocked me out of my "normal" routineof three squares and snacks? WHY was I not even remotelyhungry? What was behind me getting home after the gymlast night at 6pm and STILL not even really being hungryat all? I've puzzled over it, and the only thing I canthink of to explain it was that I was INVOLVED. I spent all weekend in that same "zone" I get in when I'm justso intent on a project that I forget time and hunger andeverything else. Which of course leads me to this question - how UNinvolvedam I "normally," that my hours are spent thinkin

g about mynext meal instead of thinking about whatever I'm doing, participating in, or whatever? Am I "normally" so disconnectedfrom what I'm doing at the time that my mind CAN focus onfood, continually? I think the answer is YES. I think mostof my time I'm doing whatever I'm doing on "auto pilot," mindlessly, instead of being completely focused on it. Thisweekend I was so completely focused on the trip, the chanceto see old friends, the socializing, the joy of visiting old haunts, etc, that I was PRESENT in those moments in a wayI'm not normally. This probably makes zero sense, I think I'm writing just toprocess this so ignore it if it's rambling. But there's animportant truth in here somewhere for me - maybe for someoneelse, too. How disconnected do I live my life? How weird isit that when I FOCUS on my life instead of droning my way through it, the food issue resolves itself, if only for thetime I stay focus

ed? Anyway,,, I warned I was rambling!

[Guest guest]

I think I understand this 'gym'. I too can totally ignore food when

I'm into a 'doing' mode and when I have time a-plenty on my hands, my

mind seems to want to EAT for something 'to do'. Old habits die HARD

and it takes making a CONSCIOUS decision to do otherwise. Mindlessness

is not just about eating. I can so see how that applies to life in

general as well.

ehugs, Katcha

>

> I was out of town this weekend, traveling to an old

> friend's retirement party, and was so very surprised

> at my eating while on the road. I had actually been

> thinking, before the trip, that I was going to have

> to prepare myself for crappy eating, road-trip food

> grabbed at the local drive thru, etc. What happened

> instead really suprised me. I hardly ate at all.

> Weird! I got up Sunday morning, before hitting the

> road, and fixed a good, protein heavy breakfast. Got

> on the road and made the 5 hour trip with only a stop

> for a Coke Zero. Got to the hotel and had a iced tea

> and then went to the retirement thing that was HEAVY

> laden with food and didn't touch a bit of it. Didn't

> get back to the hotel until after 9pm, and ordered a

> burger, the first thing I'd had really since breakfast.

> Up until that point, I had not even been HUNGRY, at all.

> Not in the least. I hadn't been not eating because I

> was TRYING not to eat - I just wasn't hungry.

>

> Same thing on the way back - had a very light breakfast

> at the hotel, nothing at all during the 5 hour trip

> back home, came in and went to the gym, and then had

> (gasp! the food police would be appalled!) just some

> tortilla chips and spinach dip (with a glass of wine)

> for " dinner. " That was it.

>

> So I was trying to think about what in the world was so

> different - what knocked me out of my " normal " routine

> of three squares and snacks? WHY was I not even remotely

> hungry? What was behind me getting home after the gym

> last night at 6pm and STILL not even really being hungry

> at all? I've puzzled over it, and the only thing I can

> think of to explain it was that I was INVOLVED. I spent

> all weekend in that same " zone " I get in when I'm just

> so intent on a project that I forget time and hunger and

> everything else.

>

> Which of course leads me to this question - how UNinvolved

> am I " normally, " that my hours are spent thinking about my

> next meal instead of thinking about whatever I'm doing,

> participating in, or whatever? Am I " normally " so disconnected

> from what I'm doing at the time that my mind CAN focus on

> food, continually? I think the answer is YES. I think most

> of my time I'm doing whatever I'm doing on " auto pilot, "

> mindlessly, instead of being completely focused on it. This

> weekend I was so completely focused on the trip, the chance

> to see old friends, the socializing, the joy of visiting

> old haunts, etc, that I was PRESENT in those moments in a way

> I'm not normally.

>

> This probably makes zero sense, I think I'm writing just to

> process this so ignore it if it's rambling. But there's an

> important truth in here somewhere for me - maybe for someone

> else, too. How disconnected do I live my life? How weird is

> it that when I FOCUS on my life instead of droning my way

> through it, the food issue resolves itself, if only for the

> time I stay focused?

>

> Anyway,,, I warned I was rambling!

>

[Guest guest]

I've seen this alot, as well as experienced it myself. It really does make a lot of sense. When we get out of our element or routine, we are stimulated by other things, our surroundings, new things to do, etc. One thing I have seen as a common theme is when we are home, in our normal routine, or at work, whatever, we don't spend a lot of time having fun or finding joy in life. Often, women especially, have a mindset that we need to do this, do that, take care of everyone else, you know the deal. So we don't allow ourselves to have fun, or if we do, we feel guilty. I think this is why we turn to food, it's our "fun", and we have to eat, right? So it's ok to eat for fun. Hopefully this is making sense.

Anyway, using this experience as a learning opportunity, what can you do to have more fun, variety, joy while at home or in your normal day to day routine?

Thanks!GillianGillian Hood-son, MS, ACSMHealthier OutcomesIt's not just about losing weight! Want to eat your favorite foods without gaining weight? Get your copy of our fr*e special report, "6 Simple Steps to Guilt Free Eating" by visiting http://www.healthieroutcomes.com

From: IntuitiveEating_Support [mailto:IntuitiveEating_Support ] On Behalf Of gymisadrugSent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 7:20 AMTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Subject: On Travel and the Zero Hunger Zone (rambling a bit, sorry!)

I was out of town this weekend, traveling to an oldfriend's retirement party, and was so very surprisedat my eating while on the road. I had actually beenthinking, before the trip, that I was going to haveto prepare myself for crappy eating, road-trip foodgrabbed at the local drive thru, etc. What happenedinstead really suprised me. I hardly ate at all.Weird! I got up Sunday morning, before hitting the road, and fixed a good, protein heavy breakfast. Goton the road and made the 5 hour trip with only a stopfor a Coke Zero. Got to the hotel and had a iced teaand then went to the retirement thing that was HEAVYladen with food and didn't touch a bit of it. Didn'tget back to the hotel until after 9pm, and ordered aburger, the first thing I'd had really since breakfast.Up until that point, I had not even been HUNGRY, at all.Not in the least. I hadn't been not eating because I was TRYING not to eat - I just wasn't hungry. Same thing on the way back - had a very light breakfastat the hotel, nothing at all during the 5 hour trip back home, came in and went to the gym, and then had(gasp! the food police would be appalled!) just sometortilla chips and spinach dip (with a glass of wine)for "dinner." That was it. So I was trying to think about what in the world was sodifferent - what knocked me out of my "normal" routineof three squares and snacks? WHY was I not even remotelyhungry? What was behind me getting home after the gymlast night at 6pm and STILL not even really being hungryat all? I've puzzled over it, and the only thing I canthink of to explain it was that I was INVOLVED. I spent all weekend in that same "zone" I get in when I'm justso intent on a project that I forget time and hunger andeverything else. Which of course leads me to this question - how UNinvolvedam I "normally," that my hours are spent thinking about mynext meal instead of thinking about whatever I'm doing, participating in, or whatever? Am I "normally" so disconnectedfrom what I'm doing at the time that my mind CAN focus onfood, continually? I think the answer is YES. I think mostof my time I'm doing whatever I'm doing on "auto pilot," mindlessly, instead of being completely focused on it. Thisweekend I was so completely focused on the trip, the chanceto see old friends, the socializing, the joy of visiting old haunts, etc, that I was PRESENT in those moments in a wayI'm not normally. This probably makes zero sense, I think I'm writing just toprocess this so ignore it if it's rambling. But there's animportant truth in here somewhere for me - maybe for someoneelse, too. How disconnected do I live my life? How weird isit that when I FOCUS on my life instead of droning my way through it, the food issue resolves itself, if only for thetime I stay focused? Anyway,,, I warned I was rambling!

[Guest guest]

Actually, Gillian, that's EXACTLY the lesson

I took from this experience - I've got to get

myself ENGAGED more, instead of just going

through the MOTIONS of having a life. I'd

posted some time ago that one of my new year's

resolutions was to have more fun, and this

travel experience drove that home for me.

By the way, on the same note, when I was out

of town this weekend I picked up a really neat

book at a used bookstore - " Fit from Within. "

It caught my eye because I've heard folks here

talk about the " Thin from Within " book, but this

one was different. It's the coolest book! It

has 101 chapters that are each only about 2 pages

long, each one discussing some basic truth about

changing your body and your inner life and the

way you think about food. I'm about 1/2 way

through it, and the book is not overtly IE, but

I'd say most of what I've read so far falls right

into line with it. This is on my Highly Recommend

list.

[Guest guest]

That's great, I'm so glad you were able to use this as a learning experience and get valuable insight from it. Now you get to have more FUN!

I'll have to take a look at that book, thanks for letting us know about it.

Thanks!GillianGillian Hood-son, MS, ACSMHealthier OutcomesIt's not just about losing weight! Want to eat your favorite foods without gaining weight? Get your copy of our fr*e special report, "6 Simple Steps to Guilt Free Eating" by visiting http://www.healthieroutcomes.com

From: IntuitiveEating_Support [mailto:IntuitiveEating_Support ] On Behalf Of gymisadrugSent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 5:11 AMTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Subject: Re: On Travel and the Zero Hunger Zone (rambling a bit, sorry!)

Actually, Gillian, that's EXACTLY the lessonI took from this experience - I've got to getmyself ENGAGED more, instead of just going through the MOTIONS of having a life. I'd posted some time ago that one of my new year'sresolutions was to have more fun, and this travel experience drove that home for me. By the way, on the same note, when I was outof town this weekend I picked up a really neatbook at a used bookstore - "Fit from Within."It caught my eye because I've heard folks heretalk about the "Thin from Within" book, but thisone was different. It's the coolest book! Ithas 101 chapters that are each only about 2 pageslong, each one discussing some basic truth aboutchanging your body and your inner life and the way you think about food. I'm about 1/2 way through it, and the book is not overtly IE, butI'd say most of what I've read so far falls rightinto line with it. This is on my Highly Recommendlist.