what was dieting like for you

[Guest guest]

It would be so much to me if you'd be willing to share some of your experiences

dieting. I've had my own experiences but am really curious what it's been like

for other women.

Did you notice a cycle? What were your moods like? Cravings? How did you feel

about yourself during a diet? After a diet?

What did you do before a diet (all out last supper eating? clean out the

kitchen? buy new workout clothes)?

Anything you care to share would be helpful for me.

[Guest guest]

Sorry I was so long getting back to you.  My journey probably is typical.  I'd get real excited about the latest new diet fad that promised the moon.  And I'd think this is it, the answer to all my prayers.  I'd be full out at first but quickly would discover that either the claims were exaggerated or totally untrue, or I just couldn't stick with the regime/food etc. So I'd quit and then feel real guilty, defeated, blaming myself(when I should have been blaming the diet).  I craved everything that was on the forbidden list, did a lot of last supper eating, sneaking food, cleaned out the kitchen only to refill it again. But now I don't spend much time thinking about what was and try to focus on what is and where I am going.  The only time I think about what it was like is to recognize when I am falling back into diet mentality and yell at the diet police, etc. Have you read the IE books and been working on that?  What had your experience been with IE? Sandy

 

It would be so much to me if you'd be willing to share some of your experiences dieting. I've had my own experiences but am really curious what it's been like for other women.

Did you notice a cycle? What were your moods like? Cravings? How did you feel about yourself during a diet? After a diet?

What did you do before a diet (all out last supper eating? clean out the kitchen? buy new workout clothes)?

Anything you care to share would be helpful for me.

[Guest guest]

Sorry I was so long getting back to you.  My journey probably is typical.  I'd get real excited about the latest new diet fad that promised the moon.  And I'd think this is it, the answer to all my prayers.  I'd be full out at first but quickly would discover that either the claims were exaggerated or totally untrue, or I just couldn't stick with the regime/food etc. So I'd quit and then feel real guilty, defeated, blaming myself(when I should have been blaming the diet).  I craved everything that was on the forbidden list, did a lot of last supper eating, sneaking food, cleaned out the kitchen only to refill it again. But now I don't spend much time thinking about what was and try to focus on what is and where I am going.  The only time I think about what it was like is to recognize when I am falling back into diet mentality and yell at the diet police, etc. Have you read the IE books and been working on that?  What had your experience been with IE? Sandy

 

It would be so much to me if you'd be willing to share some of your experiences dieting. I've had my own experiences but am really curious what it's been like for other women.

Did you notice a cycle? What were your moods like? Cravings? How did you feel about yourself during a diet? After a diet?

What did you do before a diet (all out last supper eating? clean out the kitchen? buy new workout clothes)?

Anything you care to share would be helpful for me.

[Guest guest]

Sorry I was so long getting back to you.  My journey probably is typical.  I'd get real excited about the latest new diet fad that promised the moon.  And I'd think this is it, the answer to all my prayers.  I'd be full out at first but quickly would discover that either the claims were exaggerated or totally untrue, or I just couldn't stick with the regime/food etc. So I'd quit and then feel real guilty, defeated, blaming myself(when I should have been blaming the diet).  I craved everything that was on the forbidden list, did a lot of last supper eating, sneaking food, cleaned out the kitchen only to refill it again. But now I don't spend much time thinking about what was and try to focus on what is and where I am going.  The only time I think about what it was like is to recognize when I am falling back into diet mentality and yell at the diet police, etc. Have you read the IE books and been working on that?  What had your experience been with IE? Sandy

 

It would be so much to me if you'd be willing to share some of your experiences dieting. I've had my own experiences but am really curious what it's been like for other women.

Did you notice a cycle? What were your moods like? Cravings? How did you feel about yourself during a diet? After a diet?

What did you do before a diet (all out last supper eating? clean out the kitchen? buy new workout clothes)?

Anything you care to share would be helpful for me.

[Guest guest]

Although I've felt overweight most of my life, I've never really been able to

diet. My weight slowly crept up over the decades of my adult life, ten pounds

with each child, another ten pounds with a job in a coffee house, and then

twenty five pounds when my husband left. I would think about it dieting

periodically, but that only lasted until the next time I got hungry. I lost 55

pounds after finally being diagnosed with an inner ear disorder, that I needed

to cut way back on salt for, and I did keep track of salt, but most of my

thought went into finding foods that I liked to eat that didn't have much salt,

and the loss took place over 2 1/2 years. I ended up feeling really great. I

had been exercising regularly, even before I lost any weight, because it made me

feel good and I slept so much better, so I felt fit and healthy. But some of it

started creeping back on after 3 or 4 years, and I tried Weight Watchers (only

because they had a meeting where I worked) and I totally rebelled about that.

What do you mean only eating 21 points!?!? What kind of craziness is that? I

think I average somewhere around 38 or 40 points/day and I did lose the weight

that had crept back on, but it made me obsessed with food, and I started binging

like I never had before, and in the next year, which, to be fair, was an

incredibly stressful year, I gained back all of it, plus all of it again, and

then some, so now I'm back to very near where I was before I lost any weight in

the first place, which I find distressing.

But I'm trying to reconnect with how I ate before, like when I was a kid and

young adult. I've been IEing consciously for about two months now, and that

upward climb has stopped, and I've been feeling pretty good.

Tilley

Tilley

>

> > **

> >

> >

> > It would be so much to me if you'd be willing to share some of your

> > experiences dieting. I've had my own experiences but am really curious what

> > it's been like for other women.

> >

> > Did you notice a cycle? What were your moods like? Cravings? How did you

> > feel about yourself during a diet? After a diet?

> >

> > What did you do before a diet (all out last supper eating? clean out the

> > kitchen? buy new workout clothes)?

> >

> > Anything you care to share would be helpful for me.

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I hadn't really touched in with the emotional pain repeated diet failure has

exacted over the years until reading this. And now I recall the pain and shame

of feeling like a failure over and over and over again. I had so little self

esteem anyway - and not being able to diet enough was just deadly to my sense of

self.

From the start I had diet rebellion and didn't hold perfectly to a plan. I'd

always make room for a piece of candy or two and sometimes had a real slip into

dessert. Time after time, diet after diet. Clearly over the years failing to

master my appetite became proof that there was inadequate about me.

I won't go into my entire diet history, it's too long - but my " best " diet

experiences were those that were totally restrictive. I did the OA grey sheet

for six months once. Lost all my excess weight and then some. I still thought

of myself as fat but when I look at pictures from back then, I looked washed out

and gaunt.

I totally recall the trigger back into food - it was a whole wheat waffle with

real maple syrup that I ordered at a health food restaurant. The waffle had the

taste and consistency of a mattress and the syrup was sticky sweet - but it sent

me off and running with no look back. After all, in OA I learned that I was a

compulsive over eater and so that waffle was death to the grey sheet as I had a

LOT of catching up to do.

I felt great while on the it though - watching my thighs literally diappear and

at last I was in full charge. In HOW you called your sponsor every day - had to

re-do all the steps if you had one tiny little slip. It was a complete

obsession that consumed my every thought and BONUS, I was had the company of

like-minded others. I was a conquerer among conquerers at last.

But then I fell from grace and was a total outcast and worst punishment of all,

re-gained the weight I thought I'd lost forever.

Other " successes " were equally strident - but I've only managed to do two

totally restricted plans for any length of time. Other diets are too

loosey-goosey for me and I can't stay within the lines as there's so little room

for cheating and weight loss.

WW was just a lot of work for a pound or two and some weeks no loss others a

small one - it was too frustrating. Lifetime eating plan my foot - I knew there

was no way I could stay within their narrow boundaries for the rest of my lie.

And watching those numbers of the scale inch down - and the silence when the

scale didn't go down, or worse, went up.

Truth is, I just wanted the weight off - then and only then would I be able to

eat normally. (Like that makes sense...)

So yup, the weight gains and losses, the diet that came and went onlyh served to

stack up the evidence of my failure as a person. Clearly there was no way for

me to fit perfectly into the dress size of life. Besides, what sane and right

woman prefers applle pie and ice cream to diet toast with a tsp of fake

margarine, a salad with fat free salad dressing and two ounces of lean meat

cooked in a Tbsp of vegetable broth? Day in and day out whether or not it

tasted good or not and whether I felt like eating it or not. What was wrong

with me?!

Sigh. Time for breakfast.

Sandarah

> >

> > > **

> > >

> > >

> > > It would be so much to me if you'd be willing to share some of your

> > > experiences dieting. I've had my own experiences but am really curious

what

> > > it's been like for other women.

> > >

> > > Did you notice a cycle? What were your moods like? Cravings? How did you

> > > feel about yourself during a diet? After a diet?

> > >

> > > What did you do before a diet (all out last supper eating? clean out the

> > > kitchen? buy new workout clothes)?

> > >

> > > Anything you care to share would be helpful for me.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

There was nothing wrong with you. You thought you were doing the right thing and there were experts and books and sponsors backing you up all the way. Your story triggered some memories for me. The cooking everything in broth! Yes, I remember that well. I wasn't allowed to use more than 1 tsp. of oil or butter to saute, so I had to cook in broth quite a bit. All these little tips you learn that seem sooo smart, like cooking in broth or using only mustard as a dip because it doesn't have fat. An article in a popular woman's magazine gave advice on how to eat salad: get the low-fat dressing on the side and dip your fork lightly in it before eating several forkfuls of salad. By no means dip your fork WITH the salad on it into the dressing, because then you will get dressing in EVERY forkful! That was considered horrendous! You were instructed to congratulate

yourself when you finished your salad and saw that most of the salad dressing was left over. Oh, man.

Mimi

Subject: Re: what was dieting like for youTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Date: Wednesday, October 5, 2011, 1:11 PM

I hadn't really touched in with the emotional pain repeated diet failure has exacted over the years until reading this. And now I recall the pain and shame of feeling like a failure over and over and over again. I had so little self esteem anyway - and not being able to diet enough was just deadly to my sense of self. From the start I had diet rebellion and didn't hold perfectly to a plan. I'd always make room for a piece of candy or two and sometimes had a real slip into dessert. Time after time, diet after diet. Clearly over the years failing to master my appetite became proof that there was inadequate about me. I won't go into my entire diet history, it's too long - but my "best" diet experiences were those that were totally restrictive. I did the OA grey sheet for six months once. Lost all my excess weight and then some. I still thought of myself as fat but when I look at pictures from back then, I looked washed out and gaunt.

I totally recall the trigger back into food - it was a whole wheat waffle with real maple syrup that I ordered at a health food restaurant. The waffle had the taste and consistency of a mattress and the syrup was sticky sweet - but it sent me off and running with no look back. After all, in OA I learned that I was a compulsive over eater and so that waffle was death to the grey sheet as I had a LOT of catching up to do. I felt great while on the it though - watching my thighs literally diappear and at last I was in full charge. In HOW you called your sponsor every day - had to re-do all the steps if you had one tiny little slip. It was a complete obsession that consumed my every thought and BONUS, I was had the company of like-minded others. I was a conquerer among conquerers at last. But then I fell from grace and was a total outcast and worst punishment of all, re-gained the weight I thought I'd lost forever. Other

"successes" were equally strident - but I've only managed to do two totally restricted plans for any length of time. Other diets are too loosey-goosey for me and I can't stay within the lines as there's so little room for cheating and weight loss. WW was just a lot of work for a pound or two and some weeks no loss others a small one - it was too frustrating. Lifetime eating plan my foot - I knew there was no way I could stay within their narrow boundaries for the rest of my lie. And watching those numbers of the scale inch down - and the silence when the scale didn't go down, or worse, went up. Truth is, I just wanted the weight off - then and only then would I be able to eat normally. (Like that makes sense...)So yup, the weight gains and losses, the diet that came and went onlyh served to stack up the evidence of my failure as a person. Clearly there was no way for me to fit perfectly into the dress size of life. Besides, what

sane and right woman prefers applle pie and ice cream to diet toast with a tsp of fake margarine, a salad with fat free salad dressing and two ounces of lean meat cooked in a Tbsp of vegetable broth? Day in and day out whether or not it tasted good or not and whether I felt like eating it or not. What was wrong with me?! Sigh. Time for breakfast. Sandarah

[Guest guest]

There was nothing wrong with you. You thought you were doing the right thing and there were experts and books and sponsors backing you up all the way. Your story triggered some memories for me. The cooking everything in broth! Yes, I remember that well. I wasn't allowed to use more than 1 tsp. of oil or butter to saute, so I had to cook in broth quite a bit. All these little tips you learn that seem sooo smart, like cooking in broth or using only mustard as a dip because it doesn't have fat. An article in a popular woman's magazine gave advice on how to eat salad: get the low-fat dressing on the side and dip your fork lightly in it before eating several forkfuls of salad. By no means dip your fork WITH the salad on it into the dressing, because then you will get dressing in EVERY forkful! That was considered horrendous! You were instructed to congratulate

yourself when you finished your salad and saw that most of the salad dressing was left over. Oh, man.

Mimi

Subject: Re: what was dieting like for youTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Date: Wednesday, October 5, 2011, 1:11 PM

I hadn't really touched in with the emotional pain repeated diet failure has exacted over the years until reading this. And now I recall the pain and shame of feeling like a failure over and over and over again. I had so little self esteem anyway - and not being able to diet enough was just deadly to my sense of self. From the start I had diet rebellion and didn't hold perfectly to a plan. I'd always make room for a piece of candy or two and sometimes had a real slip into dessert. Time after time, diet after diet. Clearly over the years failing to master my appetite became proof that there was inadequate about me. I won't go into my entire diet history, it's too long - but my "best" diet experiences were those that were totally restrictive. I did the OA grey sheet for six months once. Lost all my excess weight and then some. I still thought of myself as fat but when I look at pictures from back then, I looked washed out and gaunt.

I totally recall the trigger back into food - it was a whole wheat waffle with real maple syrup that I ordered at a health food restaurant. The waffle had the taste and consistency of a mattress and the syrup was sticky sweet - but it sent me off and running with no look back. After all, in OA I learned that I was a compulsive over eater and so that waffle was death to the grey sheet as I had a LOT of catching up to do. I felt great while on the it though - watching my thighs literally diappear and at last I was in full charge. In HOW you called your sponsor every day - had to re-do all the steps if you had one tiny little slip. It was a complete obsession that consumed my every thought and BONUS, I was had the company of like-minded others. I was a conquerer among conquerers at last. But then I fell from grace and was a total outcast and worst punishment of all, re-gained the weight I thought I'd lost forever. Other

"successes" were equally strident - but I've only managed to do two totally restricted plans for any length of time. Other diets are too loosey-goosey for me and I can't stay within the lines as there's so little room for cheating and weight loss. WW was just a lot of work for a pound or two and some weeks no loss others a small one - it was too frustrating. Lifetime eating plan my foot - I knew there was no way I could stay within their narrow boundaries for the rest of my lie. And watching those numbers of the scale inch down - and the silence when the scale didn't go down, or worse, went up. Truth is, I just wanted the weight off - then and only then would I be able to eat normally. (Like that makes sense...)So yup, the weight gains and losses, the diet that came and went onlyh served to stack up the evidence of my failure as a person. Clearly there was no way for me to fit perfectly into the dress size of life. Besides, what

sane and right woman prefers applle pie and ice cream to diet toast with a tsp of fake margarine, a salad with fat free salad dressing and two ounces of lean meat cooked in a Tbsp of vegetable broth? Day in and day out whether or not it tasted good or not and whether I felt like eating it or not. What was wrong with me?! Sigh. Time for breakfast. Sandarah