Re: Hi, I'm New Here (LONG!)

[Guest guest]

Hi Laurie,

Thanks for the welcome.

I have not read any of Geneen Roth's books, but the idea of trashing my diet

books is interesting . I have fiberglass tubs in my house, so I really couldn't

burn them in the bathtub; I'd not only melt the tub but probably burn down the

whole house! But perhaps the old Weber can be used for more than just grilling

up burgers! LOL

Actually, while it's an intriguing idea, it also strikes me as a bit scary. As

much as I know I don't want to keep dieting, something about those books is

comforting. False hope, I guess. Plus, the mere thought of all the money I've

spent on them going down the drain is a bit depressing, too. Maybe I'll start

with the " fitness " (aka diet) magazines. Goodness knows I've got whole

libraries of those, too. Might be a less scary baby step.

Josie

>

>

> Hi, Josie,

>

> Welcome to our group! You've certainly come to the right place. No apologies

needed for the length of your message--I found it fascinating and full of things

with which I could identify. I absolutely love the part about when you were in

France, and how you lost weight without even being aware of practicing IE. I

imagine all the parts of that experience--the good, basic food; the " natural "

support from the French who eat small quantities; the walking everywhere; and

not least, the FUN!--all contributed to being able to reach your natural,

healthy weight seemingly effortlessly. There are a lot of good pieces of

information for all of us there--how to put it together so that it works and

feels great.

>

> I, too, had a parent who " kidded " about weight, only it was my father kidding

my mother, not me. It wasn't until my mother was dying that she told me, in

tears, how much that kidding had hurt her during her whole life. Just because

someone says it is or presents it as " kidding " doesn't mean that the comments

don't sting and have an effect. All it does is allow them to get away with

hurting others and yet be able to claim they're doing nothing wrong. Your

mother's nickname for you was hurtful, and I'm sorry you have had to live with

that memory. Being naturally taller is not easy in any case for a girl growing

up, so being kidded about your weight in addition to that--well, it's a lot to

have to bear, especially when part of it is coming from your mother.

>

> My job is also a major challenge for me, not because I work overlong hours,

but because I don't trust and respect my employers' decisions, and sometimes

feel morally compromised. I gained most of my weight after grad school and while

on this particular job, where I do a lot of Chaotic Unconscious Eating (and a

bit of the Refuse Not, too!). And then when I get home, I stress eat fairly

consciously, to try to bury the things I don't like about my job.

>

> BTW, I am betting I could vie with your dieting book library. I am seriously

thinking of following Roth's advice, gathering them all up and getting rid of

them. Burning them in the bathtub like she suggests would just set off our smoke

alarm, but I'm going to gather them together tonight, and will probably just

stuff them unceremoniously into the recycling bin. It seems like a statement I

could love making.

>

> I look forward to hearing more from you--and it seems like we can count on you

for that, LOL!

>

> All best,

> Laurie

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Had to snort at this one:

Dawn wrote: >>>If you have a problem with discarding them because of the money you've spent on them, I understand that one. But if just buying and reading the books would make me "skinny", I'd be a stick.<<<

Yup. Me too--and I am ashamed to admit that I have on occasion actually bought and read books by recovered anorexics, not to get inspiration from someone who recovered, but instead to try to figure out how they kept themselves from eating before they got well. Now how sad is *that*?

I thought about the cost of all these books, too, but when I look at them, just sitting there, they only serve to remind me that I did spend all that money on them. If they're gone, I can wipe my hands of them and move on. It's not like I'm ever going to actually *sell* them or anything--realistically, I just wouldn't have the patience to do that. Donating them to a struggling used book store or to the Salvation Army or some other charity is another idea I'll consider.

While I can understand Josie's sense that maybe they may be providing a sense of security, I think I've reached the point of no return with diets. I'm truly convinced they only make things worse, and feed the compulsive eating monster--I'm proof positive! But all that being said, baby steps are a very good thing. I'm at least getting rid of some of the worst of the books. Some of them, I never even read--just bought them as if having them in the house would make me thin, I guess.

All best,

Laurie

[Guest guest]

Had to snort at this one:

Dawn wrote: >>>If you have a problem with discarding them because of the money you've spent on them, I understand that one. But if just buying and reading the books would make me "skinny", I'd be a stick.<<<

Yup. Me too--and I am ashamed to admit that I have on occasion actually bought and read books by recovered anorexics, not to get inspiration from someone who recovered, but instead to try to figure out how they kept themselves from eating before they got well. Now how sad is *that*?

I thought about the cost of all these books, too, but when I look at them, just sitting there, they only serve to remind me that I did spend all that money on them. If they're gone, I can wipe my hands of them and move on. It's not like I'm ever going to actually *sell* them or anything--realistically, I just wouldn't have the patience to do that. Donating them to a struggling used book store or to the Salvation Army or some other charity is another idea I'll consider.

While I can understand Josie's sense that maybe they may be providing a sense of security, I think I've reached the point of no return with diets. I'm truly convinced they only make things worse, and feed the compulsive eating monster--I'm proof positive! But all that being said, baby steps are a very good thing. I'm at least getting rid of some of the worst of the books. Some of them, I never even read--just bought them as if having them in the house would make me thin, I guess.

All best,

Laurie

[Guest guest]

Had to snort at this one:

Dawn wrote: >>>If you have a problem with discarding them because of the money you've spent on them, I understand that one. But if just buying and reading the books would make me "skinny", I'd be a stick.<<<

Yup. Me too--and I am ashamed to admit that I have on occasion actually bought and read books by recovered anorexics, not to get inspiration from someone who recovered, but instead to try to figure out how they kept themselves from eating before they got well. Now how sad is *that*?

I thought about the cost of all these books, too, but when I look at them, just sitting there, they only serve to remind me that I did spend all that money on them. If they're gone, I can wipe my hands of them and move on. It's not like I'm ever going to actually *sell* them or anything--realistically, I just wouldn't have the patience to do that. Donating them to a struggling used book store or to the Salvation Army or some other charity is another idea I'll consider.

While I can understand Josie's sense that maybe they may be providing a sense of security, I think I've reached the point of no return with diets. I'm truly convinced they only make things worse, and feed the compulsive eating monster--I'm proof positive! But all that being said, baby steps are a very good thing. I'm at least getting rid of some of the worst of the books. Some of them, I never even read--just bought them as if having them in the house would make me thin, I guess.

All best,

Laurie