Re: Principle 8 - Respect Your Body

October 4, 2008

> Sometimes I think that if I could do this principle everything else

> would just fall into place so much easier. Even though I've only

> weighed myself once in the past two months I think I mentally weigh

> myself every morning when I look in the mirror, when I do up my

> pants, when I tighten my belt. So although putting away the scale is

> an important symbolic gesture me, it doesn't mean I have changed my

> thinking. It is how I think about myself, my body, my abilities and

> my essence that is important.

> Arnie

> IEing since Aug 08

>

Interesting how we default to what others think is right of us while

we disregard our own reality. The 'profile' for mature women in my

family is closer to an oak than a willow. Even my mother, who was a

VERY picky eater as a child, and was so thin it concerned the entire

family, ended up in the same 'stout' body when she matured.

I know I have a layer of fat, yes its fat, on my body. However I do

not feel restricted or 'heavy' when I move so my mind has a very

difficult time truly feeling that I am 'heavy' and motivated to 'loose

weight'. If my body is 'OK' with what it is now, why am I fighting

with it? Yet a society gremlin continues to whisper - too much fat.

I'm seriously beginning to challenge that assumption, especially as I

age. I read an article (long lost now) that discussed how older people

with some 'extra' weight actually lived longer (on average) than their

'slim' counterparts. And that makes sense to me - having 'reserves'

has to be an asset when one become more susceptible to illnesses as

aging depletes the body. Great rationalization or more reality based

observation? The debate goes on in my mind.

Katcha

IEing since March 2007

October 4, 2008

I think that this is such a KEY IE Principle. Also, I think I

remember the IE book stating that this is probably the hardest thing

one must do in order to achieve IE. It's definitely important to

accept your body as it is so you can stop the bashing, and to let

your body eventually arrive at it's natural " set point " .

I've found that the more I can Respect My Body (and the shape it

wants to take naturally) the more I can Honor My Hunger.

I think I learned (or trained myself, maybe???) to ignore and resist

my hunger signals -- It wasn't until I had a breakthrough and said

to myself, " OK! However my body wants to naturally be, let it be!

I want to be healthy, regardless of media ideals, etc. Just give me

health and sanity and help me learn to accepy my body " , that I

became more in touch with my hunger. I wasn't as afriad of my

hunger anymore (fearing the " consequences " of hunger), and I allowed

myself to eat every time I got hungry. **This is key because, as

the IE book says, you cannot truly become an IE'er until you can

honor your hunger.**

**In short, learning to Respect My Body has helped me to Honor My

Hunger, and this has helped me immensely along this journey.**

Arnie, as you wrote at the end of our post: " I think I need to lose

the idea that I should look any different than I do right now. That

is my new goal. " -- I think that is a fabulous idea. :)

October 10, 2008

I'm not sure what I want to write about this principle. So, I'm going

to write and see what comes up. It's amazing how unaware I've been of

my body most of my entire life. I've always loved and appreciated

myself because I figured that " I " am the one person who really has the

privilege of truly knowing myself and if I don't amuse myself who

will? However, I've lived through my mind most of my life. My body

has been forced to come along on the ride and to do what I dictated

and also rebelled alot against how I thought I " should " be. I've

realized that alot of my body's " rebellious " or out of control actions

were signals and cries for help and basic respect. I had to end the

war between body and mind and learn and make a place for the

importance, role, and wisdom of the body.

I have no memory of what my body looked like, below my neck, as a

child. During my younger years as an overweight child, I remember

looking in the mirror and I would only look at my face. That trend of

neck up awareness continued until fairly recently. I'm sure I've

failed to look at my lower body an innumerable amount of times. I

probably only looked when I had to try on pants or a skirt. And,

trying on clothes has not typically been an affirming experience for

me. Now, I look and I accept and find joy in what I see. Sometimes, I

look and I can't believe how " big " I feel or think I am. Just thoughts

though. The reality is that sometimes I'm going to look and I might

feel big and sometimes I'll look and feel joy. I think that I'm

finally seeing myself for the first time. It's a amazing to take the

time to really look at all of yourself. Now, I can pat my belly

affectionately and take the time to massage areas that ache and are

calling for attention.

My issues with overeating are best accounted for by my " mind " , the

thoughts that I help create that add stress to my life. The biggest

way I'm learning to respect my body is to RELAX and let go of thoughts

and ways of being that don't really serve me well. In graduate school,

I had an awesome exposure to somatic psychology that taught me alot

about body-based wisdom. I've been incorporating principles in a

theory/method called somatic expression by McHugh

(http://www.somaticexpression.com/articles/5_elements.html). I took a

class with and I didn't really get the importance of body

expression to months later.

talks about how there are 5 basic natural technologies of the

body: breath, sound, contact/touch, movement, and stillness. As a

commitment to respecting and incorporating body wisdom, I've made an

effort to express more intentionally through these 5 areas. When I

walk, I watch my breathing patterns and breathe deeply, I sing or hum

sometimes, I make an effort to feel the fresh air on my skin, I get to

enjoy the movement, and I get to enjoy coming to rest again after a

nice walk. I know that I am truly taking care of my self now.

Latoya

Practicing IE since Jan '08.

October 11, 2008

Respecting my body is something that I go in and out of. I guess the respect is not there at all anymore. I am too upset about my body! Some days I say, "ok, this is where I am at and that is ok" and other days "why not give in! who cares any way?" Does this sound familiar? Subject: Re: Principle 8 - Respect Your BodyTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Date: Friday, October 10, 2008, 6:26 PM

I'm not sure what I want to write about this principle. So, I'm going

to write and see what comes up. It's amazing how unaware I've been of

my body most of my entire life. I've always loved and appreciated

myself because I figured that "I" am the one person who really has the

privilege of truly knowing myself and if I don't amuse myself who

will? However, I've lived through my mind most of my life. My body

has been forced to come along on the ride and to do what I dictated

and also rebelled alot against how I thought I "should" be. I've

realized that alot of my body's "rebellious" or out of control actions