Re: Principle 3 - Make Peace with Food

[Guest guest]

I have a feeling this principle is going to be where I spend most of

my time over the next few months. Apologies in advance - this is

going to be long and bloggity and I'm going to talk about food and

diets!

I have been on and off Weight Watchers for the last 10 years. The

last time I joined I thought I was doing it to help develop a healthy

relationship with food so that I did not pass on any issues to my

son, who is now 20 months old. Over the course of the last few

months, I came to the realization that WW was not helping normalize

my relationship with food - it was messing it up even more! Even

though I was not " counting points " because I was on core, I was still

restricting and denying myself things I really wanted because my food

choices were limited to a list, five points a day (the amount in a

snickers bar) and whatever points I could earn though exercise. Every

week I went over points and every week I felt like I was a failure.

Then I started to notice how my son was eating. He ate only what he

wanted and stopped when he was full. Sometimes he would eat a lot of

fruit and sometimes he would firmly shake his head NO. Sometimes he

would eat a lot of veggies and throw his chicken over the side of the

high chair. The next day it was the veggies that hit the floor. He

did something I could never do - walk away from a cookie because he

wasn't hungry anymore! I remembered a friend talking about IE and

started asking her questions. Then I found this group, cancelled my

WW membership and haven't looked back.

Since then, I've been working my way through all the foods I wanted

to eat, told myself I couldn't have because it wasn't " on the list " ,

and then felt bad about it when I ate - more likely overate - it

anyway! I've started cooking and baking again because I really enjoy

it. I made three peach and blueberry cobblers in the space of 10

days because I could. I started making pancakes for breakfast on the

weekends and using real syrup and eating them with bacon. I make

casseroles using canned soup because I like them! I have Oreo's in my

house. Not the 100 calorie packs - the real deal. And yesterday, I

put the last two in a baggie to save for my son instead of eating

them. Because I can have Oreo's any time I want them.

I'm still bringing back foods I haven't eaten in a while - like

sandwiches, snack foods, cereals, peanut M & M's. I'm finding that I

eat them like crazy for a week and then I don't *need* them anymore.

I'm starting to eat fruits and veggies again because I like them, not

because I " have " to. I've found my favorite afternoon snack isn't a

sugar free pudding because I deserved a treat, but baby carrots and

snap peas dipped in red pepper hummus - or a laughing cow cheese

wedge spread on a whole grain cracker.

I still struggle with some of the diet mentalaties - and I think we

all do - but every day that leap of faith (thanks Norma for that

post) gets a little easier.

Phew. I feel better for having gotten that out!

[Guest guest]

I was right on target with this one. It was very scary for me at

first. My thoughts were that once I started eating all these so

called forbidden foods I would never be able to stop but once I truly

allowed myself to have them, e.g., Cheesies I did what the book said

I kept keeping them around after I finished the bag and I realized

once I gave myself permission to have them I got tired of them and

when I feel like some I can have an amount that is satisfactory to me

and walk away and leave the rest. This took some work and some

time. I have noticed that my weight isn't doing anything, which is

huge for me as I was always the ever expanding and shrinking girl. I

now shop at the Bulk Barn and buy baggies of things to see what I

like and don't like and I keep a whole whack of once off limit foods

in my cupboard just like every other grocery in my house. I no

longer devour all these foods just to get them out of the house. I

never imagined I would ever be able to do this. My husband is

especially pleased as he no longer has to hide food. I've also been

surprised by the things I like and don't like, e.g., Oreo cookies had

such a hold over me I would devour a whole row but never really

tasted them until now and I found I don't really care for them.

Thanks,

J.

Where would I be without this site and the people here?

>

>

> Subject: Re: Principle 3 - " Make Peace

with Food "

> To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> Received: Thursday, August 28, 2008, 9:31 AM

>

>

>

>

>

>

> I have a feeling this principle is going to be where I spend most

of

> my time over the next few months. Apologies in advance - this is

> going to be long and bloggity and I'm going to talk about food and

> diets!

>

> I have been on and off Weight Watchers for the last 10 years. The

> last time I joined I thought I was doing it to help develop a

healthy

> relationship with food so that I did not pass on any issues to my

> son, who is now 20 months old. Over the course of the last few

> months, I came to the realization that WW was not helping normalize

> my relationship with food - it was messing it up even more! Even

> though I was not " counting points " because I was on core, I was

still

> restricting and denying myself things I really wanted because my

food

> choices were limited to a list, five points a day (the amount in a

> snickers bar) and whatever points I could earn though exercise.

Every

> week I went over points and every week I felt like I was a failure.

>

> Then I started to notice how my son was eating. He ate only what he

> wanted and stopped when he was full. Sometimes he would eat a lot

of

> fruit and sometimes he would firmly shake his head NO. Sometimes he

> would eat a lot of veggies and throw his chicken over the side of

the

> high chair. The next day it was the veggies that hit the floor. He

> did something I could never do - walk away from a cookie because he

> wasn't hungry anymore! I remembered a friend talking about IE and

> started asking her questions. Then I found this group, cancelled my

> WW membership and haven't looked back.

>

> Since then, I've been working my way through all the foods I wanted

> to eat, told myself I couldn't have because it wasn't " on the

list " ,

> and then felt bad about it when I ate - more likely overate - it

> anyway! I've started cooking and baking again because I really

enjoy

> it. I made three peach and blueberry cobblers in the space of 10

> days because I could. I started making pancakes for breakfast on

the

> weekends and using real syrup and eating them with bacon. I make

> casseroles using canned soup because I like them! I have Oreo's in

my

> house. Not the 100 calorie packs - the real deal. And yesterday, I

> put the last two in a baggie to save for my son instead of eating

> them. Because I can have Oreo's any time I want them.

>

> I'm still bringing back foods I haven't eaten in a while - like

> sandwiches, snack foods, cereals, peanut M & M's. I'm finding that I

> eat them like crazy for a week and then I don't *need* them

anymore.

> I'm starting to eat fruits and veggies again because I like them,

not

> because I " have " to. I've found my favorite afternoon snack isn't a

> sugar free pudding because I deserved a treat, but baby carrots and

> snap peas dipped in red pepper hummus - or a laughing cow cheese

> wedge spread on a whole grain cracker.

>

> I still struggle with some of the diet mentalaties - and I think we

> all do - but every day that leap of faith (thanks Norma for that

> post) gets a little easier.

>

> Phew. I feel better for having gotten that out!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________________________

> Instant Messaging, free SMS, sharing photos and more... Try the new

Yahoo! Canada Messenger at http://ca.beta.messenger.yahoo.com/

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for keeping on track with the principles. I want to have a

bit of structure with my " not dieting " . I am getting better at

eating when I am hungry (Honoring my Hunger. I am carrying food with

me all the time. I read in " 7 Habits of Slim People " that if you get

hungry an hour before lunch and want to have lunch at a certain time,

you can eat two bites. If you are still hungry, a little later, eat

two more bites. That is working so well for me.

I am ready to move to another phase. I figure I'll probably wrok

thru each of these pricnples over and over and over again.

I've read the chapter " Make Peace with Food " a while back and I will

reread it again to see what to do now.

My whole goal, right now? The only thing I really care about any

more?

Making peace with food. I am so tried of being enimies with food.

If I can also make peace with my body---great. I just want to quit

fighting in my mind, 24 hours a day-----about what to eat, when to

eat, what not to eat, when not to eat, why to eat, why not to

eat.....blah blah blah----

>

> Hi All,

>

> This message is continuing with our weekly theme of a thread of

> messages focusing on one of the ten principles outlined in the book

> Intuitive Eating by Tribole and Resch. Please post and let us know

> what you think about this week's topic. Perhaps you could quote a

> small section that meant something special to you. If you haven't

> read the book for a while, you might want to re-read this section.

> Something new might jump out at you that you would like to share

> about. If you don't have the book that's okay too, just post on the

> topic or other peoples comments about the topic.

>

> If you are new to the group and would like to read and post about a

> previous week's theme, that's okay too. You can go directly to that

> message and then scroll down to the bottom of the page to see many

of

> the posts in that thread.

>

> Principle 1 - " Rejecting the Diet mentality " started with message #

> 16826.

> Principle 2 – " Honor Your Hunger " started with message # 17023

>

> ----------------------------

>

> When I first started reading this chapter I was filled with both

> delight and panic. Delight at the thought of eating whatever I

wanted

> and panic at the thought of not being able to stop. I am so glad

that

> the authors talk about the fears people have had about doing this.

> I'm glad they acknowledged how difficult it is for people and

didn't

> try to make it sound easy.

>

> I have these strong fears around eating sugary type things. I love

> them and have had little self-control when I start eating them. I

> think that 7-11 store's Slurpee is my favourite food (I use the

> term " food " loosely here). For those of you that live in countries

> that don't have Slurpees, it is basically two cups of sugar in

> flavoured water. I will drink that stuff till I feel nauseous and

> don't ask me to explain it because I can't, but there is something

> about that nauseous feeling that I like.

>

> No diet I have ever been on has allowed sugar and now I'm faced

with

> making peace with sugar and getting past feeling guilty about

eating

> it and learning to trust myself with it. This is a tall order.

>

> I like that at the end of the chapter they gave a practical method

of

> doing this. I think I will start with some of the things that are

> going to be easiest to make peace with and then work my way up to

the

> more difficult things.

>

> Arnie

>

[Guest guest]

I enjoyed your " long " message, it seemed just perfect to me.

I have been an off and on WW participant too. My first encounter was

in 1967---when it was still fresh on the scene. I joined it and quit

and rejoined it over and over again until the late 70s, when I took

up with Overeaters Anonymous. After my trip with OA, where I lost

110 pounds in a year, I quit dieting altogether. Of course, I quit

formal dieting---I never stopped the food fight in my head or in my

life. I gained that 110 pounds back and another 40 (but that took a

long long time, that last 40).

I thought I'd never diet again. Then, in 2001, all my frinds joined

WW. I hang out with a group of women who have lunch together every

day. There is a core group of 6 or 7 of and as many of us who can,

will do lunch. Of those 7 women, 4 of them joined WW, at the same

time. This was an at work meeting, so it took them away from me

every Wednesday---to have lunch alone, if the other two weren't

around that day.

At that time, my middle son (who was 40) was in a 90 day treatment

program to deal with his meth addiction, in hopes of regaining

custody of his girls. I thought---well, if he is going to deal with

his addiction, I should deal with mine too.

So, I joined WW again. Well, being about 130 to 150 pounds

overweight (depending on what someone thinks I SHOULD weigh), I lost

weight fast. I eventually became the person who managed the

meeting. I went from a size 24/26 to a 16 in two years. I was

losing slowly, by then and of course, that is better than too fast.

(In the meantime, two more of those people joined. At one point, we

were all in WW together).

But then, I hit that wall. I stopped losing. I was at about 75

pounds lost, when it was over. I kept going. Kept managing the

meetings......I couldn't eat " right " any more. I stared gaining. I

kept going....

Eventually, I stopped going. Everyone stopped going. Everyone

gained back all thier wieght----I only gained back about 55-59 pounds

of mine.....

Recently, almost all of them rejoined....only three of us didn't.

(One of those people is probably less than 5 pounds overweight, if

she was in dripping wet clothes) The others one and I have never

discussed why we didn't go back. I know that the one who is somewhat

overweight (even in dry clothes)hates the meetings. I hate the

attention I get when I lose weight and the way I feel when I gain it

back. In addition to the people in the little lunch bunch who

joined, there are about 6 other people from my office who joined.

Now, they are all getting smaller and buying new clothes and I feel

soooo odd woman out. Our meals once again revolve around how many

points they are eating and whether or not something is on Core.

I won't go back. I won't go back. That is my mantra.

I am not sure why these people don't notice what happens with

dieting....maybe they need more time. They are smart (they are all

attorneys----relatively bright people) and I would think they would

notice that everyone they know who has ever gone to WW has gained all

the weight back and then some.

I still think, if a person is going to diet----WW is the most

comprehensive, progressive program there is. They keep changing it---

I always thought it was to keep up with the times. Now, I think its

becaues nothing works....

Okay, now I've done a big long message too.

Helene

IE since July 2008

>

> I have a feeling this principle is going to be where I spend most

of

> my time over the next few months. Apologies in advance - this is

> going to be long and bloggity and I'm going to talk about food and

> diets!

>

> I have been on and off Weight Watchers for the last 10 years. The

> last time I joined I thought I was doing it to help develop a

healthy

> relationship with food so that I did not pass on any issues to my

> son, who is now 20 months old. Over the course of the last few

> months, I came to the realization that WW was not helping normalize

> my relationship with food - it was messing it up even more! Even

> though I was not " counting points " because I was on core, I was

still

> restricting and denying myself things I really wanted because my

food

> choices were limited to a list, five points a day (the amount in a

> snickers bar) and whatever points I could earn though exercise.

Every

> week I went over points and every week I felt like I was a failure.

>

> Then I started to notice how my son was eating. He ate only what

he

> wanted and stopped when he was full. Sometimes he would eat a lot

of

> fruit and sometimes he would firmly shake his head NO. Sometimes

he

> would eat a lot of veggies and throw his chicken over the side of

the

> high chair. The next day it was the veggies that hit the floor. He

> did something I could never do - walk away from a cookie because he

> wasn't hungry anymore! I remembered a friend talking about IE and

> started asking her questions. Then I found this group, cancelled

my

> WW membership and haven't looked back.

>

> Since then, I've been working my way through all the foods I wanted

> to eat, told myself I couldn't have because it wasn't " on the

list " ,

> and then felt bad about it when I ate - more likely overate - it

> anyway! I've started cooking and baking again because I really

enjoy

> it. I made three peach and blueberry cobblers in the space of 10

> days because I could. I started making pancakes for breakfast on

the

> weekends and using real syrup and eating them with bacon. I make

> casseroles using canned soup because I like them! I have Oreo's in

my

> house. Not the 100 calorie packs - the real deal. And yesterday,

I

> put the last two in a baggie to save for my son instead of eating

> them. Because I can have Oreo's any time I want them.

>

> I'm still bringing back foods I haven't eaten in a while - like

> sandwiches, snack foods, cereals, peanut M & M's. I'm finding that I

> eat them like crazy for a week and then I don't *need* them

anymore.

> I'm starting to eat fruits and veggies again because I like them,

not

> because I " have " to. I've found my favorite afternoon snack isn't a

> sugar free pudding because I deserved a treat, but baby carrots and

> snap peas dipped in red pepper hummus - or a laughing cow cheese

> wedge spread on a whole grain cracker.

>

> I still struggle with some of the diet mentalaties - and I think we

> all do - but every day that leap of faith (thanks Norma for that

> post) gets a little easier.

>

> Phew. I feel better for having gotten that out!

>

[Guest guest]

Jennie, it sounds like you are well on your way to making peace with

food! Good job and keep up the excellent work

Katcha

IEing since March 2007

>

> I have a feeling this principle is going to be where I spend most of

> my time over the next few months. Apologies in advance - this is

> going to be long and bloggity and I'm going to talk about food and

> diets!

>

> I have been on and off Weight Watchers for the last 10 years. The

> last time I joined I thought I was doing it to help develop a healthy

> relationship with food so that I did not pass on any issues to my

> son, who is now 20 months old. Over the course of the last few

> months, I came to the realization that WW was not helping normalize

> my relationship with food - it was messing it up even more! Even

> though I was not " counting points " because I was on core, I was still

> restricting and denying myself things I really wanted because my food

> choices were limited to a list, five points a day (the amount in a

> snickers bar) and whatever points I could earn though exercise. Every

> week I went over points and every week I felt like I was a failure.

>

> Then I started to notice how my son was eating. He ate only what he

> wanted and stopped when he was full. Sometimes he would eat a lot of

> fruit and sometimes he would firmly shake his head NO. Sometimes he

> would eat a lot of veggies and throw his chicken over the side of the

> high chair. The next day it was the veggies that hit the floor. He

> did something I could never do - walk away from a cookie because he

> wasn't hungry anymore! I remembered a friend talking about IE and

> started asking her questions. Then I found this group, cancelled my

> WW membership and haven't looked back.

>

> Since then, I've been working my way through all the foods I wanted

> to eat, told myself I couldn't have because it wasn't " on the list " ,

> and then felt bad about it when I ate - more likely overate - it

> anyway! I've started cooking and baking again because I really enjoy

> it. I made three peach and blueberry cobblers in the space of 10

> days because I could. I started making pancakes for breakfast on the

> weekends and using real syrup and eating them with bacon. I make

> casseroles using canned soup because I like them! I have Oreo's in my

> house. Not the 100 calorie packs - the real deal. And yesterday, I

> put the last two in a baggie to save for my son instead of eating

> them. Because I can have Oreo's any time I want them.

>

> I'm still bringing back foods I haven't eaten in a while - like

> sandwiches, snack foods, cereals, peanut M & M's. I'm finding that I

> eat them like crazy for a week and then I don't *need* them anymore.

> I'm starting to eat fruits and veggies again because I like them, not

> because I " have " to. I've found my favorite afternoon snack isn't a

> sugar free pudding because I deserved a treat, but baby carrots and

> snap peas dipped in red pepper hummus - or a laughing cow cheese

> wedge spread on a whole grain cracker.

>

> I still struggle with some of the diet mentalaties - and I think we

> all do - but every day that leap of faith (thanks Norma for that

> post) gets a little easier.

>

> Phew. I feel better for having gotten that out!

>

[Guest guest]

Wonderful J., simply wonderful!!! And I bet you love the feeling of

freedom too

Ehugs, Katcha

IEing since March 2007

>

> I was right on target with this one. It was very scary for me at

> first. My thoughts were that once I started eating all these so

> called forbidden foods I would never be able to stop but once I truly

> allowed myself to have them, e.g., Cheesies I did what the book said

> I kept keeping them around after I finished the bag and I realized

> once I gave myself permission to have them I got tired of them and

> when I feel like some I can have an amount that is satisfactory to me

> and walk away and leave the rest. This took some work and some

> time. I have noticed that my weight isn't doing anything, which is

> huge for me as I was always the ever expanding and shrinking girl. I

> now shop at the Bulk Barn and buy baggies of things to see what I

> like and don't like and I keep a whole whack of once off limit foods

> in my cupboard just like every other grocery in my house. I no

> longer devour all these foods just to get them out of the house. I

> never imagined I would ever be able to do this. My husband is

> especially pleased as he no longer has to hide food. I've also been

> surprised by the things I like and don't like, e.g., Oreo cookies had

> such a hold over me I would devour a whole row but never really

> tasted them until now and I found I don't really care for them.

>

> Thanks,

> J.

[Guest guest]

Helene, you really are making progress Just being able to accept

that you need to do something other than 'dieting' is a BIG step. Glad

to have you here :)

ehugs, Katcha

IEing since March 2007

>

> I enjoyed your " long " message, it seemed just perfect to me.

>

> I have been an off and on WW participant too. My first encounter was

> in 1967---when it was still fresh on the scene. I joined it and quit

> and rejoined it over and over again until the late 70s, when I took

> up with Overeaters Anonymous. After my trip with OA, where I lost

> 110 pounds in a year, I quit dieting altogether. Of course, I quit

> formal dieting---I never stopped the food fight in my head or in my

> life. I gained that 110 pounds back and another 40 (but that took a

> long long time, that last 40).

>

> I thought I'd never diet again. Then, in 2001, all my frinds joined

> WW. I hang out with a group of women who have lunch together every

> day. There is a core group of 6 or 7 of and as many of us who can,

> will do lunch. Of those 7 women, 4 of them joined WW, at the same

> time. This was an at work meeting, so it took them away from me

> every Wednesday---to have lunch alone, if the other two weren't

> around that day.

>

> At that time, my middle son (who was 40) was in a 90 day treatment

> program to deal with his meth addiction, in hopes of regaining

> custody of his girls. I thought---well, if he is going to deal with

> his addiction, I should deal with mine too.

>

> So, I joined WW again. Well, being about 130 to 150 pounds

> overweight (depending on what someone thinks I SHOULD weigh), I lost

> weight fast. I eventually became the person who managed the

> meeting. I went from a size 24/26 to a 16 in two years. I was

> losing slowly, by then and of course, that is better than too fast.

> (In the meantime, two more of those people joined. At one point, we

> were all in WW together).

>

> But then, I hit that wall. I stopped losing. I was at about 75

> pounds lost, when it was over. I kept going. Kept managing the

> meetings......I couldn't eat " right " any more. I stared gaining. I

> kept going....

>

> Eventually, I stopped going. Everyone stopped going. Everyone

> gained back all thier wieght----I only gained back about 55-59 pounds

> of mine.....

>

> Recently, almost all of them rejoined....only three of us didn't.

> (One of those people is probably less than 5 pounds overweight, if

> she was in dripping wet clothes) The others one and I have never

> discussed why we didn't go back. I know that the one who is somewhat

> overweight (even in dry clothes)hates the meetings. I hate the

> attention I get when I lose weight and the way I feel when I gain it

> back. In addition to the people in the little lunch bunch who

> joined, there are about 6 other people from my office who joined.

>

> Now, they are all getting smaller and buying new clothes and I feel

> soooo odd woman out. Our meals once again revolve around how many

> points they are eating and whether or not something is on Core.

>

> I won't go back. I won't go back. That is my mantra.

>

> I am not sure why these people don't notice what happens with

> dieting....maybe they need more time. They are smart (they are all

> attorneys----relatively bright people) and I would think they would

> notice that everyone they know who has ever gone to WW has gained all

> the weight back and then some.

>

> I still think, if a person is going to diet----WW is the most

> comprehensive, progressive program there is. They keep changing it---

> I always thought it was to keep up with the times. Now, I think its

> becaues nothing works....

>

> Okay, now I've done a big long message too.

>

> Helene

> IE since July 2008

[Guest guest]

(See below)

> When I first started reading this chapter I was filled with both

> delight and panic. Delight at the thought of eating whatever I wanted

> and panic at the thought of not being able to stop. I am so glad that

> the authors talk about the fears people have had about doing this.

> I'm glad they acknowledged how difficult it is for people and didn't

> try to make it sound easy.

It never ceases to amaze me how 'usual' this is, and yet how STRONG

the resistance is to thumbing our noses at it!! To me this is the

essence of making peace with food - re-turning food from a 'charged'

(as in good vs. bad) thing into the neutral, life supporting object

that it is - PERIOD.

>

> I have these strong fears around eating sugary type things. I love

> them and have had little self-control when I start eating them. I

> think that 7-11 store's Slurpee is my favourite food (I use the

> term " food " loosely here). For those of you that live in countries

> that don't have Slurpees, it is basically two cups of sugar in

> flavoured water. I will drink that stuff till I feel nauseous and

> don't ask me to explain it because I can't, but there is something

> about that nauseous feeling that I like.

Glucose comas!! Oh how I can relate to this! Maybe its our bodies'

ultimate STOP! signal that distracts us away from the binge by

'lulling' us into a euphoric state? But oh the shame and guilt that

follows when the 'buzz' wears off :(

> No diet I have ever been on has allowed sugar and now I'm faced with

> making peace with sugar and getting past feeling guilty about eating

> it and learning to trust myself with it. This is a tall order.

ALL food can be converted to glucose by our bodies. But because

'sugar' is glucose DIRECT, the 'hit' is immediate. I'm finally coming

to grips with the way that eating 'carbs' only sends me into a roller

coaster ride of hunger because carbs digest quicker and are GONE

faster in my blood stream. That does NOT make these 'bad', only

misunderstood and of course mis-used (abused?) too.

Katcha

IEing since March 2007

> Arnie

>

[Guest guest]

For me this principle is about returning food to being a necessary

object in my life, not the 'enemy'. How and why I have up to this

point accepted the 'social' view of food being seductive, to be

dreaded, to be avoided, to be fought with etc. etc. etc. is what I

need to work on. That plus why I turn on my body/self as the 'enemy'

too is in needing of being understood and corrected/reset.

All that said, I still have moments when I catch myself thinking - " Oh

I shouldn't have eaten that! " or " That wasn't 'good' for you. " But I

am recognizing that these thoughts are ones that I am Polly Parroting

from the greater (human) world around me. If and when I do receive

such 'messages' from my own body, THEN I try and listen, honor and

learn from what I've done.

This is such a process. Just becoming aware has been challenging! And

I wasn't able to put the process into A -> B -> C -> etc. steps

immediately and consistently either! But overall and over time I can

see that my general direction is along this path :) Its almost like

the old joke about how wonderful it feels when I stop beating my head

against a wall . . . Like DUH!!

For me a big step was just allowing myself to have faith in the IE

process. Not boot camping it on myself, but saying - This is the way I

choose to live. And the results will come and I can do what I am

thinking and choosing as a better path than the one I followed before.

Isn't insanity doing the same thing over and over yet expecting

different results?!?

BEST to all of you, and THANKS too for helping me along my IE journey

ehugs, Katcha

IEing since March 2007

[Guest guest]

I have a friend who only half jokingly calls WW " the cult " . If your

WW friends are anything like mine, they blame themselves for not

being able to keep the weight off and not the diet.

Jen

IE'ing since July 08!

> >

> > I have a feeling this principle is going to be where I spend most

> of

> > my time over the next few months. Apologies in advance - this is

> > going to be long and bloggity and I'm going to talk about food

and

> > diets!

> >

> > I have been on and off Weight Watchers for the last 10 years.

The

> > last time I joined I thought I was doing it to help develop a

> healthy

> > relationship with food so that I did not pass on any issues to my

> > son, who is now 20 months old. Over the course of the last few

> > months, I came to the realization that WW was not helping

normalize

> > my relationship with food - it was messing it up even more! Even

> > though I was not " counting points " because I was on core, I was

> still

> > restricting and denying myself things I really wanted because my

> food

> > choices were limited to a list, five points a day (the amount in

a

> > snickers bar) and whatever points I could earn though exercise.

> Every

> > week I went over points and every week I felt like I was a

failure.

> >

> > Then I started to notice how my son was eating. He ate only what

> he

> > wanted and stopped when he was full. Sometimes he would eat a lot

> of

> > fruit and sometimes he would firmly shake his head NO. Sometimes

> he

> > would eat a lot of veggies and throw his chicken over the side of

> the

> > high chair. The next day it was the veggies that hit the floor.

He

> > did something I could never do - walk away from a cookie because

he

> > wasn't hungry anymore! I remembered a friend talking about IE

and

> > started asking her questions. Then I found this group, cancelled

> my

> > WW membership and haven't looked back.

> >

> > Since then, I've been working my way through all the foods I

wanted

> > to eat, told myself I couldn't have because it wasn't " on the

> list " ,

> > and then felt bad about it when I ate - more likely overate - it

> > anyway! I've started cooking and baking again because I really

> enjoy

> > it. I made three peach and blueberry cobblers in the space of 10

> > days because I could. I started making pancakes for breakfast on

> the

> > weekends and using real syrup and eating them with bacon. I make

> > casseroles using canned soup because I like them! I have Oreo's

in

> my

> > house. Not the 100 calorie packs - the real deal. And

yesterday,

> I

> > put the last two in a baggie to save for my son instead of eating

> > them. Because I can have Oreo's any time I want them.

> >

> > I'm still bringing back foods I haven't eaten in a while - like

> > sandwiches, snack foods, cereals, peanut M & M's. I'm finding that

I

> > eat them like crazy for a week and then I don't *need* them

> anymore.

> > I'm starting to eat fruits and veggies again because I like them,

> not

> > because I " have " to. I've found my favorite afternoon snack isn't

a

> > sugar free pudding because I deserved a treat, but baby carrots

and

> > snap peas dipped in red pepper hummus - or a laughing cow cheese

> > wedge spread on a whole grain cracker.

> >

> > I still struggle with some of the diet mentalaties - and I think

we

> > all do - but every day that leap of faith (thanks Norma for that

> > post) gets a little easier.

> >

> > Phew. I feel better for having gotten that out!

> >

>

[Guest guest]

~ You must tell all the newbies about making peace with cake!

Your posts are always so wise and inspiring!

Meg

IEing since 2/08

[Guest guest]

I am sure you are right that my WW friends belame themselves when it

doesn't work. I just wonder how long it will take them to catch on.

Well, it took me long enough---I'll be 68, next week! So, I've been

off and on diets for 54 years now.......

> > >

> > > I have a feeling this principle is going to be where I spend

most

> > of

> > > my time over the next few months. Apologies in advance - this

is

> > > going to be long and bloggity and I'm going to talk about food

> and

> > > diets!

> > >

> > > I have been on and off Weight Watchers for the last 10 years.

> The

> > > last time I joined I thought I was doing it to help develop a

> > healthy

> > > relationship with food so that I did not pass on any issues to

my

> > > son, who is now 20 months old. Over the course of the last few

> > > months, I came to the realization that WW was not helping

> normalize

> > > my relationship with food - it was messing it up even more!

Even

> > > though I was not " counting points " because I was on core, I was

> > still

> > > restricting and denying myself things I really wanted because

my

> > food

> > > choices were limited to a list, five points a day (the amount

in

> a

> > > snickers bar) and whatever points I could earn though exercise.

> > Every

> > > week I went over points and every week I felt like I was a

> failure.

> > >

> > > Then I started to notice how my son was eating. He ate only

what

> > he

> > > wanted and stopped when he was full. Sometimes he would eat a

lot

> > of

> > > fruit and sometimes he would firmly shake his head NO.

Sometimes

> > he

> > > would eat a lot of veggies and throw his chicken over the side

of

> > the

> > > high chair. The next day it was the veggies that hit the

floor.

> He

> > > did something I could never do - walk away from a cookie

because

> he

> > > wasn't hungry anymore! I remembered a friend talking about IE

> and

> > > started asking her questions. Then I found this group,

cancelled

> > my

> > > WW membership and haven't looked back.

> > >

> > > Since then, I've been working my way through all the foods I

> wanted

> > > to eat, told myself I couldn't have because it wasn't " on the

> > list " ,

> > > and then felt bad about it when I ate - more likely overate -

it

> > > anyway! I've started cooking and baking again because I really

> > enjoy

> > > it. I made three peach and blueberry cobblers in the space of

10

> > > days because I could. I started making pancakes for breakfast

on

> > the

> > > weekends and using real syrup and eating them with bacon. I

make

> > > casseroles using canned soup because I like them! I have Oreo's

> in

> > my

> > > house. Not the 100 calorie packs - the real deal. And

> yesterday,

> > I

> > > put the last two in a baggie to save for my son instead of

eating

> > > them. Because I can have Oreo's any time I want them.

> > >

> > > I'm still bringing back foods I haven't eaten in a while - like

> > > sandwiches, snack foods, cereals, peanut M & M's. I'm finding

that

> I

> > > eat them like crazy for a week and then I don't *need* them

> > anymore.

> > > I'm starting to eat fruits and veggies again because I like

them,

> > not

> > > because I " have " to. I've found my favorite afternoon snack

isn't

> a

> > > sugar free pudding because I deserved a treat, but baby carrots

> and

> > > snap peas dipped in red pepper hummus - or a laughing cow

cheese

> > > wedge spread on a whole grain cracker.

> > >

> > > I still struggle with some of the diet mentalaties - and I

think

> we

> > > all do - but every day that leap of faith (thanks Norma for

that

> > > post) gets a little easier.

> > >

> > > Phew. I feel better for having gotten that out!

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

If you were in WW in the 70's you probably remember them having you

eat liver once a week and making your own ketchup and they didn't

believe in exercising uniil after you'd lost your weight? My Mom

went to weight watchers in the 70's, I was around 9 yrs old. I

remember feeling so deprived as we no longer had our favorite foods

around. That was when I started sneaking food and would eat just

about anything I could get my hands on. My Mom kept chocolate chips

for baking around and coolwhip in the freezer. These were my

favorites to sneak, partially beacuse they were the only " good "

stuff or " fun " stuff to eat. I also started eating bowls of cereal,

always " healthy " cereals like cheerios or puffed wheat in which I

would drown with spoonfuls of sugar. When I'd go to my Dad's house

and he would have cookies and ice cream around I would again sneak

the foods and binge eat because I was afraid I'd never have them

again. Over my life time I have joined WW 3 or 4 times always

losing around 30 lbs but then not being able to lose beyond that,

getting frustrated, giving up the program and gaining it all back

plus some. I always thought that if I could just get to maintenance

then I would learn how to keep it off. The problem was that I could

never get to maintenance because each time I went back I needed to

lose even more weight then the last time. This is the same story

with The Diet Center, Craig and numerous diet books.

I have been doing IE since May of 2007 and feel so much freedom from

not having to worry about it all. I have a much better quality of

life because my life doesn't revolve around food. I have so much

more acceptance of myself and others. I definately have the peace

around food and exercise (no more obsessive and abusive exercise).

The hardest part for me is to remember to stay present and mindful.

When I'm not, I am not connected to my emotions and find myself

mindlessly eating/munching and don't follow my body's

hunger/satisfaction cues.

Oh yea, I've also done the OA thing too and it was probably the

thinest I've ever been and kept it off the longest. The last time I

tried going again, I found the people living life in a box - one gal

called me as one of her " check in's " for the day while on her

vacation in Hawaii where she had gone alone and rented a condo so

she could " control " what she ate. I thought that is not how I want

to live my life-if I were to go to Hawaii on vacation I so want to

eat the cultural food and not have to worry about cooking - to me

that is not living life, nor is it a vaction, that was insanity!

Anyway, enjoyed your story! I know we all have differing varations

of the same old story. But it is fun to share!

Alana

> >

> > I have a feeling this principle is going to be where I spend

most

> of

> > my time over the next few months. Apologies in advance - this

is

> > going to be long and bloggity and I'm going to talk about food

and

> > diets!

> >

> > I have been on and off Weight Watchers for the last 10 years.

The

> > last time I joined I thought I was doing it to help develop a

> healthy

> > relationship with food so that I did not pass on any issues to

my

> > son, who is now 20 months old. Over the course of the last few

> > months, I came to the realization that WW was not helping

normalize

> > my relationship with food - it was messing it up even more!

Even

> > though I was not " counting points " because I was on core, I was

> still

> > restricting and denying myself things I really wanted because my

> food

> > choices were limited to a list, five points a day (the amount in

a

> > snickers bar) and whatever points I could earn though exercise.

> Every

> > week I went over points and every week I felt like I was a

failure.

> >

> > Then I started to notice how my son was eating. He ate only

what

> he

> > wanted and stopped when he was full. Sometimes he would eat a

lot

> of

> > fruit and sometimes he would firmly shake his head NO.

Sometimes

> he

> > would eat a lot of veggies and throw his chicken over the side

of

> the

> > high chair. The next day it was the veggies that hit the floor.

He

> > did something I could never do - walk away from a cookie because

he

> > wasn't hungry anymore! I remembered a friend talking about IE

and

> > started asking her questions. Then I found this group,

cancelled

> my

> > WW membership and haven't looked back.

> >

> > Since then, I've been working my way through all the foods I

wanted

> > to eat, told myself I couldn't have because it wasn't " on the

> list " ,

> > and then felt bad about it when I ate - more likely overate - it

> > anyway! I've started cooking and baking again because I really

> enjoy

> > it. I made three peach and blueberry cobblers in the space of

10

> > days because I could. I started making pancakes for breakfast

on

> the

> > weekends and using real syrup and eating them with bacon. I

make

> > casseroles using canned soup because I like them! I have Oreo's

in

> my

> > house. Not the 100 calorie packs - the real deal. And

yesterday,

> I

> > put the last two in a baggie to save for my son instead of

eating

> > them. Because I can have Oreo's any time I want them.

> >

> > I'm still bringing back foods I haven't eaten in a while - like

> > sandwiches, snack foods, cereals, peanut M & M's. I'm finding

that I

> > eat them like crazy for a week and then I don't *need* them

> anymore.

> > I'm starting to eat fruits and veggies again because I like

them,

> not

> > because I " have " to. I've found my favorite afternoon snack

isn't a

> > sugar free pudding because I deserved a treat, but baby carrots

and

> > snap peas dipped in red pepper hummus - or a laughing cow cheese

> > wedge spread on a whole grain cracker.

> >

> > I still struggle with some of the diet mentalaties - and I think

we

> > all do - but every day that leap of faith (thanks Norma for that

> > post) gets a little easier.

> >

> > Phew. I feel better for having gotten that out!

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>

> ~ You must tell all the newbies about making peace with cake!

> Your posts are always so wise and inspiring!

>

Hi Meg,

I'll be happy to do that! Things are a bit hectic around here today but

I will do it this weekend, I promise.

Thank you for your kind words about my posts. :-)

Best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Alana,

I always enjoy reading your posts - they remind me of what I'm 'at'

too Lately I've been eating much less mindfully - too many fun

distractions with visitors and oh how I love to cook and have

'goodies' available for everyone too. I know that I have eaten more

than just for hunger, but what is GREAT is that I am not freaked out

about it, just telling myself - OK, you've relaxed on IE a bit, you

can start back on a 'stronger' path now too.

On one hand its hard to think that in the last year or so of adding IE

into my life, I have 'only' gotten 95%+ of diet mentality tossed out,

legalized pretty much all foods (candy bars remain a seductive no-no

at times), and have a few more better practices in the speed at which

I eat plus choices of foods I really want to eat. Awareness of eating

ONLY when hungry and choosing to not eat for non-hunger reasons

remain a challenge for me. But that's what I love about IE, given time

and permission to do these steps as I am able, I know I will 'get' the

whole package yet

Take care! ehugs, Katcha

IEing since March 2007

> I have been doing IE since May of 2007 and feel so much freedom from

> not having to worry about it all. I have a much better quality of

> life because my life doesn't revolve around food. I have so much

> more acceptance of myself and others. I definitely have the peace

> around food and exercise (no more obsessive and abusive exercise).

> The hardest part for me is to remember to stay present and mindful.

> When I'm not, I am not connected to my emotions and find myself

> mindlessly eating/munching and don't follow my body's

> hunger/satisfaction cues.

> Alana

[Guest guest]

Alana, I had forgotten about making my own ketchup and eating liver

once a week....thanks for the laughing memory. I have never

forgotten eating 5 fish meals a week---most of my fish meals were

snapper and I still gag at the sight of it, after only 35 year or

more! In fact, just seeing the word " Snapper " on a menu will make me

gag.

That is so interesting that you started sneaking food, when your

mother went on a diet. I wonder how many kids had THAT experience.

WOW.

Funny you should mention the woman in Hawaii who was controlling her

eating....Hawaii is where I started putting my OA lost pounds back

on....we moved to Hawaii for a year and I wanted to enjoy it. I

didn't put much on there, but it was the beginning...

I look forward to being in that peaceful place you've come

to....thanks for the great message.

> > >

> > > I have a feeling this principle is going to be where I spend

> most

> > of

> > > my time over the next few months. Apologies in advance - this

> is

> > > going to be long and bloggity and I'm going to talk about food

> and

> > > diets!

> > >

> > > I have been on and off Weight Watchers for the last 10 years.

> The

> > > last time I joined I thought I was doing it to help develop a

> > healthy

> > > relationship with food so that I did not pass on any issues to

> my

> > > son, who is now 20 months old. Over the course of the last few

> > > months, I came to the realization that WW was not helping

> normalize

> > > my relationship with food - it was messing it up even more!

> Even

> > > though I was not " counting points " because I was on core, I was

> > still

> > > restricting and denying myself things I really wanted because

my

> > food

> > > choices were limited to a list, five points a day (the amount

in

> a

> > > snickers bar) and whatever points I could earn though exercise.

> > Every

> > > week I went over points and every week I felt like I was a

> failure.

> > >

> > > Then I started to notice how my son was eating. He ate only

> what

> > he

> > > wanted and stopped when he was full. Sometimes he would eat a

> lot

> > of

> > > fruit and sometimes he would firmly shake his head NO.

> Sometimes

> > he

> > > would eat a lot of veggies and throw his chicken over the side

> of

> > the

> > > high chair. The next day it was the veggies that hit the

floor.

> He

> > > did something I could never do - walk away from a cookie

because

> he

> > > wasn't hungry anymore! I remembered a friend talking about IE

> and

> > > started asking her questions. Then I found this group,

> cancelled

> > my

> > > WW membership and haven't looked back.

> > >

> > > Since then, I've been working my way through all the foods I

> wanted

> > > to eat, told myself I couldn't have because it wasn't " on the

> > list " ,

> > > and then felt bad about it when I ate - more likely overate -

it

> > > anyway! I've started cooking and baking again because I really

> > enjoy

> > > it. I made three peach and blueberry cobblers in the space of

> 10

> > > days because I could. I started making pancakes for breakfast

> on

> > the

> > > weekends and using real syrup and eating them with bacon. I

> make

> > > casseroles using canned soup because I like them! I have Oreo's

> in

> > my

> > > house. Not the 100 calorie packs - the real deal. And

> yesterday,

> > I

> > > put the last two in a baggie to save for my son instead of

> eating

> > > them. Because I can have Oreo's any time I want them.

> > >

> > > I'm still bringing back foods I haven't eaten in a while - like

> > > sandwiches, snack foods, cereals, peanut M & M's. I'm finding

> that I

> > > eat them like crazy for a week and then I don't *need* them

> > anymore.

> > > I'm starting to eat fruits and veggies again because I like

> them,

> > not

> > > because I " have " to. I've found my favorite afternoon snack

> isn't a

> > > sugar free pudding because I deserved a treat, but baby carrots

> and

> > > snap peas dipped in red pepper hummus - or a laughing cow

cheese

> > > wedge spread on a whole grain cracker.

> > >

> > > I still struggle with some of the diet mentalaties - and I

think

> we

> > > all do - but every day that leap of faith (thanks Norma for

that

> > > post) gets a little easier.

> > >

> > > Phew. I feel better for having gotten that out!

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

" Make Peace with Food " is such a wonderful statement. I gave up

the " battle of the bulge " years ago and have no interest in the " war

on obesity " ...so I'm grateful to live this option.

I bought chocolate/vanilla pudding on my last trip to the grocery

store because I really enjoy it...yet this convenience food has

challenged me. In the past, I would find my self eating one of the

cups and then going back to the refridgerator for another cup, then

another...and would end up eating three of the four cups the first

day I bought this treat. So, I had limited buying things like

pudding, chips, and cheese curls that I go through quickly. I am

happy to say that after 3 days there is still a pudding cup in the

fridge. I know that I can have pudding when I want it. I know one of

the biggest things for me is that I was trying to get " satisfied "

off a pudding. Usually, I don't feel satisified after eating pudding

unless I have it at the end of a meal. I needed to recognize that

reality for myself.

I realized that my " obsessing " about food - planning for my next

meal throughout the day...is because it's a distraction from

boredom, I'm afraid that my meal won't be " balanced " according to

external standards, and because a part of me is afraid that I'll get

in a position where there won't be food available...which is not

reality...because food is everywhere! By having foods that I love

with me, I think that I can let go of my constant food planning for

my next meal. I like what the book has to say about the fact that

our bodies are not on a clock...it's not about one meal...it's more

about how we eat over time...I need to remember and have more trust

that the body does provide signals for needed nutrients by the foods

that we want.

I am ecstatic to be released from the guilt...basically feeling that

it is " wrong " to eat foods like Mc's breakfast sandwiches or

any other item that I know to be high in fat content and calories.

If I really want it and I'm feeding my true physical hunger, I have

more faith that my body can balance itself. And even if I'm not

feeding my true physical hunger, I've been shown that my body

balances that too. I ate some spaghetti late the other night because

I wanted it...(actually I really wanted a piece of garlic bread and

I needed a bit of pasta to go with it) and the next morning I was

not hungry for breakfast. I tried to at least feed myself a piece of

toast and my mouth didn't even want to open...so I got the message.

Making peace with food has been really about making peace with

myself and trusting my body. I did go to eat that last pudding cup 2

days ago and realized that I was really just thirsty.

Latoya

Practicing IE since Jan '08

[Guest guest]

Wonderful (re) discovery and progress too Latoya! Such insights and

good choices - for yourself - too. Yippee and thanks for sharing that,

I'm inspired :)

ehugs, Katcha

IEing since March 2007

>

> " Make Peace with Food " is such a wonderful statement. I gave up

> the " battle of the bulge " years ago and have no interest in the " war

> on obesity " ...so I'm grateful to live this option.

>

> I bought chocolate/vanilla pudding on my last trip to the grocery

> store because I really enjoy it...yet this convenience food has

> challenged me. In the past, I would find my self eating one of the

> cups and then going back to the refridgerator for another cup, then

> another...and would end up eating three of the four cups the first

> day I bought this treat. So, I had limited buying things like

> pudding, chips, and cheese curls that I go through quickly. I am

> happy to say that after 3 days there is still a pudding cup in the

> fridge. I know that I can have pudding when I want it. I know one of

> the biggest things for me is that I was trying to get " satisfied "

> off a pudding. Usually, I don't feel satisified after eating pudding

> unless I have it at the end of a meal. I needed to recognize that

> reality for myself.

>

> I realized that my " obsessing " about food - planning for my next

> meal throughout the day...is because it's a distraction from

> boredom, I'm afraid that my meal won't be " balanced " according to

> external standards, and because a part of me is afraid that I'll get

> in a position where there won't be food available...which is not

> reality...because food is everywhere! By having foods that I love

> with me, I think that I can let go of my constant food planning for

> my next meal. I like what the book has to say about the fact that

> our bodies are not on a clock...it's not about one meal...it's more

> about how we eat over time...I need to remember and have more trust

> that the body does provide signals for needed nutrients by the foods

> that we want.

>

> I am ecstatic to be released from the guilt...basically feeling that

> it is " wrong " to eat foods like Mc's breakfast sandwiches or

> any other item that I know to be high in fat content and calories.

> If I really want it and I'm feeding my true physical hunger, I have

> more faith that my body can balance itself. And even if I'm not

> feeding my true physical hunger, I've been shown that my body

> balances that too. I ate some spaghetti late the other night because

> I wanted it...(actually I really wanted a piece of garlic bread and

> I needed a bit of pasta to go with it) and the next morning I was

> not hungry for breakfast. I tried to at least feed myself a piece of

> toast and my mouth didn't even want to open...so I got the message.

> Making peace with food has been really about making peace with

> myself and trusting my body. I did go to eat that last pudding cup 2

> days ago and realized that I was really just thirsty.

>

> Latoya

> Practicing IE since Jan '08

>

[Guest guest]

I am totally on the same page with you when it comes to making peace

with sugary foods. I am so terrified of this step! I decided to limit

my " peace-making " to just one favorite food to start with, so I chose

Oreos and milk. I'm trying to view it the same as any other food, but

I am having so much trouble seeing it that way! I have not been able

to stop when I feel full, and usually end up eating about a row each

time. How do you guys ever get to the point with your " binge " foods

that you don't feel that way about them anymore? Well I ever feel in

control with Oreos around? Well I ever stop eating them??

--Shellie

IEing for about a week now

wrote:

>

> I have these strong fears around eating sugary type things. I love

> them and have had little self-control when I start eating them. I

> think that 7-11 store's Slurpee is my favourite food (I use the

> term " food " loosely here). For those of you that live in countries

> that don't have Slurpees, it is basically two cups of sugar in

> flavoured water. I will drink that stuff till I feel nauseous and

> don't ask me to explain it because I can't, but there is something

> about that nauseous feeling that I like.

[Guest guest]

>

> ~ You must tell all the newbies about making peace with cake!

Hi everyone,

Per Meg's request, I will share my experience with making peace with

cake. I know this can seem like a really scary concept and I am

hoping that by sharing some of what I learned (the HARD way, I might

add), it might help some of you who are considering taking this step.

I decided to tackle this principle on my fifth week of Intuitive

Eating, after I felt like I was getting comfortable with honoring my

hunger and rejecting diet mentality. In retrospect, I probably should

have waited a little longer. I did not fully trust in the program at

that point and I think in order to get through this step, you should

feel committed to the program and secure in your decision to reject

diet mentality. I say this because there will be times when you may

question the sanity of what you are doing! :-)

I chose cake to start with because it has always been my binge food

of choice, ever since good old Weight Watchers introduced me to the

world of the deprivation / binge merry-go-round that would plague me

for the next 35 years and eventually lead me into morbid obesity.

So I decided if I could make peace with cake, I could handle ANY

food. I had been brainwashed by one diet " guru " to believe that sugar

was a drug and even a spoonful of sugar on my oatmeal or a tablespoon

of maple syrup on my pancakes would send me running into the streets,

breaking into the corner store in the middle of the night, just to

get my sugar " fix " . So you can imagine I was VERY worried about

trying to make peace with cake with THAT mindset.

I will spare you all the gory details of the process. This post will

be long enough as it is! Instead, I will just share with you some of

the things I learned from the process, the HARD way.

First of all, if you want to make peace with a certain kind of food,

I find it is best to eat the real deal, not some healthy, low fat,

low sugar version of it. I believe it is important that you choose a

food that you feel really holds some kind of power over you. (At

least in my humble opinion.)

Secondly, try to avoid self-sabotage. Choose a time when you know

your life won't be extremely hectic or stressful. Try not to eat the

food on an empty stomach, if possible, when you naturally will eat a

lot more of it because your body is ready for a meal. Try to eat it

after a full meal. In the case of sugar, this will also prevent major

bloodsugar spikes and crashes which can set off cravings.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, be a food anthropologist, as the book recommends.

Observe your response to the food WITHOUT JUDGEMENT. This is very

challenging, at first, because all of our lives we have heard " the

voices " in our heads after just a few bites of these foods. " What are

you doing? You will get fat! (fatter!) You are out of control! Put

the fork down! " etc. etc. If you can turn off those voices and

objectively observe what is REALLY going on with your body in terms

of hunger, satisfaction and fullness, you will learn a LOT this way.

You will learn things like, " If I am having a very stressful day and

there is a homemade cake in the house, I am very likely to turn to

the cake for comfort. BUT most days are not stressful enough to cause

that reaction. " Or… " If I try out a new recipe and it comes out really

good, I am likely to eat beyond fullness, but usually only the first

time I make the recipe. " Or… " If I drink a glass of milk with the

cake, I notice I am satisfied after only one piece of cake, instead

of two. " I always thought I was a bottomless pit where cake is

concerned. Turns out I'm not. But sometimes it takes 2 pieces to

satisfy me. In the past, when I would go for the second piece, I

would feel so stressed and emotional about it that I would end up

eating 3 or 4! And as I continued to work on making peace with cake,

sometimes I only wanted one piece. And sometimes I didn't want any!

I wouldn't want to make it sound TOO easy! I definitely had one very

bad day, on Cake #3. I was having a particularly difficult day caring

for my mother, who has late stage Alzheimer's. Between the fact that

I was stressed to the max AND it was a new recipe which added to

the " excitement factor " , I devoured the whole cake within 24 hours, a

good old fashioned binge, fork in one hand, cake pan in the other,

standing in the kitchen. I beat myself up for about 48 hours after

that, even went back to the insanity of dieting for a couple of

days. I quickly came running back to Intuitive Eating, however.

I got right back on the horse and baked another cake. No binge on the

next cake, or on any since. And as the book promises, after eating

cakes for a few weeks, I was getting downright sick of eating cake! I

even ended up throwing part of some of them away when they got stale!

I never thought I would live to see THAT day. At one point, I

realized I had been eating fruit for dessert for a few days. I never

thought I would live to see THAT day either!

I was, and still am in complete awe of the authors of " Intuitive

Eating " . I wonder how they dared advise that first client to run out

and buy a box of their favorite chocolate or whatever and tell them

if they eat it all in one sitting to go right out and buy another.

How on earth did they know it would work? It still blows my mind. But…

they are RIGHT.

Thanks to making peace with cake, I now feel I can go anywhere, any

social occasion, buffet, restaurant, you name it, and not be afraid

of food. I have gone on to challenge my fears of other foods since

then, candy, donuts, etc. Once you tackle your biggest fear, the rest

come much easier. No food has any power over me now.

As I said, it seems scary at first and it definitely takes a big leap

of faith. But once you do it, you will be far happier, knowing that

no food has any power or control over you. And if, on occasion, you

may overeat that food, you will understand that there were unusual

circumstances that particular day and so you made a decision to eat

beyond fullness. You were not out of control, you were not powerless,

you just made a choice to eat beyond fullness on that occasion.

When you feel ready, just know that you CAN do this and - it WORKS.

Best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Shellie,

It really is hard to believe that yes, you will get to the point of

where such foods as Oreos and milk will cease to be so seductive to

you. I know it took me way longer than I wanted it to for me to

legalize chocolate, but it did happen. And from what I've read here

from others, they conquered their food fears too. Keep up the good work

ehugs, Katcha

IEing since March 2007

>

> I am totally on the same page with you when it comes to making peace

> with sugary foods. I am so terrified of this step! I decided to limit

> my " peace-making " to just one favorite food to start with, so I chose

> Oreos and milk. I'm trying to view it the same as any other food, but

> I am having so much trouble seeing it that way! I have not been able

> to stop when I feel full, and usually end up eating about a row each

> time. How do you guys ever get to the point with your " binge " foods

> that you don't feel that way about them anymore? Well I ever feel in

> control with Oreos around? Well I ever stop eating them??

>

> --Shellie

> IEing for about a week now

[Guest guest]

Shellie, I brought Oreo's back druing this phase as well. I used to

eat an entire row at once, too, simply because I wasn't used to

having them around and I didn't want anyone else to eat them before I

got to. But I kept buy thing them because I like Oreo's. I bought a

package on Saturday. I ate three Saturday and four yesterday. Today

I haven't had any and I really haven't even thought about them -

until now! Anyway, I think once it kicks in somewhere in there that

you can have Oreo's whenever you want them, you really don't *need*

them anymore.

I still love Oreo's, though. Now I just love them two or three at a

time instead of 10 or 12! I hope that helps...

> >

> > I have these strong fears around eating sugary type things. I

love

> > them and have had little self-control when I start eating them. I

> > think that 7-11 store's Slurpee is my favourite food (I use the

> > term " food " loosely here). For those of you that live in

countries

> > that don't have Slurpees, it is basically two cups of sugar in

> > flavoured water. I will drink that stuff till I feel nauseous and

> > don't ask me to explain it because I can't, but there is

something

> > about that nauseous feeling that I like.

>

[Guest guest]

Fixed a typo. Buy thing = buying. Sheesh!

> > >

> > > I have these strong fears around eating sugary type things. I

> love

> > > them and have had little self-control when I start eating them.

I

> > > think that 7-11 store's Slurpee is my favourite food (I use the

> > > term " food " loosely here). For those of you that live in

> countries

> > > that don't have Slurpees, it is basically two cups of sugar in

> > > flavoured water. I will drink that stuff till I feel nauseous

and

> > > don't ask me to explain it because I can't, but there is

> something

> > > about that nauseous feeling that I like.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Interesting. Once I allowed myself to eat Oreos whenever I wanted,

I learned that I really didn't like them! They are up on my list of

definately a food I can live without! Donuts too!

Alana

> > >

> > > I have these strong fears around eating sugary type things. I

> love

> > > them and have had little self-control when I start eating

them. I

> > > think that 7-11 store's Slurpee is my favourite food (I use

the

> > > term " food " loosely here). For those of you that live in

> countries

> > > that don't have Slurpees, it is basically two cups of sugar in

> > > flavoured water. I will drink that stuff till I feel nauseous

and

> > > don't ask me to explain it because I can't, but there is

> something

> > > about that nauseous feeling that I like.

> >

>