Re: New to this Group

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group Jody!

No, you are not alone in experiencing the hypnotic/trance state! I am

happy to report that I haven't tranced out in months. The recognition

of the trance state and the desire to stay out of the trance state are

the first two steps...and you have that!

I realized that I trance out when I get overwhelmed by something or

when I'm anxious, angry, dehydrated, or tired. Months ago, as soon as

I realized that I had come out of a trance eating state, I would sit

with myself and feel into what sent me into that state in the first

place. I would ask myself questions like...what were you thinking or

feeling in your body before you started eating? What's going on with

you Latoya (or in your case Jody:)?I would ask myself this question

repeatedly until I discovered the answer(s) that felt right to me.

Then I asked myself, what can I do to distract or soothe myself

besides using food in this situation?

Over the past months, the thinking and feeling question has helped me

identify what my triggers are so that I can see and feel them more

quickly and choose to just sit with my feelings or go to my list of

things to do that I enjoy besides eat. The solution I choose depends

on how worked up I am (taking a walk and sleep are high on my list). I

now know and am confident that I can choose to do something besides

eat...that I can truly take care of myself in a more healing way. The

trance eating habit is a unconscious solution developed by the body to

attempt to find balance or to feel better. So, I've endeavored to

create a set of new automatic habits that help me feel better and do

not require food. Sometimes, I still use food...though I do it

consciously...I eat the food consciously knowing that I'm attempting

to feel better and I don't eat nearly as much.

I've discovered that the uncomfortable emotional and physiological

states that compel me to eat when not hungry don't usually happen

instantly...there's an emotional or physiological imbalance that

builds up over time. For example, if I allow myself to get over-tired

over a course of the day or days or if I was sad or angry and pushed

the feelings down and more feelings built up over the course of a day

or days. So, I discovered more ways to relax, release, and watch my

energy levels and how things are affecting me so that there won't be

internal pressure to go into a eating trance to feel better.

I didn't know if I would ever be able to prevent my food trances...I

usually felt so sad that I couldn't " stop " myself. Since January, I've

worked with IE and learned how to take care of myself and the feeling

of freedom is tremendous. Definitely keep us posted on how working

with your trances is going.

Latoya:)

Yesterday I had a bad day and went home and ate non-stop until I went

to bed.  The hard part is that I don't even realize I'm doing it until

after the fact.....it's like I'm in a hypnotic state!  Does anyone

experience this?  I want to make conscious choices

> to eat only when I'm hungry but I have no idea how to break zombie

like cycle when I don't even remember how it started each time!

>

[Guest guest]

Latoya,

Thank you for this post.

dawnz

> Yesterday I had a bad day and went home and ate non-stop until I went

> to bed.  The hard part is that I don't even realize I'm doing it until

> after the fact.....it's like I'm in a hypnotic state!  Does anyone

> experience this?  I want to make conscious choices

> > to eat only when I'm hungry but I have no idea how to break zombie

> like cycle when I don't even remember how it started each time!

> >

>