Natural Weight

[Guest guest]

Has anyone on this board actually returned to a normal weight using IE? Or are

headed in the direction of weight loss?

[Guest guest]

>> Hi All,> > This question has been dancing around in my head from the beginning. I didn't want to ask it but then I saw that it said "natural weight" right on the cover of the "Intuitive Eating" book.> > How many of you who've been doing this for a while have gotten to what you would call your "natural weight"?> > Thanks in advance,> > Evan>

One thing that has helped me a lot in shifting my thoughts about this matter was to think that we humans are, basically, animals. When, by using our reason - which is unnatural, artificial - we suppress our instincts, our body will try and get what it wants.This is true for everything, but I will focus on the eating part for the purpose of this post: your reason can dictate a diet, there seems to be nothing wrong with it, but your body will know, and it will try to survive. Remember the fittest animal is the one that eats: starving ones - as a very eloquent proof - often don't mate. A further sign is that women who restrict too much their calories lose their periods: the body knows it won't be able to handle a pregnancy. Neuropeptide Y, leptin, ghrelin, cholecystokinin and other hormones involved in complicated biological systems all work in this direction: they try to "biologically" convince your mind that you have to eat to survive! That's why most dieters think they lack willpower, but they're actually only experiencing their body's rebelliion against that "unnatural" reason.Going back to your question, I believe there's no natural weight. Your well-being is not and should not be influenced by that meaningless number on the scale. Remember a few excess pounds could be water, or undigested food, or muscle! And not even a pair of jeans that used to fit and that now seem very tight should discourage you: it is the pair of jeans that has to fit you, and not you who have to fit THAT pair of jeans!Being fine just means enjoying every little bit of your life. If you are hungry, you shall eat to survive. If you eat and derive pleasure from it, as you will slowly learn to, it will be even better. But if you feel well, if you can do your chores, your job, whatever you like to do, that means you are enjoying your life, you are living as you are supposed to, and that's what matters.Your weight can fluctuate - it could go up a few pounds in winter, for example - but that's natural too! Remember that fat keeps your body warmer. Your body could ask you more food because it may need a bit of fat in winter, and then in summer it will let it go away.Bottom line: if you listen to your body (after you have learned to, obviously), you can't go wrong.

[Guest guest]

>> Hi All,> > This question has been dancing around in my head from the beginning. I didn't want to ask it but then I saw that it said "natural weight" right on the cover of the "Intuitive Eating" book.> > How many of you who've been doing this for a while have gotten to what you would call your "natural weight"?> > Thanks in advance,> > Evan>

One thing that has helped me a lot in shifting my thoughts about this matter was to think that we humans are, basically, animals. When, by using our reason - which is unnatural, artificial - we suppress our instincts, our body will try and get what it wants.This is true for everything, but I will focus on the eating part for the purpose of this post: your reason can dictate a diet, there seems to be nothing wrong with it, but your body will know, and it will try to survive. Remember the fittest animal is the one that eats: starving ones - as a very eloquent proof - often don't mate. A further sign is that women who restrict too much their calories lose their periods: the body knows it won't be able to handle a pregnancy. Neuropeptide Y, leptin, ghrelin, cholecystokinin and other hormones involved in complicated biological systems all work in this direction: they try to "biologically" convince your mind that you have to eat to survive! That's why most dieters think they lack willpower, but they're actually only experiencing their body's rebelliion against that "unnatural" reason.Going back to your question, I believe there's no natural weight. Your well-being is not and should not be influenced by that meaningless number on the scale. Remember a few excess pounds could be water, or undigested food, or muscle! And not even a pair of jeans that used to fit and that now seem very tight should discourage you: it is the pair of jeans that has to fit you, and not you who have to fit THAT pair of jeans!Being fine just means enjoying every little bit of your life. If you are hungry, you shall eat to survive. If you eat and derive pleasure from it, as you will slowly learn to, it will be even better. But if you feel well, if you can do your chores, your job, whatever you like to do, that means you are enjoying your life, you are living as you are supposed to, and that's what matters.Your weight can fluctuate - it could go up a few pounds in winter, for example - but that's natural too! Remember that fat keeps your body warmer. Your body could ask you more food because it may need a bit of fat in winter, and then in summer it will let it go away.Bottom line: if you listen to your body (after you have learned to, obviously), you can't go wrong.