Re: Using Food...

[Guest guest]

**Hugs Latoya** Sounds like a difficult place to be, but wonderful

to hear your awareness coming through. Although I have tossed most

of what I learned in Overeaters Anonymous one thing has really stayed

with me " In the past, overeating was our most common reaction to

life. " It reminds me that I used to greet every emotion with food -

but life is more complicated than that! The challenge is finding

those other things to nourish me and complete my life.

I hope you will find some good support where you are and ways to give

to yourself that don't necessarily involve food. You have often been

an inspiration for me, and I have thought often that you should write

for a living.

Take care, my friend

>

> For the past several days, I've found myself using food when I come

> home from work. The good thing is that I know that I'm using. As

I'm

> doing it, in my head I think, " You're using food " , what's going on?

> I was lying in bed and decided to get up and write about this on

the

> group as a way to process it. As I was lying in bed, I realized

that

> during these times I can also say to myself... " Food is not going to

> make you feel better. " When I thought that thought, I started to

cry

> because I know that it's totally the truth. I'm going to start

> saying in my mind, " You're using food and food is not going to make

> you feel better " ...and really feel the truth of those two mantras.

>

> The fact is that I'm feeling worn out when I come home from work.

> The work that I'm doing right now isn't really true to my values

and

> seems to be taking more from me than I'm getting (namely some

needed

> cash flow). I feel so overwhelmingly mentally and

> physically " exhausted " that I'm getting out of balance and using

> food to soothe myself. I know that other things are probably

> contributing too...such as the cold weather. I tend to eat more

> warming foods when the temperature changes. I'm not drinking water

> regularly like I did before I started this position. It's been cold

> and rainy so doing my daily movement has been sporadic and I've

> skipped some days. I don't have as much social interaction since

> moving to this area...etc...etc...etc. I'm pretty clear about

what's

> going on.

>

> This new phase/experience of myself while practicing IE is asking

me

> how can I better take care of myself during non-optimal times like

> these? What priorities need to shift? How can I prevent myself from

> feeling this exhausted to the point of using food? In the past,

most

> times when I've felt saddened by the state of my life or burdened,

> I've used food or slept alot. Now, I have an opportunity to

> transform/renegotiate this pattern with more awareness than I've

had

> in my entire life. This is the next challenge for me. Practicing

the

> IE principles when things are great or ok happens relatively

> naturally. While honoring my hunger and fullness, moving daily, and

> coping with my emotions without using food become much more

> difficult in states like these.

>

> Latoya

> Practicing IE since Jan '08

>

[Guest guest]

Latoya,

Your post was so inspiring to me. I, too, am actively seeking non-food ways to handle my emotions. I really like the way you observed what was going on with food then related it to what was happening in your life! I journal alot too to help me figure out what's going on inside me.

Thanks for sharing your thoughtsf!

Kim

IE since Aug 08

Subject: Using Food...To: IntuitiveEating_Support Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008, 11:19 PM

For the past several days, I've found myself using food when I come home from work. The good thing is that I know that I'm using. As I'm doing it, in my head I think, "You're using food", what's going on? I was lying in bed and decided to get up and write about this on the group as a way to process it. As I was lying in bed, I realized that during these times I can also say to myself..."Food is not going to make you feel better." When I thought that thought, I started to cry because I know that it's totally the truth. I'm going to start saying in my mind, "You're using food and food is not going to make you feel better"...and really feel the truth of those two mantras. The fact is that I'm feeling worn out when I come home from work. The work that I'm doing right now isn't really true to my values and seems to be taking more from me than I'm getting (namely some needed cash flow). I feel so

overwhelmingly mentally and physically "exhausted" that I'm getting out of balance and using food to soothe myself. I know that other things are probably contributing too...such as the cold weather. I tend to eat more warming foods when the temperature changes. I'm not drinking water regularly like I did before I started this position. It's been cold and rainy so doing my daily movement has been sporadic and I've skipped some days. I don't have as much social interaction since moving to this area...etc.. .etc...etc. I'm pretty clear about what's going on. This new phase/experience of myself while practicing IE is asking me how can I better take care of myself during non-optimal times like these? What priorities need to shift? How can I prevent myself from feeling this exhausted to the point of using food? In the past, most times when I've felt saddened by the state of my life or burdened,

I've used food or slept alot. Now, I have an opportunity to transform/renegotia te this pattern with more awareness than I've had in my entire life. This is the next challenge for me. Practicing the IE principles when things are great or ok happens relatively naturally. While honoring my hunger and fullness, moving daily, and coping with my emotions without using food become much more difficult in states like these.LatoyaPracticing IE since Jan '08