Re: A minor victory

[Guest guest]

BRAVO!!! And you said you didn't cook. I loved what you said about " being

cool, was doing things on purpose " . That made a lot of sense to me. I think for

me that is the biggest thing to remember with IE. Paying attention and being

present with my food and eating. It is hard for me to try and figure out why I

want to overeat (or if it is an avoidance of something that happened when I was

a child) but if I give all my attention to the food, compulsive eating or

bingeing isn't satisfying or working any more. If that makes any sense? Without

the mindlessness bingeing doesn't serve the purpose.

Robin

>

> Just finished breakfast and thought I might share. I was thinking while

> eating my breakfast this morning that IE could just as easily stand for

> Intentional Eating. I confess I'm not a binger, but I am a mindless,

> distracted eater. This morning I tried something different. I didn't

> eat my breakfast at the same time as usual, I didn't eat the same thing

> I usually eat either. This morning I actually waited until I was

> hungry, which kicked in at 10am. Fortunately as a stay-at-home gramma,

> I can eat whenever I want and the kitchen is only a few steps away. So

> at 10am I realized I was hungry and had to ask myself why? Oh yeah, I

> hadn't had breakfast. Let's eat. So I actually thought about what to

> eat, picked out a whole wheat/flax seed English Muffin, pulled out the

> butter, an egg and a couple thin slices of ham and decided to make my

> own Egg McMuffin. I decided to have lemonade with my breakfast instead

> of my usual mocha cocoa. I sprayed the pan, cooked the egg, heated the

> ham and put it all together. I turned off the TV, put down my magazine,

> stayed away from the computer and sat here noticing my breakfast. Now

> I'm sharing all these details because my intention is to share with you

> how I did it all on purpose. Oddly, I can remember what everything I

> ate tasted like and I don't need any more at this time. In fact, I'm

> feeling kinda uncomfortably full now. Maybe next time I'll try eating less.

>

> A friend of mine told me in high school (back when the dinosaurs roamed

> the earth) that " being cool " was all about doing what you do on

> purpose. She was very cool and I figured she knew what she was talking

> about. You didn't have to buy the right thing, say the right thing

> or act the right way, you just had to do whatever you do on purpose. I

> was thinking that even cats know this. Have you ever seen an uncool

> cat? They can fly around the house for no particular reason, run smack

> into the wall and look around with an expression that screams " I meant

> to do that " and walk away with an attitude that you should admire them

> for their finesse. So doing things on purpose with INtention and

> Attention seems to be very IE. So this morning I gave it a go with

> breakfast. I can't say that breakfast was remarkably better tasting,

> but I did notice I overate afterwards. Note to self... eat half as much

> as I'd usually fix and then see if I'm still hungry. Baby steps...

>

> Dawn B

>

[Guest guest]

I think maybe it's not a bad idea to be present for everything. That's

a major part of what I'm working on. I've got this toddler playing

right next to me and before I know it she's gonna be in school and I'll

have missed this time with her.

Dawn

BRAVO!!! And you said you didn't cook. I loved what you said

about "being cool, was doing things on purpose". That made a lot of

sense to me. I think for me that is the biggest thing to remember with

IE. Paying attention and being present with my food and eating. It is

hard for me to try and figure out why I want to overeat (or if it is an

avoidance of something that happened when I was a child) but if I give

all my attention to the food, compulsive eating or bingeing isn't

satisfying or working any more. If that makes any sense? Without the

mindlessness bingeing doesn't serve the purpose.

Robin

>

> Just finished breakfast and thought I might share. I was thinking

while

> eating my breakfast this morning that IE could just as easily

stand for

> Intentional Eating. I confess I'm not a binger, but I am a

mindless,

> distracted eater. This morning I tried something different. I

didn't

> eat my breakfast at the same time as usual, I didn't eat the same

thing

> I usually eat either. This morning I actually waited until I was

> hungry, which kicked in at 10am. Fortunately as a stay-at-home

gramma,

> I can eat whenever I want and the kitchen is only a few steps

away. So

> at 10am I realized I was hungry and had to ask myself why? Oh

yeah, I

> hadn't had breakfast. Let's eat. So I actually thought about what

to

> eat, picked out a whole wheat/flax seed English Muffin, pulled out

the

> butter, an egg and a couple thin slices of ham and decided to make

my

> own Egg McMuffin. I decided to have lemonade with my breakfast

instead

> of my usual mocha cocoa. I sprayed the pan, cooked the egg, heated

the

> ham and put it all together. I turned off the TV, put down my

magazine,

> stayed away from the computer and sat here noticing my breakfast.

Now

> I'm sharing all these details because my intention is to share

with you

> how I did it all on purpose. Oddly, I can remember what everything

I

> ate tasted like and I don't need any more at this time. In fact,

I'm

> feeling kinda uncomfortably full now. Maybe next time I'll try

eating less.

>

> A friend of mine told me in high school (back when the dinosaurs

roamed

> the earth) that "being cool" was all about doing what you do on

> purpose. She was very cool and I figured she knew what she was

talking

> about. You didn't have to buy the right thing, say the right

thing

> or act the right way, you just had to do whatever you do on

purpose. I

> was thinking that even cats know this. Have you ever seen an

uncool

> cat? They can fly around the house for no particular reason, run

smack

> into the wall and look around with an expression that screams "I

meant

> to do that" and walk away with an attitude that you should admire

them

> for their finesse. So doing things on purpose with INtention and

> Attention seems to be very IE. So this morning I gave it a go with

> breakfast. I can't say that breakfast was remarkably better

tasting,

> but I did notice I overate afterwards. Note to self... eat half as

much

> as I'd usually fix and then see if I'm still hungry. Baby steps...

>

> Dawn B

>

[Guest guest]

Hey Laurie,

I think that is why Geneen (along with another book I read " The Zen of Eating " )

recommends meditating. So you can " Zero Out " . I keep trying to meditate but I

either fall asleep or get irritated because I don't think I'm not doing it

right. LOL... I guess I'll keep practicing.

Robin

>>>Without the mindlessness bingeing doesn't serve the

purpose.<<<

>

> Whoa! Major ding-ding-ding moment here! Of *course* that's why IE

works--bingeing becomes absolutely ludicrous when you pay attention to it, and

it feels like crap. The whole point is to zero out and run the test patterns on

your eyeballs--at least for me.

>

> Now here's the question: Is it ok to zero out *without* bingeing? Sometimes I

just feel like I need to unplug from it all, and I've been using bingeing to do

that. A friend once told me that " stress is caused by light, motion, and

noise " --well, maybe if I just go lie down and close my eyes when I'm feeling

stressed, in a quiet room, I won't feel the need to eat myself into a lullabye

mode.

>

> Thanks, Robin, for the great insight, and also to Dawn B for the wonderful

image of " being cool, doing things on purpose. " I find if I slow things down, I

can take care of myself better.

>

> All best,

> Laurie

>

[Guest guest]

Is it ok? Sure, everything is ok. There's no food police here. But

what you've just described is meditation... lying down, closing your

eyes in a quiet room. I need that too. Personally I think that's a

perfect stress reliever, as is mindless walking in a park. I have a

room and a chair upstairs where its quiet and I go sit and write or

just sit and close my eyes. Oh and I did this one when I was a kid.

Fill a bathtub with really hot water and just sit in it and stare at

the wall (or a candle) until things get fuzzy or the water gets cold.

Very relaxing and better than drugs or alcohol. Personally, I think

the mind needs a rest now and then, especially after you've been

overstimulated with too many people, too much noise, too many flashy

lights... I find if you add a lit candle, some soft classical music

and maybe a cup of cocoa or herbal tea... I can zen right out. LOL

Dawn B

Now here's the question: Is it ok to zero out *without*

bingeing? Sometimes I just feel like I need to unplug from it all, and

I've been using bingeing to do that. A friend once told me that "stress

is caused by light, motion, and noise"--well, maybe if I just go lie

down and close my eyes when I'm feeling stressed, in a quiet room, I

won't feel the need to eat myself into a lullabye mode.

All best,

Laurie

[Guest guest]

Robin, I don't think you can't meditate "wrong". And there are monks

in Tibet that are still working on it, so it's expected that you won't

get it right for awhile. I understand there's benefit from just trying.

Dawn

Hey Laurie,

I think that is why Geneen (along with another book I read "The Zen of

Eating") recommends meditating. So you can "Zero Out". I keep trying to

meditate but I either fall asleep or get irritated because I don't

think I'm not doing it right. LOL... I guess I'll keep practicing.

Robin

>>>Without the mindlessness bingeing doesn't

serve the purpose.<<<

>

> Whoa! Major ding-ding-ding moment here! Of *course* that's why IE

works--bingeing becomes absolutely ludicrous when you pay attention to

it, and it feels like crap. The whole point is to zero out and run the

test patterns on your eyeballs--at least for me.

>

> Now here's the question: Is it ok to zero out *without* bingeing?

Sometimes I just feel like I need to unplug from it all, and I've been

using bingeing to do that. A friend once told me that "stress is caused

by light, motion, and noise"--well, maybe if I just go lie down and

close my eyes when I'm feeling stressed, in a quiet room, I won't feel

the need to eat myself into a lullabye mode.

>

> Thanks, Robin, for the great insight, and also to Dawn B for the

wonderful image of "being cool, doing things on purpose." I find if I

slow things down, I can take care of myself better.

>

> All best,

> Laurie

>

[Guest guest]

Robin, I don't think you can't meditate "wrong". And there are monks

in Tibet that are still working on it, so it's expected that you won't

get it right for awhile. I understand there's benefit from just trying.

Dawn

Hey Laurie,

I think that is why Geneen (along with another book I read "The Zen of

Eating") recommends meditating. So you can "Zero Out". I keep trying to

meditate but I either fall asleep or get irritated because I don't

think I'm not doing it right. LOL... I guess I'll keep practicing.

Robin

>>>Without the mindlessness bingeing doesn't

serve the purpose.<<<

>

> Whoa! Major ding-ding-ding moment here! Of *course* that's why IE

works--bingeing becomes absolutely ludicrous when you pay attention to

it, and it feels like crap. The whole point is to zero out and run the

test patterns on your eyeballs--at least for me.

>

> Now here's the question: Is it ok to zero out *without* bingeing?

Sometimes I just feel like I need to unplug from it all, and I've been

using bingeing to do that. A friend once told me that "stress is caused

by light, motion, and noise"--well, maybe if I just go lie down and

close my eyes when I'm feeling stressed, in a quiet room, I won't feel

the need to eat myself into a lullabye mode.

>

> Thanks, Robin, for the great insight, and also to Dawn B for the

wonderful image of "being cool, doing things on purpose." I find if I

slow things down, I can take care of myself better.

>

> All best,

> Laurie

>