Re: Reading Women, Food, and God

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Josie, for this quote. Sometimes I feel that I need to read

that every day...because I keep falling into that " oh, I'm just a

hedonist " trap. But...if it were just hedonism I'd be savoring every

bite, slowly.

Hopefully we can discuss this book as a group after the Intuitive

Eating book! Or not, whatever works. I'm reading it, though!

Found it for nearly half price at Costco.

Ciao!

> " Sometimes people will say, 'But I just like the taste of food. In

> fact, I love the taste! Why can't it be that simple? I overeat

> because I like food.'

>

> " But.

>

> " When you like something, you pay attention to it. When you like

> something - love something - you take time with it. You want to be

> present for every second of the rapture.

>

> " Overeating does not lead to rapture. It leads to burping and

> farting and being so sick that you can't think of anything but how

> full you are. That's not love; that's suffering. "

>

[Guest guest]

JosieI totally understand. I actually made a post along those lines myself 2-3 weeks ago. The more I read of the book the more upset I got. I did find some things in it that spoke to me, but that concept you are talking about wasn't it. I think perhaps, the problem is that I don't 'overeat'. Oh, I overeat in the sense that I eat more than my body needs, but except for the occasional buffet, or Thanksgiving dinner, I don't over eat to the point of feeling horrible and sick. I graze throughout the day to get my excess calories. I spent yesterday over eating. I'd made a dish that I'm the only one in my house who will eat it, and it will go bad, so I've been nibbling every time I open the fridge. It's always tasted good, I've

never physically felt bad because of it, but, it had nothing to do with my body's true hunger either. Then I topped the night off by rebelling against the voice in my head that keeps saying I shouldn't bake, and made a cake, and I made it a layer cake at that! Anyway, will be interested to hear how you feel at the end of the book.Dawn RTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sun, July 11, 2010 9:41:49 PMSubject: Reading Women, Food, and God

I bought Women, Food, and God yesterday and am about a third of the way through it. I'm finding it very unsettling.

I'm one of those people who has never been comfortable with the overeating as an emotional issue concept. Not for myself, anyway. I didn't doubt that some people ate to numb some sort of pain they couldn't deal with; I just never thought I was one of them. Which isn't to say I don't have various things in my past that have been painful, but all in all, I've never been abused, no one important to me died when I was young, my parents didn't get divorced, I didn't get teased for being the fat kid, or any of the other things you often hear people say are the catalysts that started them overeating. I've always figured that my life was fairly run of the mill and any effort to say that something in my upbringing was so hurtful that it caused me to stuff myself to not deal with it was nothing more than whining and melodrama. So I'd always pretty much say to myself to walk it off, deal with it, and get on with things! Please. People have *real* problems. For that reason, I think I've always avoided Geneen's books, because I knew she was one of the people that promoted this concept that I couldn't accept for myself.

But I have to say, this book has not been a comfortable read for me. And I keep finding myself in the kitchen in a way I haven't been since I started IE. This quote really jumped out at me:

"Sometimes people will say, 'But I just like the taste of food. In fact, I love the taste! Why can't it be that simple? I overeat because I like food.'

"But.

"When you like something, you pay attention to it. When you like something - love something - you take time with it. You want to be present for every second of the rapture.

"Overeating does not lead to rapture. It leads to burping and farting and being so sick that you can't think of anything but how full you are. That's not love; that's suffering."

I don't know where this book is taking me or how I'll feel when I'm done. I'm still not 100% sure that I accept this concept, but I have to acknowledge that this unsettled feeling is trying to tell me something. It'll be interesting to watch her on Oprah tomorrow.

So, we'll see where this goes.

Josie

[Guest guest]

JosieI totally understand. I actually made a post along those lines myself 2-3 weeks ago. The more I read of the book the more upset I got. I did find some things in it that spoke to me, but that concept you are talking about wasn't it. I think perhaps, the problem is that I don't 'overeat'. Oh, I overeat in the sense that I eat more than my body needs, but except for the occasional buffet, or Thanksgiving dinner, I don't over eat to the point of feeling horrible and sick. I graze throughout the day to get my excess calories. I spent yesterday over eating. I'd made a dish that I'm the only one in my house who will eat it, and it will go bad, so I've been nibbling every time I open the fridge. It's always tasted good, I've

never physically felt bad because of it, but, it had nothing to do with my body's true hunger either. Then I topped the night off by rebelling against the voice in my head that keeps saying I shouldn't bake, and made a cake, and I made it a layer cake at that! Anyway, will be interested to hear how you feel at the end of the book.Dawn RTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sun, July 11, 2010 9:41:49 PMSubject: Reading Women, Food, and God

I bought Women, Food, and God yesterday and am about a third of the way through it. I'm finding it very unsettling.

I'm one of those people who has never been comfortable with the overeating as an emotional issue concept. Not for myself, anyway. I didn't doubt that some people ate to numb some sort of pain they couldn't deal with; I just never thought I was one of them. Which isn't to say I don't have various things in my past that have been painful, but all in all, I've never been abused, no one important to me died when I was young, my parents didn't get divorced, I didn't get teased for being the fat kid, or any of the other things you often hear people say are the catalysts that started them overeating. I've always figured that my life was fairly run of the mill and any effort to say that something in my upbringing was so hurtful that it caused me to stuff myself to not deal with it was nothing more than whining and melodrama. So I'd always pretty much say to myself to walk it off, deal with it, and get on with things! Please. People have *real* problems. For that reason, I think I've always avoided Geneen's books, because I knew she was one of the people that promoted this concept that I couldn't accept for myself.

But I have to say, this book has not been a comfortable read for me. And I keep finding myself in the kitchen in a way I haven't been since I started IE. This quote really jumped out at me:

"Sometimes people will say, 'But I just like the taste of food. In fact, I love the taste! Why can't it be that simple? I overeat because I like food.'

"But.

"When you like something, you pay attention to it. When you like something - love something - you take time with it. You want to be present for every second of the rapture.

"Overeating does not lead to rapture. It leads to burping and farting and being so sick that you can't think of anything but how full you are. That's not love; that's suffering."

I don't know where this book is taking me or how I'll feel when I'm done. I'm still not 100% sure that I accept this concept, but I have to acknowledge that this unsettled feeling is trying to tell me something. It'll be interesting to watch her on Oprah tomorrow.

So, we'll see where this goes.

Josie

[Guest guest]

JosieI totally understand. I actually made a post along those lines myself 2-3 weeks ago. The more I read of the book the more upset I got. I did find some things in it that spoke to me, but that concept you are talking about wasn't it. I think perhaps, the problem is that I don't 'overeat'. Oh, I overeat in the sense that I eat more than my body needs, but except for the occasional buffet, or Thanksgiving dinner, I don't over eat to the point of feeling horrible and sick. I graze throughout the day to get my excess calories. I spent yesterday over eating. I'd made a dish that I'm the only one in my house who will eat it, and it will go bad, so I've been nibbling every time I open the fridge. It's always tasted good, I've

never physically felt bad because of it, but, it had nothing to do with my body's true hunger either. Then I topped the night off by rebelling against the voice in my head that keeps saying I shouldn't bake, and made a cake, and I made it a layer cake at that! Anyway, will be interested to hear how you feel at the end of the book.Dawn RTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sun, July 11, 2010 9:41:49 PMSubject: Reading Women, Food, and God

I bought Women, Food, and God yesterday and am about a third of the way through it. I'm finding it very unsettling.

I'm one of those people who has never been comfortable with the overeating as an emotional issue concept. Not for myself, anyway. I didn't doubt that some people ate to numb some sort of pain they couldn't deal with; I just never thought I was one of them. Which isn't to say I don't have various things in my past that have been painful, but all in all, I've never been abused, no one important to me died when I was young, my parents didn't get divorced, I didn't get teased for being the fat kid, or any of the other things you often hear people say are the catalysts that started them overeating. I've always figured that my life was fairly run of the mill and any effort to say that something in my upbringing was so hurtful that it caused me to stuff myself to not deal with it was nothing more than whining and melodrama. So I'd always pretty much say to myself to walk it off, deal with it, and get on with things! Please. People have *real* problems. For that reason, I think I've always avoided Geneen's books, because I knew she was one of the people that promoted this concept that I couldn't accept for myself.

But I have to say, this book has not been a comfortable read for me. And I keep finding myself in the kitchen in a way I haven't been since I started IE. This quote really jumped out at me:

"Sometimes people will say, 'But I just like the taste of food. In fact, I love the taste! Why can't it be that simple? I overeat because I like food.'

"But.

"When you like something, you pay attention to it. When you like something - love something - you take time with it. You want to be present for every second of the rapture.

"Overeating does not lead to rapture. It leads to burping and farting and being so sick that you can't think of anything but how full you are. That's not love; that's suffering."

I don't know where this book is taking me or how I'll feel when I'm done. I'm still not 100% sure that I accept this concept, but I have to acknowledge that this unsettled feeling is trying to tell me something. It'll be interesting to watch her on Oprah tomorrow.

So, we'll see where this goes.

Josie

[Guest guest]

I think that is a mis-conception that one must have been abused have some severe

trauma that led them to emotional eating.

My emotional eating started when I was in elementary school and the first time I

came home to an empty house after school. I thought I was such a big girl

because I got to have a key that I wore around my neck on a chain. But when I

walked into our big house and no one else was there, it was lonely and it was

scary to a little gir, and uncomfortable. So I turned on the TV for company and

I sat infront of the TV and ate. The TV and food have been two of my best

friends ever since. Not really a traumatic situation, but it is what I did to

soothe and take care of myself. Yes, I too used to use the excuse that I too

loved food. But it truly was about habit for me. Watching TV and eating had

become habit. Since I've been doing IE it works less and less to comfort me. I

find it best to just sit with my thoughts and my feelings before acting on them.

Alana

>

> I bought Women, Food, and God yesterday and am about a third of the way

through it. I'm finding it very unsettling.

>

> I'm one of those people who has never been comfortable with the overeating as

an emotional issue concept. Not for myself, anyway. I didn't doubt that some

people ate to numb some sort of pain they couldn't deal with; I just never

thought I was one of them. Which isn't to say I don't have various things in my

past that have been painful, but all in all, I've never been abused, no one

important to me died when I was young, my parents didn't get divorced, I didn't

get teased for being the fat kid, or any of the other things you often hear

people say are the catalysts that started them overeating. I've always figured

that my life was fairly run of the mill and any effort to say that something in

my upbringing was so hurtful that it caused me to stuff myself to not deal with

it was nothing more than whining and melodrama. So I'd always pretty much say

to myself to walk it off, deal with it, and get on with things! Please. People

have *real* problems. For that reason, I think I've always avoided Geneen's

books, because I knew she was one of the people that promoted this concept that

I couldn't accept for myself.

>

> But I have to say, this book has not been a comfortable read for me. And I

keep finding myself in the kitchen in a way I haven't been since I started IE.

This quote really jumped out at me:

>

> " Sometimes people will say, 'But I just like the taste of food. In fact, I

love the taste! Why can't it be that simple? I overeat because I like food.'

>

> " But.

>

> " When you like something, you pay attention to it. When you like something -

love something - you take time with it. You want to be present for every second

of the rapture.

>

> " Overeating does not lead to rapture. It leads to burping and farting and

being so sick that you can't think of anything but how full you are. That's not

love; that's suffering. "

>

> I don't know where this book is taking me or how I'll feel when I'm done. I'm

still not 100% sure that I accept this concept, but I have to acknowledge that

this unsettled feeling is trying to tell me something. It'll be interesting to

watch her on Oprah tomorrow.

>

> So, we'll see where this goes.

>

> Josie

>

[Guest guest]

Dawn Rittenbach wrote:

> I think perhaps, the problem is that I don't 'overeat'. Oh, I overeat in

> the sense that I eat more than my body needs, but except for the

> occasional buffet, or Thanksgiving dinner, I don't over eat to the point

> of feeling horrible and sick. I graze throughout the day to get my excess

> calories.

Same here. I usually don't suffer the immediate effects of overeating,

that's very rare in fact. I suffer the long term consequences of

overeating though.

I don't binge to the point of feeling sick. I could graze on food almost

all day long though. If I wouldn't want to reverse the long term

consequences of overeating, I would have a big bowl with chocolates and

other candy sitting on my desk.

Regards

s.