Re: Is the group quiet lately?

[Guest guest]

>

> Sue,

>

> I mostly haven't used the other CDs. They are somewhat repetitive. Though I

> think there was one with the mirror exercise in it that was very helpful...

> but I've only listened a couple of times.

So I assume your 'other CDs' are not relaxed visualization exercises. I liked

the book CD, because it didn't use the aversive therapy, tapping or other finger

touching memory evoking techniques. I thought those were all gimmicky.

> I don't like the idea of food aversion techniques because the premise must

> be that some foods are " bad " or else that we are " bad " and out of control

> around certain foods. I think that I can learn to be in control around any

> foods. Allergic reactions are certainly powerful exercises in food

> aversion... but of course we don't do those on purpose!

I needed to become mindful of my allergic reactions so that I would know whether

I had accidentally eaten an allergen. Then I could avoid future contamination

from that product. However that same mindfulness helped me notice the

differences between no longer hungry, full, overly full and painfully full. So I

use the same aversive memories of uncomfortably fullness to help me stop at

comfortably full or no longer hungry.

>

> I feel exactly the same way -- that his gentle boundaries work much better

> for me to eat whatever, whenever, regardless of hunger. It doesn't feel like

> a rule to me -- I would doubtless rebel against it if it did.

I don't think McKenna's boundaries include eating whenever, regardless of

hunger. He emphasizes only eating when hungry and stopping when no longer

hungry. The visualization exercise CD repeated suggests that we envision

ourselves eating according to hunger and fullness boundaries. That helped me

believe I could stop when no longer hungry, eat very slowly, etc., even after

many experiences of overeating. I had to put new memories of successfully

stopping when full into my memory bank (via visualizations) to overcome the many

previous memories of overeating. That's how athletes mentally rehearse a game or

performance.

If you read my review of Geneen Roth's new book, you'll realize I'm a

restrictor. So McKenna's guidelines feel comfortable to me. I suspect

you're a more of a permitter who resists 'guidelines'. Maybe that's why you

doubt whether his approach has helped you that much.

SUE