Re: Can't seem to do this!

[Guest guest]

That is true I always hated paying WW. Sometimes I hate to admit it I would cheat and lean on the counter while getting weighed so it would show I weighed less than I did so I wouldn't have to pay. Then after getting weighed I would celebrate and take myself out to lunch and binge.

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Mon, January 3, 2011 5:47:47 PMSubject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

I can relate to everything you've said, . But I now can very easily remind myself that I can't follow Weight Watchers, or any other diet. The overeating would still happen--only I'd now be paying money to do it! I'm trying to take the "magic" out of food. It's very, very hard for me to remember that there aren't any forbidden foods in my life.

I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but it seems I can't like I'm a food addict.

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than "me too". I've been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw photos of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat intuitively. But I, like

you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food, before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as I've gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

[Guest guest]

That is true I always hated paying WW. Sometimes I hate to admit it I would cheat and lean on the counter while getting weighed so it would show I weighed less than I did so I wouldn't have to pay. Then after getting weighed I would celebrate and take myself out to lunch and binge.

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Mon, January 3, 2011 5:47:47 PMSubject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

I can relate to everything you've said, . But I now can very easily remind myself that I can't follow Weight Watchers, or any other diet. The overeating would still happen--only I'd now be paying money to do it! I'm trying to take the "magic" out of food. It's very, very hard for me to remember that there aren't any forbidden foods in my life.

I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but it seems I can't like I'm a food addict.

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than "me too". I've been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw photos of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat intuitively. But I, like

you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food, before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as I've gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

[Guest guest]

How funny ! I also found WW dwelled ON eating. Like what can I eat next?

I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but it seems I can't like I'm a food addict.

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than "me too". I've been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw photos of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat intuitively. But I, like

you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food, before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as I've gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

[Guest guest]

How funny ! I also found WW dwelled ON eating. Like what can I eat next?

I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but it seems I can't like I'm a food addict.

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than "me too". I've been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw photos of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat intuitively. But I, like

you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food, before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as I've gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

[Guest guest]

How funny ! I also found WW dwelled ON eating. Like what can I eat next?

I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but it seems I can't like I'm a food addict.

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than "me too". I've been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw photos of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat intuitively. But I, like

you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food, before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as I've gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

[Guest guest]

Hi, .

I was SURE I was a sugar/white flour/carb addict! Positive. Because anytime I ate them I binged on them. Massively. To the point of pain. I made my family keep anything sweet out of the house and out of my sight. I would grit my teeth walking past ice cream stores and bakeries.

Funny thing is, now that I'm promising myself I can have EVERYTHING - after a few days of going a little nuts, somehow the sugar addiction that I'd had for 5 decades has disappeared! My home is now comfortably full of ice cream, cookies, bagels and muffins. I find I like a taste of something sweet at the end of a meal. Every once in a while I'll have an entire meal of sweets, but mostly my body wants some protein first. When I eat sweets I reassure myself that I can have more of them as soon as I'm hungry again, and so I never want to make myself sick from them. I'm AMAZED that this has happened. I'm amazed that what I was sure was an addiction has disappeared by taking away the restrictive rules and the fear.

It seems to me that if something is really an addictive substance, abstinence is the solution. But with sugar, abstinence was the cause, and freedom is the solution. Who knew? I can't speak for anyone else, but this has been my astonished experience.

April

Seems to me whenever I try to eat anything with sugar or white flour I can't eat just a little. CEA HOW AND THE BODY KNOWS ARE TWO PROGRAMS that advocate that we are allergic to these foods and eating them makes us binge any thoughts on this thanks mary

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Tue, January 4, 2011 10:22:38 AMSubject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

When I started IE, I was thrilled with the idea of decriminalizing food and for the first few weeks I ate too much of everything because my system didn't really believe that I could actually have as much as I want of it forever. Forever. As much as I want. The advice I got was not to worry at all about weight at the beginning, not to worry yet about how much I was eating. Just to wait until I was hungry and keep reassuring myself that I could have as many cookies as FELT SATISFYING to me. Keep the focus on satisfaction. Make each eating experience a satisfying one - eating the thing you most want when you're comfortably hungry. Paying attention to how lovely and delicious it is when you eat. And if you keep your focus on satisfaction you will find in a few days that you don't actually want to eat to discomfort because that's not satisfying.

I also started talking to my little deprived hungry self, saying, at the first sign of hunger: Yes, honey, I'm going to feed you. I'm going to feed you. To counteract all those decades of telling myself I would NOT feed myself, because I had already eaten to much, because I was too fat, because this was fattening food, etc. Yes, sweetheart, I'm going to feed you.

And I caught myself every time I started to think that I was eating too many cookies or too much ice cream and I should try to eat less later. And I'd reassure myself, No, you don't have to worry about later - I promise that when you get hungry later, I will again feed you as much as you need of something really tasty.

The body and mind really get terribly scared of deprivation after all the diets we've put them on. I don't know about you, but I was telling myself every minute of every day that I shouldn't be eating. To the point of trauma.

Finally, gradually, my system has started to believe that I really will feed it and it's starting to calm down.

Hope this helps.

April

Ugh..I went grocery shopping yesterday, and instead of only buying the same old foods, decided to really try and mix it up with foods I have been craving and truly enjoy. I bought a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, and did great....with the first piece. However, last night and this morning, it all went downhill fast. The entire loaf is almost gone! I don't get why it's SO hard for me to take that pause. It's like I can't even remember to when the thought of the food enters my head. It's thought, then straight to the food, and it's in my mouth before I even realize it. Once in awhile when I am eating, I will try to eat slowly and enjoy it, but it never lasts more than a few seconds, and even in those few seconds, I'm not really tasting it. It's so odd. How could I want the food so bad when I really hardly ever even taste it or enjoy it???> > >  > > > > > > I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but it seems I can't like I'm a food addict.  > > > > > > > > To: IntuitiveEating_Support > Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM> > Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!> >  > > I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than "me too". I've been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw photos of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.> > I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat intuitively. But I, like you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food, before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as I've gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!>------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Hi, .

I was SURE I was a sugar/white flour/carb addict! Positive. Because anytime I ate them I binged on them. Massively. To the point of pain. I made my family keep anything sweet out of the house and out of my sight. I would grit my teeth walking past ice cream stores and bakeries.

Funny thing is, now that I'm promising myself I can have EVERYTHING - after a few days of going a little nuts, somehow the sugar addiction that I'd had for 5 decades has disappeared! My home is now comfortably full of ice cream, cookies, bagels and muffins. I find I like a taste of something sweet at the end of a meal. Every once in a while I'll have an entire meal of sweets, but mostly my body wants some protein first. When I eat sweets I reassure myself that I can have more of them as soon as I'm hungry again, and so I never want to make myself sick from them. I'm AMAZED that this has happened. I'm amazed that what I was sure was an addiction has disappeared by taking away the restrictive rules and the fear.

It seems to me that if something is really an addictive substance, abstinence is the solution. But with sugar, abstinence was the cause, and freedom is the solution. Who knew? I can't speak for anyone else, but this has been my astonished experience.

April

Seems to me whenever I try to eat anything with sugar or white flour I can't eat just a little. CEA HOW AND THE BODY KNOWS ARE TWO PROGRAMS that advocate that we are allergic to these foods and eating them makes us binge any thoughts on this thanks mary

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Tue, January 4, 2011 10:22:38 AMSubject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

When I started IE, I was thrilled with the idea of decriminalizing food and for the first few weeks I ate too much of everything because my system didn't really believe that I could actually have as much as I want of it forever. Forever. As much as I want. The advice I got was not to worry at all about weight at the beginning, not to worry yet about how much I was eating. Just to wait until I was hungry and keep reassuring myself that I could have as many cookies as FELT SATISFYING to me. Keep the focus on satisfaction. Make each eating experience a satisfying one - eating the thing you most want when you're comfortably hungry. Paying attention to how lovely and delicious it is when you eat. And if you keep your focus on satisfaction you will find in a few days that you don't actually want to eat to discomfort because that's not satisfying.

I also started talking to my little deprived hungry self, saying, at the first sign of hunger: Yes, honey, I'm going to feed you. I'm going to feed you. To counteract all those decades of telling myself I would NOT feed myself, because I had already eaten to much, because I was too fat, because this was fattening food, etc. Yes, sweetheart, I'm going to feed you.

And I caught myself every time I started to think that I was eating too many cookies or too much ice cream and I should try to eat less later. And I'd reassure myself, No, you don't have to worry about later - I promise that when you get hungry later, I will again feed you as much as you need of something really tasty.

The body and mind really get terribly scared of deprivation after all the diets we've put them on. I don't know about you, but I was telling myself every minute of every day that I shouldn't be eating. To the point of trauma.

Finally, gradually, my system has started to believe that I really will feed it and it's starting to calm down.

Hope this helps.

April

Ugh..I went grocery shopping yesterday, and instead of only buying the same old foods, decided to really try and mix it up with foods I have been craving and truly enjoy. I bought a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, and did great....with the first piece. However, last night and this morning, it all went downhill fast. The entire loaf is almost gone! I don't get why it's SO hard for me to take that pause. It's like I can't even remember to when the thought of the food enters my head. It's thought, then straight to the food, and it's in my mouth before I even realize it. Once in awhile when I am eating, I will try to eat slowly and enjoy it, but it never lasts more than a few seconds, and even in those few seconds, I'm not really tasting it. It's so odd. How could I want the food so bad when I really hardly ever even taste it or enjoy it???> > >  > > > > > > I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but it seems I can't like I'm a food addict.  > > > > > > > > To: IntuitiveEating_Support > Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM> > Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!> >  > > I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than "me too". I've been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw photos of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.> > I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat intuitively. But I, like you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food, before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as I've gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!>------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Hi, .

I was SURE I was a sugar/white flour/carb addict! Positive. Because anytime I ate them I binged on them. Massively. To the point of pain. I made my family keep anything sweet out of the house and out of my sight. I would grit my teeth walking past ice cream stores and bakeries.

Funny thing is, now that I'm promising myself I can have EVERYTHING - after a few days of going a little nuts, somehow the sugar addiction that I'd had for 5 decades has disappeared! My home is now comfortably full of ice cream, cookies, bagels and muffins. I find I like a taste of something sweet at the end of a meal. Every once in a while I'll have an entire meal of sweets, but mostly my body wants some protein first. When I eat sweets I reassure myself that I can have more of them as soon as I'm hungry again, and so I never want to make myself sick from them. I'm AMAZED that this has happened. I'm amazed that what I was sure was an addiction has disappeared by taking away the restrictive rules and the fear.

It seems to me that if something is really an addictive substance, abstinence is the solution. But with sugar, abstinence was the cause, and freedom is the solution. Who knew? I can't speak for anyone else, but this has been my astonished experience.

April

Seems to me whenever I try to eat anything with sugar or white flour I can't eat just a little. CEA HOW AND THE BODY KNOWS ARE TWO PROGRAMS that advocate that we are allergic to these foods and eating them makes us binge any thoughts on this thanks mary

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Tue, January 4, 2011 10:22:38 AMSubject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

When I started IE, I was thrilled with the idea of decriminalizing food and for the first few weeks I ate too much of everything because my system didn't really believe that I could actually have as much as I want of it forever. Forever. As much as I want. The advice I got was not to worry at all about weight at the beginning, not to worry yet about how much I was eating. Just to wait until I was hungry and keep reassuring myself that I could have as many cookies as FELT SATISFYING to me. Keep the focus on satisfaction. Make each eating experience a satisfying one - eating the thing you most want when you're comfortably hungry. Paying attention to how lovely and delicious it is when you eat. And if you keep your focus on satisfaction you will find in a few days that you don't actually want to eat to discomfort because that's not satisfying.

I also started talking to my little deprived hungry self, saying, at the first sign of hunger: Yes, honey, I'm going to feed you. I'm going to feed you. To counteract all those decades of telling myself I would NOT feed myself, because I had already eaten to much, because I was too fat, because this was fattening food, etc. Yes, sweetheart, I'm going to feed you.

And I caught myself every time I started to think that I was eating too many cookies or too much ice cream and I should try to eat less later. And I'd reassure myself, No, you don't have to worry about later - I promise that when you get hungry later, I will again feed you as much as you need of something really tasty.

The body and mind really get terribly scared of deprivation after all the diets we've put them on. I don't know about you, but I was telling myself every minute of every day that I shouldn't be eating. To the point of trauma.

Finally, gradually, my system has started to believe that I really will feed it and it's starting to calm down.

Hope this helps.

April

Ugh..I went grocery shopping yesterday, and instead of only buying the same old foods, decided to really try and mix it up with foods I have been craving and truly enjoy. I bought a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, and did great....with the first piece. However, last night and this morning, it all went downhill fast. The entire loaf is almost gone! I don't get why it's SO hard for me to take that pause. It's like I can't even remember to when the thought of the food enters my head. It's thought, then straight to the food, and it's in my mouth before I even realize it. Once in awhile when I am eating, I will try to eat slowly and enjoy it, but it never lasts more than a few seconds, and even in those few seconds, I'm not really tasting it. It's so odd. How could I want the food so bad when I really hardly ever even taste it or enjoy it???> > >  > > > > > > I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but it seems I can't like I'm a food addict.  > > > > > > > > To: IntuitiveEating_Support > Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM> > Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!> >  > > I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than "me too". I've been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw photos of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.> > I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat intuitively. But I, like you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food, before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as I've gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!>------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

elisa,

this is such an interesting way of looking at food. I just love it. Thank you

for posting.

mj

>

> Eating fast and automatically is not only a habit, but it is a way of

disguising to ourselves how much we eat and a reactive behaviour that gives us

inner permission to eat, yet not deal with it.

>

> You might want to get playful with your food. I call it “making

puzzlementsâ€. Next time, change how you perceive eating by creating an offbeat

situation. Try putting one slice of bread on a plate, say, ten plates, ten

slices of bread and arrange them on the table in a way that pleases you. Sit

down and look at it. What happens? What are your thoughts? If you start to

eat, which plate did you pick? Why? Does seeing the individual servings make

you feel you’d never eat 10 slices, or are you disguising how much you eat

when they are all together in a bundle? There is nothing right or wrong about

eating 1 slice or 10 slices. It is about how you think and how it makes you

react. If you eat the way you always eat, there is nothing to think about.

>

> When I was having trouble keeping myself from cramming handfuls of potato

chips in my mouth, I would do things to make myself become aware of my

behaviour. Things like line up potato chips on a paper towel and number them

out of sequence. I used a sand type egg timer and I could eat one potato chip

every 3 minutes, in order. I noticed how I watched the timer with a hawk eye at

first, then grew irritated, then wondered why it bothered me that the chips

weren’t in the right order, creating a distracting pattern on the paper towel.

>

> These playful ways to eat help to get you to think differently, like creating

a puzzle for yourself and experiencing eating when all the cues have been

changed. When I first learned the One Bowl Method, I had all kinds of

reactions. I had to eat all of my food from a small bowl. There were no rules

about what went into the bowl, but I had to put the food in it, wash it

afterwards and take it everywhere with me. What I ended up dealing with is

resentments (the bowl was too small, it needed hand washing) happiness (the bowl

gave comfort, it was MINE, it meant nourishment) and finally it provided an

image of my stomach. I saw what I put in my bowl as what I was putting into my

stomach. Here are some of the other weird things I have done:

>

> Made my husband hide 20 caramels in plain site. I had to use my eyes to find

and eat them.

> Had my grandson decide on how much cake I could have. I had to see a serving

size through his eyes.

> Ate a plateful of food blindfolded. I tried to describe how it tasted through

other senses. I made a mess too!

> I laid out 100 mini marshmallows trying to decide at what number they didn’t

taste good anymore.

> I Fletcherized. lol, that is when you chew a mouthful until it dissolves

completely before swallowing. That was hard!

> Treated candy at work like a cigarette, I could eat candy when I went outside,

like the smokers do, one piece at a time. Hard in the wintertime!

>

> All these sorts of things are to be done in the name of fun and exploration.

Make up your own puzzlements. Ask your own questions about your own reactions.

One I have not tried yet and is suggested in one of my mindful eating books is

to see food as non-food. She suggests taking a food like a fruitcake and

throwing it against a tree in handfuls, as though they are snowballs. Just

experiencing that food can be used as an object that does not need to be eaten

to enjoy the act of playing with it. For fun, gaze at this website..... it gets

pretty creative in look at food as something other than nourishment:

http://noms.icanhascheezburger.com/

>

> Mindfulness comes from thinking what is happening in the moment, sometimes we

have to shake the tree to see it exists.

>

>

>

> From: reneegavin

> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2011 9:11 AM

> To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

>

> Ugh..I went grocery shopping yesterday, and instead of only buying the same

old foods, decided to really try and mix it up with foods I have been craving

and truly enjoy. I bought a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, and did

great....with the first piece. However, last night and this morning, it all

went downhill fast. The entire loaf is almost gone! I don't get why it's SO

hard for me to take that pause. It's like I can't even remember to when the

thought of the food enters my head. It's thought, then straight to the food,

and it's in my mouth before I even realize it. Once in awhile when I am eating,

I will try to eat slowly and enjoy it, but it never lasts more than a few

seconds, and even in those few seconds, I'm not really tasting it. It's so odd.

How could I want the food so bad when I really hardly ever even taste it or

enjoy it???

>

[Guest guest]

elisa,

this is such an interesting way of looking at food. I just love it. Thank you

for posting.

mj

>

> Eating fast and automatically is not only a habit, but it is a way of

disguising to ourselves how much we eat and a reactive behaviour that gives us

inner permission to eat, yet not deal with it.

>

> You might want to get playful with your food. I call it “making

puzzlementsâ€. Next time, change how you perceive eating by creating an offbeat

situation. Try putting one slice of bread on a plate, say, ten plates, ten

slices of bread and arrange them on the table in a way that pleases you. Sit

down and look at it. What happens? What are your thoughts? If you start to

eat, which plate did you pick? Why? Does seeing the individual servings make

you feel you’d never eat 10 slices, or are you disguising how much you eat

when they are all together in a bundle? There is nothing right or wrong about

eating 1 slice or 10 slices. It is about how you think and how it makes you

react. If you eat the way you always eat, there is nothing to think about.

>

> When I was having trouble keeping myself from cramming handfuls of potato

chips in my mouth, I would do things to make myself become aware of my

behaviour. Things like line up potato chips on a paper towel and number them

out of sequence. I used a sand type egg timer and I could eat one potato chip

every 3 minutes, in order. I noticed how I watched the timer with a hawk eye at

first, then grew irritated, then wondered why it bothered me that the chips

weren’t in the right order, creating a distracting pattern on the paper towel.

>

> These playful ways to eat help to get you to think differently, like creating

a puzzle for yourself and experiencing eating when all the cues have been

changed. When I first learned the One Bowl Method, I had all kinds of

reactions. I had to eat all of my food from a small bowl. There were no rules

about what went into the bowl, but I had to put the food in it, wash it

afterwards and take it everywhere with me. What I ended up dealing with is

resentments (the bowl was too small, it needed hand washing) happiness (the bowl

gave comfort, it was MINE, it meant nourishment) and finally it provided an

image of my stomach. I saw what I put in my bowl as what I was putting into my

stomach. Here are some of the other weird things I have done:

>

> Made my husband hide 20 caramels in plain site. I had to use my eyes to find

and eat them.

> Had my grandson decide on how much cake I could have. I had to see a serving

size through his eyes.

> Ate a plateful of food blindfolded. I tried to describe how it tasted through

other senses. I made a mess too!

> I laid out 100 mini marshmallows trying to decide at what number they didn’t

taste good anymore.

> I Fletcherized. lol, that is when you chew a mouthful until it dissolves

completely before swallowing. That was hard!

> Treated candy at work like a cigarette, I could eat candy when I went outside,

like the smokers do, one piece at a time. Hard in the wintertime!

>

> All these sorts of things are to be done in the name of fun and exploration.

Make up your own puzzlements. Ask your own questions about your own reactions.

One I have not tried yet and is suggested in one of my mindful eating books is

to see food as non-food. She suggests taking a food like a fruitcake and

throwing it against a tree in handfuls, as though they are snowballs. Just

experiencing that food can be used as an object that does not need to be eaten

to enjoy the act of playing with it. For fun, gaze at this website..... it gets

pretty creative in look at food as something other than nourishment:

http://noms.icanhascheezburger.com/

>

> Mindfulness comes from thinking what is happening in the moment, sometimes we

have to shake the tree to see it exists.

>

>

>

> From: reneegavin

> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2011 9:11 AM

> To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

>

> Ugh..I went grocery shopping yesterday, and instead of only buying the same

old foods, decided to really try and mix it up with foods I have been craving

and truly enjoy. I bought a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, and did

great....with the first piece. However, last night and this morning, it all

went downhill fast. The entire loaf is almost gone! I don't get why it's SO

hard for me to take that pause. It's like I can't even remember to when the

thought of the food enters my head. It's thought, then straight to the food,

and it's in my mouth before I even realize it. Once in awhile when I am eating,

I will try to eat slowly and enjoy it, but it never lasts more than a few

seconds, and even in those few seconds, I'm not really tasting it. It's so odd.

How could I want the food so bad when I really hardly ever even taste it or

enjoy it???

>

[Guest guest]

elisa,

this is such an interesting way of looking at food. I just love it. Thank you

for posting.

mj

>

> Eating fast and automatically is not only a habit, but it is a way of

disguising to ourselves how much we eat and a reactive behaviour that gives us

inner permission to eat, yet not deal with it.

>

> You might want to get playful with your food. I call it “making

puzzlementsâ€. Next time, change how you perceive eating by creating an offbeat

situation. Try putting one slice of bread on a plate, say, ten plates, ten

slices of bread and arrange them on the table in a way that pleases you. Sit

down and look at it. What happens? What are your thoughts? If you start to

eat, which plate did you pick? Why? Does seeing the individual servings make

you feel you’d never eat 10 slices, or are you disguising how much you eat

when they are all together in a bundle? There is nothing right or wrong about

eating 1 slice or 10 slices. It is about how you think and how it makes you

react. If you eat the way you always eat, there is nothing to think about.

>

> When I was having trouble keeping myself from cramming handfuls of potato

chips in my mouth, I would do things to make myself become aware of my

behaviour. Things like line up potato chips on a paper towel and number them

out of sequence. I used a sand type egg timer and I could eat one potato chip

every 3 minutes, in order. I noticed how I watched the timer with a hawk eye at

first, then grew irritated, then wondered why it bothered me that the chips

weren’t in the right order, creating a distracting pattern on the paper towel.

>

> These playful ways to eat help to get you to think differently, like creating

a puzzle for yourself and experiencing eating when all the cues have been

changed. When I first learned the One Bowl Method, I had all kinds of

reactions. I had to eat all of my food from a small bowl. There were no rules

about what went into the bowl, but I had to put the food in it, wash it

afterwards and take it everywhere with me. What I ended up dealing with is

resentments (the bowl was too small, it needed hand washing) happiness (the bowl

gave comfort, it was MINE, it meant nourishment) and finally it provided an

image of my stomach. I saw what I put in my bowl as what I was putting into my

stomach. Here are some of the other weird things I have done:

>

> Made my husband hide 20 caramels in plain site. I had to use my eyes to find

and eat them.

> Had my grandson decide on how much cake I could have. I had to see a serving

size through his eyes.

> Ate a plateful of food blindfolded. I tried to describe how it tasted through

other senses. I made a mess too!

> I laid out 100 mini marshmallows trying to decide at what number they didn’t

taste good anymore.

> I Fletcherized. lol, that is when you chew a mouthful until it dissolves

completely before swallowing. That was hard!

> Treated candy at work like a cigarette, I could eat candy when I went outside,

like the smokers do, one piece at a time. Hard in the wintertime!

>

> All these sorts of things are to be done in the name of fun and exploration.

Make up your own puzzlements. Ask your own questions about your own reactions.

One I have not tried yet and is suggested in one of my mindful eating books is

to see food as non-food. She suggests taking a food like a fruitcake and

throwing it against a tree in handfuls, as though they are snowballs. Just

experiencing that food can be used as an object that does not need to be eaten

to enjoy the act of playing with it. For fun, gaze at this website..... it gets

pretty creative in look at food as something other than nourishment:

http://noms.icanhascheezburger.com/

>

> Mindfulness comes from thinking what is happening in the moment, sometimes we

have to shake the tree to see it exists.

>

>

>

> From: reneegavin

> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2011 9:11 AM

> To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

>

> Ugh..I went grocery shopping yesterday, and instead of only buying the same

old foods, decided to really try and mix it up with foods I have been craving

and truly enjoy. I bought a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, and did

great....with the first piece. However, last night and this morning, it all

went downhill fast. The entire loaf is almost gone! I don't get why it's SO

hard for me to take that pause. It's like I can't even remember to when the

thought of the food enters my head. It's thought, then straight to the food,

and it's in my mouth before I even realize it. Once in awhile when I am eating,

I will try to eat slowly and enjoy it, but it never lasts more than a few

seconds, and even in those few seconds, I'm not really tasting it. It's so odd.

How could I want the food so bad when I really hardly ever even taste it or

enjoy it???

>

[Guest guest]

April,

I joined OA twice because I thought I was an addict. Turns out I'm not. Turns

out that I needed to legalize food to keep myself from craving those foods that

I was restricting. It was the restricting that was causing the craving.

>......But with sugar, abstinence was the cause, and

> freedom is the solution.

I found this to be true for me, too. thanks!

mj

> >

> >

> > Â

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for

> a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been

> eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight

> and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really

> tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but

it

> seems I can't like I'm a food addict. Â

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > From: jetblacknewme <jetblacknewme@>

> >

> > To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> > Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM

> >

> > Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

> >

> > Â

> >

> > I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than " me too " . I've

> been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to

> legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my

> house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I

> went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed

> them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved

> the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy

> it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's

> starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw

photos

> of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.

> >

> > I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to

> numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this

> MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat

> intuitively. But I, like you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food,

> before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know

> journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as

I've

> gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

> >

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Yahoo! Groups Links

>

[Guest guest]

April,

I joined OA twice because I thought I was an addict. Turns out I'm not. Turns

out that I needed to legalize food to keep myself from craving those foods that

I was restricting. It was the restricting that was causing the craving.

>......But with sugar, abstinence was the cause, and

> freedom is the solution.

I found this to be true for me, too. thanks!

mj

> >

> >

> > Â

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for

> a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been

> eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight

> and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really

> tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but

it

> seems I can't like I'm a food addict. Â

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > From: jetblacknewme <jetblacknewme@>

> >

> > To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> > Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM

> >

> > Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

> >

> > Â

> >

> > I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than " me too " . I've

> been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to

> legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my

> house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day I

> went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really enjoyed

> them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved

> the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't enjoy

> it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's

> starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw

photos

> of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.

> >

> > I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to

> numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this

> MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat

> intuitively. But I, like you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food,

> before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know

> journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as

I've

> gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

> >

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Yahoo! Groups Links

>

[Guest guest]

You are right. Theory and application are two different things. Nothing like armchair philosophy. lol.

That is why I mention the inner voice, the one inside us that has the answer we seek. It is a very quiet and calm voice, often hard to hear after so much chatter going on in our head about what we think we know. Deep down, we know what we want out of this experience and where we want to go with it. we just need to keep an open mind to thinking in a different way. It’s not always going to come clearly or even make sense. I am struggling right now with my Buddhist studies with many of the concepts of attachment and letting go. I read the page over and over again and say “huh� lol. Then I set the book down and clear my mind, move onto something else and then BINGO, something else in my life will make me connect the dots because the theory was already brewing in my head.

The security of counting points on WW is what is keeping you attached to it. I feel the same way about calorie counting. There is a built in safety net, knowing those dang numbers. Have you ever counted every binge calorie? I have. I had to know! Yes, I was able to lose a great deal of weight calorie counting, but in the end, the only thing I know how to do is count calories. It does not help me manage my emotions, my anxiety, my way of thinking. To keep from continuing the binge and dieting cycles the rest of my life, I need to move in a different direction, even if it means the discomfort of uncertainty and new territory.

From: Doe

Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 7:00 AM

To: intuitiveeating_support

Subject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

everything said in these emails makes sense in theory for me but how to apply them is another story. Weight Watchers has no forbidden foods you can eat whatever you choose but you must count it. and write it down. It really worked for me at first. I got down to goal weight and stopped going to meetings. I think it is the support of the WW meetings that helped me keep in line. But I can't seem to do their points program I don't want to count points for everything I eat. They used to have a core program where you could eat from a list of whole foods until you were satisfied and when you were hungry and use points when you wanted extras like sweets. That worked for me. They say it's not a diet it's a lifestyle. Sorry didn't mean to make this a commercial for WW. Yesterday I did not binge and had one serving of chocolate chips and sat and enjoyed them. So one day at a time I will continue. Thanks for your ESH and ncouragement ------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

You are right. Theory and application are two different things. Nothing like armchair philosophy. lol.

That is why I mention the inner voice, the one inside us that has the answer we seek. It is a very quiet and calm voice, often hard to hear after so much chatter going on in our head about what we think we know. Deep down, we know what we want out of this experience and where we want to go with it. we just need to keep an open mind to thinking in a different way. It’s not always going to come clearly or even make sense. I am struggling right now with my Buddhist studies with many of the concepts of attachment and letting go. I read the page over and over again and say “huh� lol. Then I set the book down and clear my mind, move onto something else and then BINGO, something else in my life will make me connect the dots because the theory was already brewing in my head.

The security of counting points on WW is what is keeping you attached to it. I feel the same way about calorie counting. There is a built in safety net, knowing those dang numbers. Have you ever counted every binge calorie? I have. I had to know! Yes, I was able to lose a great deal of weight calorie counting, but in the end, the only thing I know how to do is count calories. It does not help me manage my emotions, my anxiety, my way of thinking. To keep from continuing the binge and dieting cycles the rest of my life, I need to move in a different direction, even if it means the discomfort of uncertainty and new territory.

From: Doe

Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 7:00 AM

To: intuitiveeating_support

Subject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

everything said in these emails makes sense in theory for me but how to apply them is another story. Weight Watchers has no forbidden foods you can eat whatever you choose but you must count it. and write it down. It really worked for me at first. I got down to goal weight and stopped going to meetings. I think it is the support of the WW meetings that helped me keep in line. But I can't seem to do their points program I don't want to count points for everything I eat. They used to have a core program where you could eat from a list of whole foods until you were satisfied and when you were hungry and use points when you wanted extras like sweets. That worked for me. They say it's not a diet it's a lifestyle. Sorry didn't mean to make this a commercial for WW. Yesterday I did not binge and had one serving of chocolate chips and sat and enjoyed them. So one day at a time I will continue. Thanks for your ESH and ncouragement ------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

You are right. Theory and application are two different things. Nothing like armchair philosophy. lol.

That is why I mention the inner voice, the one inside us that has the answer we seek. It is a very quiet and calm voice, often hard to hear after so much chatter going on in our head about what we think we know. Deep down, we know what we want out of this experience and where we want to go with it. we just need to keep an open mind to thinking in a different way. It’s not always going to come clearly or even make sense. I am struggling right now with my Buddhist studies with many of the concepts of attachment and letting go. I read the page over and over again and say “huh� lol. Then I set the book down and clear my mind, move onto something else and then BINGO, something else in my life will make me connect the dots because the theory was already brewing in my head.

The security of counting points on WW is what is keeping you attached to it. I feel the same way about calorie counting. There is a built in safety net, knowing those dang numbers. Have you ever counted every binge calorie? I have. I had to know! Yes, I was able to lose a great deal of weight calorie counting, but in the end, the only thing I know how to do is count calories. It does not help me manage my emotions, my anxiety, my way of thinking. To keep from continuing the binge and dieting cycles the rest of my life, I need to move in a different direction, even if it means the discomfort of uncertainty and new territory.

From: Doe

Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 7:00 AM

To: intuitiveeating_support

Subject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

everything said in these emails makes sense in theory for me but how to apply them is another story. Weight Watchers has no forbidden foods you can eat whatever you choose but you must count it. and write it down. It really worked for me at first. I got down to goal weight and stopped going to meetings. I think it is the support of the WW meetings that helped me keep in line. But I can't seem to do their points program I don't want to count points for everything I eat. They used to have a core program where you could eat from a list of whole foods until you were satisfied and when you were hungry and use points when you wanted extras like sweets. That worked for me. They say it's not a diet it's a lifestyle. Sorry didn't mean to make this a commercial for WW. Yesterday I did not binge and had one serving of chocolate chips and sat and enjoyed them. So one day at a time I will continue. Thanks for your ESH and ncouragement ------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Hi Josie,

It's really good to have you ( & your $.02) back.

I completely agree with what you said about forbidding & restricting. When I am

forbidden (or forbid myself) to have something all I want to have is THAT

thing.

As an emotional eater, something that I crave or binge on will be something that

I can eat quite rationally when I am NOT trying to numb myself. Food really is

my drug of choice but only when my head is not in a " good place " as you say.

mj

> > >

> > >

> > > Â

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for

> > a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been

> > eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight

> > and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really

> > tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but

it

> > seems I can't like I'm a food addict. Â

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > From: jetblacknewme <jetblacknewme@>

> > >

> > > To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> > > Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM

> > >

> > > Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

> > >

> > > Â

> > >

> > > I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than " me too " . I've

> > been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to

> > legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my

> > house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day

I

> > went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really

enjoyed

> > them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved

> > the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't

enjoy

> > it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's

> > starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw

photos

> > of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.

> > >

> > > I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to

> > numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this

> > MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat

> > intuitively. But I, like you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food,

> > before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know

> > journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as

I've

> > gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> > Yahoo! Groups Links

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Josie,

It's really good to have you ( & your $.02) back.

I completely agree with what you said about forbidding & restricting. When I am

forbidden (or forbid myself) to have something all I want to have is THAT

thing.

As an emotional eater, something that I crave or binge on will be something that

I can eat quite rationally when I am NOT trying to numb myself. Food really is

my drug of choice but only when my head is not in a " good place " as you say.

mj

> > >

> > >

> > > Â

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for

> > a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been

> > eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight

> > and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really

> > tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but

it

> > seems I can't like I'm a food addict. Â

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > From: jetblacknewme <jetblacknewme@>

> > >

> > > To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> > > Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM

> > >

> > > Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

> > >

> > > Â

> > >

> > > I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than " me too " . I've

> > been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to

> > legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my

> > house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day

I

> > went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really

enjoyed

> > them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved

> > the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't

enjoy

> > it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's

> > starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw

photos

> > of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.

> > >

> > > I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to

> > numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this

> > MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat

> > intuitively. But I, like you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food,

> > before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know

> > journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as

I've

> > gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> > Yahoo! Groups Links

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Josie,

It's really good to have you ( & your $.02) back.

I completely agree with what you said about forbidding & restricting. When I am

forbidden (or forbid myself) to have something all I want to have is THAT

thing.

As an emotional eater, something that I crave or binge on will be something that

I can eat quite rationally when I am NOT trying to numb myself. Food really is

my drug of choice but only when my head is not in a " good place " as you say.

mj

> > >

> > >

> > > Â

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > I'm feeling like this too. I bought some dark chocolate chips and for

> > a while I was able to eat them slowly and enjoy them, but lately I'm been

> > eating a whole bag of them. I'm gaining weight, my clothes feel tight

> > and I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers meetings. I'm really

> > tired of this. I should be able to control what I put in my mouth, but

it

> > seems I can't like I'm a food addict. Â

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > From: jetblacknewme <jetblacknewme@>

> > >

> > > To: IntuitiveEating_Support

> > > Sent: Sat, January 1, 2011 8:09:58 PM

> > >

> > > Subject: Re: Can't seem to do this!

> > >

> > > Â

> > >

> > > I wish I had something to say in reply to this other than " me too " . I've

> > been trying to do this for so long (over a year). And I've managed to

> > legalise almost every 'forbidden' food. I have all the chocolate etc in my

> > house. And there are times, occasional times when it clicks. The other day

I

> > went to the cinema and ate a few chocolates really slowly, and really

enjoyed

> > them and felt in control and satisfied by those few. But today I shoved

> > the rest of the box down my throat in a guilt-filled frenzy and didn't

enjoy

> > it or feel in control at all. I'm gaining weight like crazy, and it's

> > starting to bring up all the panicky diet thoughts in me again. Just saw

photos

> > of me from Christmas, and UGH indeed.

> > >

> > > I know it is - for me - all about using food as a drug, as a sedative to

> > numb me out of feeling any uncomfortable emotion. I KNOW that knowing this

> > MUST be the key to overcoming the emotional eating and beginning to eat

> > intuitively. But I, like you, seem unable to pause before I reach for food,

> > before I start yet another binge. I wish I knew the solution. I know

> > journalling helps me to figure out the emotional stuff. That's as close as

I've

> > gotten so far. Let me know if you find anything that helps!

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> > Yahoo! Groups Links

> >

>

[Guest guest]

It kinda feels like standing on the edge of a high cliff with no guard rail, what's going to stop me from falling over the cliff, if I don't have my points or calories to keep me in check, will I go wild and binge forever if I allow myself to eat what I want. Well I ate white flour noodles and a slice of white bread soaked in gravy for lunch because I gave myself permission to do so. and I am not bingeing. so I going to keep trying to eat this way one day at a time.

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Wed, January 5, 2011 9:04:13 AMSubject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

You are right. Theory and application are two different things. Nothing like armchair philosophy. lol.

That is why I mention the inner voice, the one inside us that has the answer we seek. It is a very quiet and calm voice, often hard to hear after so much chatter going on in our head about what we think we know. Deep down, we know what we want out of this experience and where we want to go with it. we just need to keep an open mind to thinking in a different way. It’s not always going to come clearly or even make sense. I am struggling right now with my Buddhist studies with many of the concepts of attachment and letting go. I read the page over and over again and say “huh� lol. Then I set the book down and clear my mind, move onto something else and then BINGO, something else in my life will make me connect the dots because the theory was already brewing in my head.

The security of counting points on WW is what is keeping you attached to it. I feel the same way about calorie counting. There is a built in safety net, knowing those dang numbers. Have you ever counted every binge calorie? I have. I had to know! Yes, I was able to lose a great deal of weight calorie counting, but in the end, the only thing I know how to do is count calories. It does not help me manage my emotions, my anxiety, my way of thinking. To keep from continuing the binge and dieting cycles the rest of my life, I need to move in a different direction, even if it means the discomfort of uncertainty and new territory.

From: Doe

Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 7:00 AM

To: intuitiveeating_support

Subject: Re: Re: Can't seem to do this!

everything said in these emails makes sense in theory for me but how to apply them is another story. Weight Watchers has no forbidden foods you can eat whatever you choose but you must count it. and write it down. It really worked for me at first. I got down to goal weight and stopped going to meetings. I think it is the support of the WW meetings that helped me keep in line. But I can't seem to do their points program I don't want to count points for everything I eat. They used to have a core program where you could eat from a list of whole foods until you were satisfied and when you were hungry and use points when you wanted extras like sweets. That worked for me. They say it's not a diet it's a lifestyle. Sorry didn't mean to make this a commercial for WW.

Yesterday I did not binge and had one serving of chocolate chips and sat and enjoyed them. So one day at a time I will continue. Thanks for your ESH and ncouragement ------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Progress report. I did not binge today. Ate three meals including white flour

and sugar. This was very scary for me, including these " forbidden " foods.

[Guest guest]

Progress report. I did not binge today. Ate three meals including white flour

and sugar. This was very scary for me, including these " forbidden " foods.

[Guest guest]

While I always thought, and still do, that if you are going to diet, a program

like WW is probably among the most sane that you can follow, the problem for me

was that while nothing was forbidden, the mere fact of having that set number of

points was hard for me. For one thing, IMHO, most of those point levels are too

low, so even when you eat them all, you're often still so hungry that you're

setting yourself up for a binge. But even if you don't think they're too low,

if I had one meal where I had something really caloric and used up most of my

points for the day, the fact that I knew I didn't have enough points left for my

next meal made me panicky about either being hungry for the rest of the day or

about " blowing it " by eating over my points level that day and those feelings

made me want to eat more.

With IE, I don't have to be panicky because I can't blow it and because I always

know I can eat again the next time I'm hungry. Also, the whole weigh-in thing

was always hard for me. I know some people see it as accountability, but I

hated having to face that person at the scale and if I wasn't having a " good "

week, I'd start starving myself so I could have a good weigh-in, then end up

binging afterward when I knew I had a whole week to make up for the binge.

Ultimately, WW just did too much of a number on my psyche and I even after eight

attempts over a dozen years, I never lost more than 30 pounds with any try.

Works for some, but just wasn't for me.

Josie

>

> everything said in these emails makes sense in theory for me but how to apply

them is another story. Weight Watchers has no forbidden foods you can eat

whatever you choose but you must count it. and write it down. It really worked

for me at first. I got down to goal weight and stopped going to meetings. I

think it is the support of the WW meetings that helped me keep in line. But I

can't seem to do their points program I don't want to count points for

everything I eat. They used to have a core program where you could eat from a

list of whole foods until you were satisfied and when you were hungry and use

points when you wanted extras like sweets. That worked for me. They say it's

not a diet it's a lifestyle. Sorry didn't mean to make this a commercial for

WW. Yesterday I did not binge and had one serving of chocolate chips and sat and

enjoyed them. So one day at a time I will continue. Thanks for your ESH and

ncouragement

>