Re: Re: Diets can be useful - an interesting paradox

[Guest guest]

Just wanted to add that I read the article on the future of IE, and one

thing struck me: it is not in the best interests of the diet industry

or the food industry for diets to work! Diet books, programs, and

supplements make a lot of money, and manufacturing junk food is cheap

and profitable. In case anyone missed it, here's the article:

http://www.bulimia.com/client/client_pages/futureofintuitiveeating.cfm.

Sohni

sue wrote:

Hi Deb: I believe I understand what you're trying to say. Diets

only treat the SYMPTOMS of overeating or weight gain. However Intuitive

Eating addresses the CAUSES of overeating, bingeing and/or restricting.

I binged and purged for over 35 years, partly because I had digestive

disorders (celiac disease and food allergies), but mostly because I

restricted what I ate even before I was diagnosed with food allergies.

I restricted some foods according to calories but others according to

'healthy eating' guidelines, because I was sick for so long before I

was diagnosed with CD. A few years after I learned intuitive eating, I

was finally accurately diagnosed with CD and food allergies.So I looked

for allergy free versions of my favorite foods so that I wouldn't feel

deprived. I believed I had enough medical 'internal' restrictions

without imposing unnecessary 'external' restriction based on the latest

health fad. Even though I follow an 'gluten free' diet, I still eat

intuitively any food that doesn't contain gluten or my other food

allergens.

Now, when I notice myself overeating or even wanting to binge, I

consider what foods I have unintentionally restricted, like when I buy

a less expensive dessert, rather than my favorite ice cream or buy what

my husband would also like to eat, rather than exactly what I want.

Even unintentional restriction can make me feel deprived, not feel

satisfied and often overeat the foods I do eat. So I stop and ask

myself what foods I miss. Then I make that food available in my house

for the next time I crave that food. I may not even eat that food more

than a few times. However, having that food available lets me choose

what I really want to eat when I feel hungry.

So I agree with your comment that 'diets aren't bad', but I believe

diets alone don't promote long term weight loss. Rather than just

changing WHAT we eat, we need to reconsider when, how and how much we

eat, as well as why we eat, in order to become healthier, weightwise or

otherwise. Lists of good and bad foods (diets) don't address when, why,

how and how much we eat.

SUE

>

>

> Sure, Sohni, I'll do my best to clarify what I'm talking about.

>

> Intuitive Eating rises us to a new "plane" of thinking - and

living. And by practicing it, it allows a sort of healing to take place

within us. This has absolutely nothing to do with dieting. IE is

spiritual. Practicing IE is causal. Practicing dieting is treating an

effect.

>

> The paradox I'm referring to is that through practicing intuitive

eating, I am beginning to see diets in a new light. And I guess it was

the tv commercial about the quit smoking pill that brought this into my

consciousness. The negative can become the positive. The diet can be a

useful tool. But IE is the vehicle.

>

> Diets arent bad. They just dont fix eating disorders.

>

> I'm sorry if I have confused anyone. Sometimes it is hard to put

in words.

>

> Deb