Introduction

[Guest guest]

Hi, Marissa.

If we've been doing a lot of emotional eating, IE is going to invite us to make friends with those emotions and learn to take care of them with more appropriate remedies than food. All of us will tell you that it gets easier as you go along - that food obsession melts away, etc. - and sometimes that's enough to relieve the depressed or unhappy feelings. But sometimes we need to get help along the way from a good therapist. IE is about giving up fighting with your appetite and beginning to care for yourself.

I'm sympathetic. I discovered in this process that I was often using food to fill empty spaces in my day. Eventually I realized it was because I was putting so much pressure on myself to get things done in my breaks that I ate to play hooky from my own pressure. It's amazing how interesting unscheduled time becomes when you're relaxed and kind to yourself - more like play. Your issue with time is probably different but ultimately you'll benefit from exploring it. Best of luck!

April

Hi,I just started reading IE a few days ago and just joined this group so I wanted to introduce myself. I'm in my 20's and single. I moved to a new city about 8 months ago for a job that I enjoy for the most part but leaves me with a lot of downtime. I have struggled with binging & sneaking food most of my life and have been overweight/borderline obese since high school. In September, I joined Weight Watchers and have lost 20 pounds since then, but my binges have become worse and worse and I decided I just couldn't handle it anymore. I spent about 90% of my day thinking about WW and my weight and I'm sure this obsessiveness is what has made my issues worse. At the same time, I feel like the days stretch on forever now because I'm not constantly thinking about WW. I'm at a point now where I feel like I'm too screwed up for IE to work and that I will never get my eating under control. I know I have to give it time but I'm feeling so down on myself already and that just makes me want to eat more. I just feel so hopeless about my eating and am looking for an advice or encouragement you have.Thanks for letting me join your group!Marissa------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much everyone for your encouragement! I'm scared to start this

process (terrified of gaining weight) but I know it is what I need to do and I will be a much healthier person for it, regardless of what happens with my weight.

Jenna - I would love if you would send some blog links my way. I definitely need something to replace all the diet blogs I have been reading! I have looked at a few groups on meetup.com, but nothing really

sparked my interest. I'm working with my therapist on finding activities that I enjoy and that will help me meet people, but I'm very shy and know it will be a long process.

April - I also eat to put off doing what I "should" be doing instead of giving myself a break. I have a hard time just letting myself relax without feeling guilty.

Katcha - I like your suggestion of giving myself time and patience to work through this. Often times when I start something "new" (diet, exercise, etc.), I get discouraged if I don't catch on within a few weeks. I know it will take much longer than that to learn to listen to my body so I really do need to be patient with myself.

Thanks again all for your support! It's a great feeling to know I'm not alone in this.To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Fri, February 11, 2011 6:37:34 AMSubject: Re: Introduction

Hi, Marissa.

If we've been doing a lot of emotional eating, IE is going to invite us to make friends with those emotions and learn to take care of them with more appropriate remedies than food. All of us will tell you that it gets easier as you go along - that food obsession melts away, etc. - and sometimes that's enough to relieve the depressed or unhappy feelings. But sometimes we need to get help along the way from a good therapist. IE is about giving up fighting with your appetite and beginning to care for yourself.

I'm sympathetic. I discovered in this process that I was often using food to fill empty spaces in my day. Eventually I realized it was because I was putting so much pressure on myself to get things done in my breaks that I ate to play hooky from my own pressure. It's amazing how interesting unscheduled time becomes when you're relaxed and kind to yourself - more like play. Your issue with time is probably different but ultimately you'll benefit from exploring it. Best of luck!

April

Hi,I just started reading IE a few days ago and just joined this group so I wanted to introduce myself. I'm in my 20's and single. I moved to a new city about 8 months ago for a job that I enjoy for the most part but leaves me with a lot of downtime. I have struggled with binging & sneaking food most of my life and have been overweight/borderline obese since high school. In September, I joined Weight Watchers and have lost 20 pounds since then, but my binges have become worse and worse and I decided I just couldn't handle it anymore. I spent about 90% of my day thinking about WW and my weight and I'm sure this obsessiveness is what has made my issues worse. At the same time, I feel like the days stretch on forever now because I'm not constantly thinking about WW. I'm at a point now where I feel like I'm too screwed up for IE to work and that I will never get my eating under control. I know I have to give it time but I'm feeling so down on myself already and that just makes me want to eat more. I just feel so hopeless about my eating and am looking for an advice or encouragement you have.Thanks for letting me join your group!Marissa------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Welcome Liz! Sounds like you are off to a pretty good start with IE. While

reading your intro it reminded me of how I was a bit surprised (but not either

;-) to find that the 'last step' of dieting was REGAIN. That had been my story -

loose a little weight, gain it back + a little more. Its how my weight crept up

on me. That plus aging factors too. It was soooo great to be able to let all the

shoulds and oughts go just returning to my own body for guidance instead.

Looking forward to more posts from you. Welcome to the IE journey!

Katcha

IEing since March 2007

PS Latoya started out here too. Hasn't she traveled far too :-)

>

> Hello everyone! My name is Liz, and I have been doing IE for about a month

now. I am halfway through the book and am really enjoying the insight on every

single page.

>

> Here's a little about what brings me to IE. I have pretty much been on a diet

since I was 12. For periods in high school, I would eat nothing but rice and

broccoli for weeks on end, desperate to be as thin as my friends, only to

finally succumb to secret binges that would undo all the " progress " I had made.

I have gained and lost the same 30 pounds or so over and over again, but my

weight really skyrocketed when I got pregnant. A second baby came along soon

after, and by the time he was born I had gained 100 pounds. I made a solemn vow

to myself that I would lose the weight no matter what, and by golly I did it.

It took me two and half years of meticulous eating and intense exercise to lose

115 pounds.

>

> Oddly enough, I was as unhappy with my body at this new " thin " weight as I had

been over 100 pounds heavier, but I told myself if I could lose 10 more pounds,

then I would be happy (yeah, right!). Suddenly, though, I started gaining weight

even though I was still following a strict diet and exercising 6 times a week.

I was exhausted all the time, and my hair started falling out. In desperation,

I started binging heavily, which only helped the weight pile on. Eventually, my

husband convinced me to go to the doctor, and I discovered that I have

hypothyroidism. As I started medication to get my thyroid working, the fatigue

and other symptoms melted away, but I could not get past the binging. I would

start a new diet and last a few days, then be right back to nightly sprees of

manic overeating.

>

> I was ready to give up and accept that I would regain all of the weight when I

saw a mention on a blog about the Eat.Move.Love.Project. From there, I started

reading about IE, and I honestly feel like IE saved me. I think I understood

that I could not go back to dieting, but I had no idea there was another option.

I am having so much fun cooking again (something I had pretty much given up in

favor of frozen diet meals and salads), and I am working on cultivating that

nurturing inner voice. I still overeat a lot of days, but I am just going with

it because I understand that it is a natural transition from deprivation to

natural eating. The most amazing change has been that I no longer feel the

constant guilt I have carried my whole life about my relationship with food. I

am happy to have found this board, and I am excited (though rather nervous)

about this journey!

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome Liz.

Reading your post reminds me that it often takes a lot of wisdom and experience

and courage to start the journey of IE.

I'm glad you're here.

Sara

>

> Hello everyone! My name is Liz, and I have been doing IE for about a month

now. I am halfway through the book and am really enjoying the insight on every

single page.

>

> Here's a little about what brings me to IE. I have pretty much been on a diet

since I was 12. For periods in high school, I would eat nothing but rice and

broccoli for weeks on end, desperate to be as thin as my friends, only to

finally succumb to secret binges that would undo all the " progress " I had made.

I have gained and lost the same 30 pounds or so over and over again, but my

weight really skyrocketed when I got pregnant. A second baby came along soon

after, and by the time he was born I had gained 100 pounds. I made a solemn vow

to myself that I would lose the weight no matter what, and by golly I did it.

It took me two and half years of meticulous eating and intense exercise to lose

115 pounds.

>

> Oddly enough, I was as unhappy with my body at this new " thin " weight as I had

been over 100 pounds heavier, but I told myself if I could lose 10 more pounds,

then I would be happy (yeah, right!). Suddenly, though, I started gaining weight

even though I was still following a strict diet and exercising 6 times a week.

I was exhausted all the time, and my hair started falling out. In desperation,

I started binging heavily, which only helped the weight pile on. Eventually, my

husband convinced me to go to the doctor, and I discovered that I have

hypothyroidism. As I started medication to get my thyroid working, the fatigue

and other symptoms melted away, but I could not get past the binging. I would

start a new diet and last a few days, then be right back to nightly sprees of

manic overeating.

>

> I was ready to give up and accept that I would regain all of the weight when I

saw a mention on a blog about the Eat.Move.Love.Project. From there, I started

reading about IE, and I honestly feel like IE saved me. I think I understood

that I could not go back to dieting, but I had no idea there was another option.

I am having so much fun cooking again (something I had pretty much given up in

favor of frozen diet meals and salads), and I am working on cultivating that

nurturing inner voice. I still overeat a lot of days, but I am just going with

it because I understand that it is a natural transition from deprivation to

natural eating. The most amazing change has been that I no longer feel the

constant guilt I have carried my whole life about my relationship with food. I

am happy to have found this board, and I am excited (though rather nervous)

about this journey!

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Liz! Your post really hit home with me too. I was at my happiest when I was

active doing sports I loved, eating what I want, and feeling great. As soon as

I started working out and eating to lose weight, and DID start loosing weight, I

was less confident, because I always just wanted to lose more.

I have also found a new found love for cooking

> >

> > Hello everyone! My name is Liz, and I have been doing IE for about a month

now. I am halfway through the book and am really enjoying the insight on every

single page.

> >

> > Here's a little about what brings me to IE. I have pretty much been on a

diet since I was 12. For periods in high school, I would eat nothing but rice

and broccoli for weeks on end, desperate to be as thin as my friends, only to

finally succumb to secret binges that would undo all the " progress " I had made.

I have gained and lost the same 30 pounds or so over and over again, but my

weight really skyrocketed when I got pregnant. A second baby came along soon

after, and by the time he was born I had gained 100 pounds. I made a solemn vow

to myself that I would lose the weight no matter what, and by golly I did it.

It took me two and half years of meticulous eating and intense exercise to lose

115 pounds.

> >

> > Oddly enough, I was as unhappy with my body at this new " thin " weight as I

had been over 100 pounds heavier, but I told myself if I could lose 10 more

pounds, then I would be happy (yeah, right!). Suddenly, though, I started

gaining weight even though I was still following a strict diet and exercising 6

times a week. I was exhausted all the time, and my hair started falling out.

In desperation, I started binging heavily, which only helped the weight pile on.

Eventually, my husband convinced me to go to the doctor, and I discovered that I

have hypothyroidism. As I started medication to get my thyroid working, the

fatigue and other symptoms melted away, but I could not get past the binging. I

would start a new diet and last a few days, then be right back to nightly sprees

of manic overeating.

> >

> > I was ready to give up and accept that I would regain all of the weight when

I saw a mention on a blog about the Eat.Move.Love.Project. From there, I

started reading about IE, and I honestly feel like IE saved me. I think I

understood that I could not go back to dieting, but I had no idea there was

another option. I am having so much fun cooking again (something I had pretty

much given up in favor of frozen diet meals and salads), and I am working on

cultivating that nurturing inner voice. I still overeat a lot of days, but I am

just going with it because I understand that it is a natural transition from

deprivation to natural eating. The most amazing change has been that I no

longer feel the constant guilt I have carried my whole life about my

relationship with food. I am happy to have found this board, and I am excited

(though rather nervous) about this journey!

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the welcoming words! I am having a great time reading through all

the posts - new and old! Today's threads have me dreaming of peanut butter and

fluff sandwiches. Yum!

> > >

> > > Hello everyone! My name is Liz, and I have been doing IE for about a month

now. I am halfway through the book and am really enjoying the insight on every

single page.

> > >

> > > Here's a little about what brings me to IE. I have pretty much been on a

diet since I was 12. For periods in high school, I would eat nothing but rice

and broccoli for weeks on end, desperate to be as thin as my friends, only to

finally succumb to secret binges that would undo all the " progress " I had made.

I have gained and lost the same 30 pounds or so over and over again, but my

weight really skyrocketed when I got pregnant. A second baby came along soon

after, and by the time he was born I had gained 100 pounds. I made a solemn vow

to myself that I would lose the weight no matter what, and by golly I did it.

It took me two and half years of meticulous eating and intense exercise to lose

115 pounds.

> > >

> > > Oddly enough, I was as unhappy with my body at this new " thin " weight as I

had been over 100 pounds heavier, but I told myself if I could lose 10 more

pounds, then I would be happy (yeah, right!). Suddenly, though, I started

gaining weight even though I was still following a strict diet and exercising 6

times a week. I was exhausted all the time, and my hair started falling out.

In desperation, I started binging heavily, which only helped the weight pile on.

Eventually, my husband convinced me to go to the doctor, and I discovered that I

have hypothyroidism. As I started medication to get my thyroid working, the

fatigue and other symptoms melted away, but I could not get past the binging. I

would start a new diet and last a few days, then be right back to nightly sprees

of manic overeating.

> > >

> > > I was ready to give up and accept that I would regain all of the weight

when I saw a mention on a blog about the Eat.Move.Love.Project. From there, I

started reading about IE, and I honestly feel like IE saved me. I think I

understood that I could not go back to dieting, but I had no idea there was

another option. I am having so much fun cooking again (something I had pretty

much given up in favor of frozen diet meals and salads), and I am working on

cultivating that nurturing inner voice. I still overeat a lot of days, but I am

just going with it because I understand that it is a natural transition from

deprivation to natural eating. The most amazing change has been that I no

longer feel the constant guilt I have carried my whole life about my

relationship with food. I am happy to have found this board, and I am excited

(though rather nervous) about this journey!

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sandy,

Oh, that must be difficult having reflux. I bet Tums help a lot. I used to get that when pregnant and would eat raw almonds. The brain shunt/drain tube would be a serious concern. Does that mean you have to protect your head from too much movement? I really love dancing for exercise and wonder if you can do any of that? It’s a 4 season activity at least. I live in Canada and don’t take a lot of walks in the winter. Spring is coming soon though!

From: Beaulieu

Sent: Friday, March 11, 2011 2:18 PM

To: IntuitiveEating_Support

Subject: Re: Introduction

I get hungry in the evening and late sometimes too. I can't sleep if I'm hungry but it is hard for me to find something that doesn't affect my reflux. Even crackers, toast, milk bother me. I take to extra strength tums at night. Need the calcium anyway. I hoping that with the time change I will get back to a more normal schedule for me of going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. The weather is turning nice here in Florida although its cold(for us) here. Two nights down into the 40's. Now don't laugh. Last week it had been in the mid 80's during the day. I'm looking forward to nice walking weather. Today is ok but I had put all my "winter" clothes away. I also ride a 3 wheel bike and in the summer can go swimming or in the ocean. I'm only a couple of miles from there. Glad I'm not on the West coast today. Hope they do ok. I still am searching for something else fun for exercising. Have some limits due to brain shunt surgery. Doc doesn't want me pulling out the drain tube. Me either. Sandy

Hi Everyone,

I’ve been in the group for a while now and have really enjoyed reading and learning so much from you.

I started doing a version of IE 2 years ago by using McKenna’s book “I Can Make You Thin”. His approach is very much anti diet and includes tapping and hypnosis. I did the program and shed some weight and then got tired of listening to is hypnosis tape over and over and gradually started eating back to the old way and gained back about half of the weight I lost. who recently introduced herself, and I met on his forum and we have kept in touch and she introduced me to this group. Thank you Chris

[Guest guest]

Hi, I also take generic Prilosec in the morning for the reflux and that helps a lot.  I do have to be careful with certain foods like anything spicy, or how much and when I eat( not good to lie down after eating). The shunt does not limit me too much.  As long as I don't swing my right arm especially too much.  Like tennis would not be ok probably but then again I never could play tennis well.  Bowling would be ok as long as I don't do the follow through with my arm.  I could stand at the line and just roll the ball. Not as much fun, but my balance isn't back to 100% either. When I swim I mostly paddle around anyway or use a gentle stroke. I am beginning to explore more options myself.  There isn't as much risk as there was right after surgery. I can play gentle badminton with my 5 year old grandson, all underhand. Croquet would be good and I have a free membership at the YMCA through Humana. I'm not one for most of the machines though.  I do not have to worry about my head movements except I get some minor pressure " headache " pain. Writing all this has helped me begin to explore more ideas.  My friend likes to go dancing and with a little support from him I can keep my balance ok now.  So I have a lot of choices and the weather here in Florida is not as much of a factor as you have. Sandy

 

Hi Sandy,

 

Oh, that must be difficult having reflux. I bet Tums help a lot. I used to get that when pregnant and would eat raw almonds. The brain shunt/drain tube would be a serious concern. Does that mean you have to protect your head from too much movement? I really love dancing for exercise and wonder if you can do any of that? It’s a 4 season activity at least. I live in Canada and don’t take a lot of walks in the winter. Spring is coming soon though!

 

 

From: Beaulieu

Sent: Friday, March 11, 2011 2:18 PM

To: IntuitiveEating_Support

Subject: Re: Introduction

 

 

I get hungry in the evening and late sometimes too.  I can't sleep if I'm hungry but it is hard for me to find something that doesn't affect my reflux. Even crackers, toast, milk bother me.  I take to extra strength tums at night. Need the calcium anyway. I hoping that with the time change I will get back to a more normal schedule for me of going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. The weather is turning nice here in Florida although its cold(for us) here. Two nights down into the 40's. Now don't laugh. Last week it had been in the mid 80's during the day.  I'm looking forward to nice walking weather. Today is ok but I had put all my " winter " clothes away. I also ride a 3 wheel bike and in the summer can go swimming or in the ocean.  I'm only a couple of miles from there. Glad I'm not on the West coast today.  Hope they do ok.  I still am searching for something else fun for exercising. Have some limits due to brain shunt surgery.  Doc doesn't want me pulling out the drain tube.  Me either. Sandy

 

Hi Everyone,

 

I’ve been in the group for a while now and have really enjoyed reading and learning so much from you.

 

I started doing a version of IE 2 years ago by using McKenna’s book “I Can Make You Thin”. His approach is very much anti diet and includes tapping and hypnosis. I did the program and shed some weight and then got tired of listening to is hypnosis tape over and over and gradually started eating back to the old way and gained back about half of the weight I lost. who recently introduced herself, and I met on his forum and we have kept in touch and she introduced me to this group. Thank you Chris

[Guest guest]

Hi Abby,I feel like McKenna got me on the right track but his program can be over simplistic. I'm halfway through Intuitive Eating and it is filled with great information.

Hi ,

I also liked McKenna's book, but also eventually got tired of the hypnosis tracks. But I think his teachings are generally in line with IE, except that I felt like he said NEVER eat without hunger and that IE is more forgiving of emotional hunger, recognizing that forbidding eating without hunger could be, you guessed it, more eating without hunger!

But for me, it was a great way to start IE, a lot less scary than unconditional eating (it still allows for unconditional food choices) and I did lose a few pounds with it... before feeling like it was a bit restrictive. But for folks that are feeling really pressured to lose weight, it might be a great way to start a way of eating that's nearly IE.

All the best,

Abby

IE since 11/08

> Hi Everyone,

> > I’ve been in the group for a while now and have really enjoyed reading and learning so much from you.

> > I started doing a version of IE 2 years ago by using McKenna’s book “I Can Make You Thinâ€. His approach is very much anti diet and includes tapping and hypnosis. I did the program and shed some weight and then got tired of listening to is hypnosis tape over and over and gradually started eating back to the old way and gained back about half of the weight I lost. who recently introduced herself, and I met on his forum and we have kept in touch and she introduced me to this group. Thank you Chris.

> > I’m now reading the book IE and am learning so much about myself. One of my habits is eating while reading or listening to the radio, which I know reduces the pleasure I can receive from food. I also get hungry just before bed and sometimes ignore the sensation because I have this weird idea about eating before bed.

> > I have a 3 year old daughter and would like to shed the 25 pounds I gained before and during pregnancy that is still hanging on. I want to do it in the most sane and mentally healthy way though acceptance, loving myself and finding pleasure.

> >

[Guest guest]

Welcome back to IE, Sara!

You've come to the right place--we know what you mean by eating stuff and yet not knowing exactly why. Been there, done that. Or I should say, been there and still doing that sometimes.

When I avoid getting on the scale, I'm much less obsessed about my weight. Having clothes that fit makes a huge difference, too. You'd be surprised at the great tops I find at Value Village and Goodwill, lol.

Nice to have you back, Sara. I hope you'll keep reading and commenting.

Norma,

blogging at http://givingupdieting.wordpress.com/

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I've been reading the posts for several weeks now, and thought it was time to

introduce myself. I'm an Aussie in my late 40's and of course the usual story -

struggling with weight and food issues most of my life.

I've been interested in intuitive eating concepts for some time now, but it's

really only been the last six months that I've moved forward. A very big hurdle

for me was bad habits around eating takeaway or junk most of the time rather

than cooking for myself, the excuse always being that I did not have the time or

energy to do so. I've put a big effort into clearing the decks to free up my

time and energy and starting from scratch. Re-educting myself to cook again,

which has been actually a lot of fun.

Once I had re-established that habit, I then started to look to making healthier

choices, which is not a hardship as I already prefer wholemeal, veggies, salads

etc. This has been going well and I'm really enjoying the food that I'm making

and eating with lots of new herbs and spices and what not.

One issue I had to address was the fact that I am self employed, and this means

that some days I work from home, and have complete control over what I cook and

eat. On other days I'm on the road and subject to the schedules of others, never

knowing if and when I will get a chance to eat. It has worked well for me to

have different strategies planned out in advance. On home days I can honour my

hunger completely, and have time to try out different recipes etc. When I'm on

the road I prepack certain staple (but not necassarily exciting) foods and plan

my eating solely for the purpose of ensuring that I do not get too hungry at

times when I cannot readily access food. So far this is working well.

I look forward to reading and responding to posts from now on. I tend to be an

observer rather than a participator, so it is a big step for me to write this

email but I think it will be worth it long term to commit here.

Cheers,

Rowan.

[Guest guest]

Rowan,Thanks for sharing. It is definitely a big leap to post... but you really do help others as well as, hopefully, yourself too!I am so glad to hear of your many successes. Feel free to share your struggles, too!

Best,Abby

 

Welcome! It sounds like you are doing an awesome job already.  Thanks for sharing. It helps me too. Sandy

 

Hi all,

I've been reading the posts for several weeks now, and thought it was time to introduce myself. I'm an Aussie in my late 40's and of course the usual story - struggling with weight and food issues most of my life.

I've been interested in intuitive eating concepts for some time now, but it's really only been the last six months that I've moved forward. A very big hurdle for me was bad habits around eating takeaway or junk most of the time rather than cooking for myself, the excuse always being that I did not have the time or energy to do so. I've put a big effort into clearing the decks to free up my time and energy and starting from scratch. Re-educting myself to cook again, which has been actually a lot of fun.

Once I had re-established that habit, I then started to look to making healthier choices, which is not a hardship as I already prefer wholemeal, veggies, salads etc. This has been going well and I'm really enjoying the food that I'm making and eating with lots of new herbs and spices and what not.

One issue I had to address was the fact that I am self employed, and this means that some days I work from home, and have complete control over what I cook and eat. On other days I'm on the road and subject to the schedules of others, never knowing if and when I will get a chance to eat. It has worked well for me to have different strategies planned out in advance. On home days I can honour my hunger completely, and have time to try out different recipes etc. When I'm on the road I prepack certain staple (but not necassarily exciting) foods and plan my eating solely for the purpose of ensuring that I do not get too hungry at times when I cannot readily access food. So far this is working well.

I look forward to reading and responding to posts from now on. I tend to be an observer rather than a participator, so it is a big step for me to write this email but I think it will be worth it long term to commit here.

Cheers,

Rowan.