new

[Guest guest]

Actually I'm not new but have not been here for about 4 years. When I left, it

seemed like the site was not interested in losing weight with IE. I lost 40lb

but could stand to lose another 30.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for reminding me that weight loss is not my goal either.  It's much more than that, or maybe not that at all.  I have been steady at my current weight for 6 months probably(?) and have better things to focus on. Sandy

 

I think that's right on. The idea of losing weight with IE doesn't work for me as a concept because the results are too gradual to consider " successful " by conventional standards. There are so many other shifts to be made before one can accept that simply not gaining lots of weight, or even gaining, but less than you otherwise would have, can be an ideal short-term result and even a middle-term result.

 

I have not lost weight on IE and if that were my goal, I would be long gone (I ducked out twice for the allure of a quick-fix diet, but always came back). So, I decided that weight loss would not be my goal, period. That made me appreciate the journey more and now, much to my surprise, I find that my steady weight gain has declined. My weight is steady for the first time in a long time and I find myself less and less obsessed with food. I find myself much less inclined to eat out of any other sensation but hunger. I find my interest in constant eating waning. I know that I will reach my natural weight this way. I just didn't expect to and never set out to do so.

 

Mimi

Subject: Re: newTo: IntuitiveEating_Support

Date: Thursday, January 5, 2012, 4:35 PM

 

It's hard sometimes to flesh out the desire for weight loss with all of the discussions on eating et al but I think the zen of it is that the more one focusses on weight loss (in IE and possibly in general) the more elusive it becomes.

Most of us here (I'm assuming) have come to the realization that the linear approach to weight loss (diet/exercise) achieves only temporary results at best and, at worst, results in gradual and permanent weight-gain due to diet back lash.

IE is, however, a paradoxical path that I think none of us would choose if we felt like we could be in that bikini by April and stay there the rest of our lives. Alas, I know that goal is no longer realistic for me and my obsession with diets and weight loss has sucked a tremendous amount of joy out of my life for decades. It also eventually led to compulsive eating and an overall weight gain of 50/60 pounds.

Oh how I wish there were a way to have my cake and

my bikini too but from what I hear there is weight-loss at the end of the yellow brick road of IE. It just takes a while to get past the detours caused by years of diet-thinking and the creation of the diet-rebel, bless her pea-picking heart.

For now I'm trusting this will give the weight loss I seek, but in order to get there, I know that I will have to somehow find peace around food so that I can move into equilibrium - not control. Peace with food isn't going to come over night and it won't come at all if I don't have a place to write and read about struggles with food - as well as read about the successes some folks have achieved by throwing out the food plans, calorie charts and scales.

Best wishes and keep posting.Sandarah