Re: Re: Emotional Eating - reduce anxiety and calming effect

[Guest guest]

I too really loved the hot water bottle idea (and all ideas that everyone has for that matter!). I'm pretty new to trying IE and am still reading about it. I did just want to share that this evening I had a few hours before going to work ( I do the graves) and I had just eaten a satisfying supper. I immediately went to the fridge for something else to eat-boredom, habit, stress, etc. I realized I wasn't hungry, not a diet I shouldn't eat thing (which is the only way I've stopped eating before being completely uncomfortably full since I was a child), but a knowing I was done. My feelings were still uncomfortable so I decided to relax-got two hot water bottles, some doggies, and went to lie down before work. I felt so relaxed and comforted. It wasn't easy, and I don't

always have time to do this, but these small steps feel very nourishing-especially since I've tried to nourish all aspects of myself through food. So, thank you all for your support and help along this process, just small moments like I had earlier really help renew my trust in not only IE but in myself.

-C

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sun, January 2, 2011 10:38:44 AMSubject: Re: Emotional Eating - reduce anxiety and calming effect

thank you Abby and Nicky for your responses. I really appreciate it. I sleep well, 7-8 hours every night. But I do not take enough time to be by myself which I know is becoming a huge issue for me. I need that time to decompress. There is just not enough time in the day for work and family. It sucks. What I really need is to work 32 hours/week but my job doesn't allow that nor would my husband (ugg). So I am definitely running too thin. I'm gonna think about this, I've got to figure out a way to get more me time in. Nicky I agree with your thoughts on replacing a "bad" food with a "healthy" one. I didn't like the sound of it Definitely started to bring up those diet feelings and deprivation. I really liked your water bottle/heating pad idea. That's a good one, I may try that.thanks,Jen>> > > Hi Jen. I also eat mainly to control feelings of anxiety. And it's usually carbs/sugar too! They really do make you feel instantly better, which I guess is why it's such a hard habit to break.> > I think what someone else wrote about nurturing was right. Making sure that outside of the anxious times you are being kind to yourself and making sure you get enough sleep etc (I know I'm very bad at this). When you're anxious I know it's so hard because you get that kind of lightheaded spiralling freak-out feeling where everything is just whirling out of control and you just grab food to make it go away. What I've been trying to do is find something else that's quickly comforting so that I can turn to that instead. (Like say when you give up smoking and chew on

drinking straws!) I've been drinking a lot more herbal or fruit tea. Because it's warm and sweet and feels nourishing too. And I've been using hot water bottles/heating pads too because they feel comforting to me. Just clutching one to my stomach or sitting with one on my lap. Crying can sometimes help, to get the emotions out. I guess you have to find out what works for you. You could try starting a list? Anyway I don't think there's anything wrong with finding another behaviour to replace the food, as long as that behaviour doesn't become an addiction too! > > Personally I wouldn't go down the 'eat something "healthy" instead' route, as that just seems like diet thinking to me. Also it's kind of counterintuitive in terms of IE thinking because you're presumably not hungry at these times, you're anxious. So to eat anything - "healthy" or not - would be to replace feelings with food. Which is what we're all trying to escape! I know how

hugely hard it is though... wish I was better at taking my own advice > > Nicky>

[Guest guest]

C,that's fantastic! thanks for sharing your progress with us. i love the idea of hot water bottles as well. all the best,

Abby

 

I too really loved the hot water bottle idea (and all ideas that everyone has for that matter!). I'm pretty new to trying IE and am still reading about it. I did just want to share that this evening I had a few hours before going to work ( I do the graves) and I had just eaten a satisfying supper. I immediately went to the fridge for something else to eat-boredom, habit, stress, etc. I realized I wasn't hungry, not a diet I shouldn't eat thing (which is the only way I've stopped eating before being completely uncomfortably full since I was a child), but a knowing I was done. My feelings were still uncomfortable so I decided to relax-got two hot water bottles, some doggies, and went to lie down before work. I felt so relaxed and comforted. It wasn't easy, and I don't

always have time to do this, but these small steps feel very nourishing-especially since I've tried to nourish all aspects of myself through food. So, thank you all for your support and help along this process, just small moments like I had earlier really help renew my trust in not only IE but in myself.

-C 

To: IntuitiveEating_Support

Sent: Sun, January 2, 2011 10:38:44 AMSubject: Re: Emotional Eating - reduce anxiety and calming effect

 

thank you Abby and Nicky for your responses. I really appreciate it. I sleep well, 7-8 hours every night. But I do not take enough time to be by myself which I know is becoming a huge issue for me. I need that time to decompress. There is just not enough time in the day for work and family. It sucks. What I really need is to work 32 hours/week but my job doesn't allow that nor would my husband (ugg). So I am definitely running too thin. I'm gonna think about this, I've got to figure out a way to get more me time in.

Nicky I agree with your thoughts on replacing a " bad " food with a " healthy " one. I didn't like the sound of it Definitely started to bring up those diet feelings and deprivation. I really liked your water bottle/heating pad idea. That's a good one, I may try that.

thanks,Jen

>> > > Hi Jen. I also eat mainly to control feelings of anxiety. And it's usually carbs/sugar too! They really do make you feel instantly better, which I guess is why it's such a hard habit to break.

> > I think what someone else wrote about nurturing was right. Making sure that outside of the anxious times you are being kind to yourself and making sure you get enough sleep etc (I know I'm very bad at this). When you're anxious I know it's so hard because you get that kind of lightheaded spiralling freak-out feeling where everything is just whirling out of control and you just grab food to make it go away. What I've been trying to do is find something else that's quickly comforting so that I can turn to that instead. (Like say when you give up smoking and chew on

drinking straws!) I've been drinking a lot more herbal or fruit tea. Because it's warm and sweet and feels nourishing too. And I've been using hot water bottles/heating pads too because they feel comforting to me. Just clutching one to my stomach or sitting with one on my lap. Crying can sometimes help, to get the emotions out. I guess you have to find out what works for you. You could try starting a list? Anyway I don't think there's anything wrong with finding another behaviour to replace the food, as long as that behaviour doesn't become an addiction too!

> > Personally I wouldn't go down the 'eat something " healthy " instead' route, as that just seems like diet thinking to me. Also it's kind of counterintuitive in terms of IE thinking because you're presumably not hungry at these times, you're anxious. So to eat anything - " healthy " or not - would be to replace feelings with food. Which is what we're all trying to escape! I know how

hugely hard it is though... wish I was better at taking my own advice > > Nicky>