Re: Food choices and reality

[Guest guest]

Thanks Everyone,That jives with what I was thinking really, I just needed to hear others say it. I have a healthy respect for 'authority' so tweaking something to fit me is a process, and not always a comfortable one at that.Dawn

Hi, I'm sure this has come up before, but, I'm new and haven't found it yet. How do you make IE and your food choices work with reality? I mean, you might want a cheeseburger, but you might not always be able to get that cheeseburger, or you might not be hungry at 7 am, but you know that you won't get the chance to eat again until noon.

[Guest guest]

Dawn,

This is a really great question. Like , I keep foods that I like/love

stocked in my kitchen...I have a list of IE " staples " that I buy when I know

that I'm getting low on them. I also get a pretty good hit on what my body will

want within a week's timeframe. So, I consider what I have in " stock " already

and will swing by the grocery store, if I want some extra things that I don't

have.

Many of us take a " food bag " with us, as indicated in the Overcoming

Overeating/When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies books. I do this, especially, if

I'm not quite hungry early in the morning, which is often the case. I had some

serious questions about how eating when I'm hungry was going to work with my

every day working life. When I first started IE, I was working a position that

provided for two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. I would simply take my

15 minute break in the morning when I got hungry, then take my 30 minute lunch

the next time I got hungry, and so on. It worked beautifully.

Also, alot of times, I find that my food desires are not necessarily tied to a

specific food. We have discussed this before on the group. Most times, I'm

looking for a certain texture or taste. Do, I want something sweet, crunchy,

watery, sour, creamy, bitter, light, heavy, etc. Tofu is more chewy and smooshy

to me...so a smooshy cereal may hit the spot in that case as well. As Abby

mentioned, we do our best...the good enough in the moment. My body responds well

to knowing that I at least listened to it and tried. Then my body's like, try to

make sure you have what I need on stock next time or I want this at a later meal

today or tomorrow!

My grandmother also can't seem to believe that IE has made a difference in my

life. She's probably done every single diet imaginable and has lost and gained

weight over and over again. I don't think a person needs to make peace with

being " fat " or " skinny " or anywhere in the middle. What's been important for me

is making peace with my body and with food. I'm writing about my peace-making

experiences on my transformative eating site. You may be interested in this

post:

http://wellness.firstgenerationprofessional.com/the-quest-for-balance-and-an-une\

xpected-peace-treaty

The intuitive eating journey is a long-term commitment and it's so worth it.

Latoya

Practicing IE since Jan '08

>

> Hi, I'm sure this has come up before, but, I'm new and haven't found it yet.

How do you make IE and your food choices work with reality? I mean, you might

want a cheeseburger, but you might not always be able to get that cheeseburger,

or you might not be hungry at 7 am, but you know that you won't get the chance

to eat again until noon.

[Guest guest]

Abby- what does HTH mean?

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Thu, April 22, 2010 5:41:36 PMSubject: Re: Food choices and reality

Hi Dawn,

I think we eat intuitively the best we can. One way I like to think about it is to picture a toddler... imagine that she indicates she's hungry. so you put out several options (or you offer one to start, and she flings it across the room, so then you try a different option) and she picks at what she wants, when she's hungry, but won't eat what doesn't appeal, and likely won't eat just because it's there, because there are so many interesting things to play with. on the other hand, if you put out several options, she won't say "I don't want apples, or raisins, or yogurt, or a bagel... only creme brulee will be acceptable."

does that make sense? you do your best to provide yourself with some food choices that you think you will like, and to have them available at times when you think you will be hungry. but you're not a short order cook and you don't have to keep every conceivable food in the house.

again, as far as eating when you have the chance instead of eating when you are hungry... you do the best you can. if you are really not hungry and you really wont have another chance to eat for hours and hours... have a small snack, whatever you can stomach. if you can find a way to take a quick (even five or ten minute) break later when you are actually hungry, all the better.

the point of this is not to please some external authority on how IE is "supposed" to be done, it's to make YOU feel like you are in charge of taking care of you, and that that is an important and worthy responsibility, one that you will honor to the best of your ability.

also, this is not an all or nothing thing. you do the best you can with where you are right now.. things will definitely shift as time goes on.

HTH,

abby

On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 11:43 AM, Greer <lisalgreeryahoo (DOT) com> wrote:

Hi, Dawn,I think it comes down to making this plan your own. There is no perfect way to do it... just the best ways that work for you. I have read several Intuitive Eating books, and I take the best (for me) and leave the rest, and it's working well for me. As for not getting to eat what we'd like all the time, I think that's definitely something to work through. I try to have foods i really like in my home at all times (I shop at least once a week to make that happen), but there are some days that food is just... well... food. I eat what is there, even if it is not something I really really want because I don't have time to go out to eat or I have other things to do (even if I would really like a cheeseburger) . Sometimes, I also do work on what that craving means. Is it for something more than a cheeseburger can provide like love, companionship or fun (that I can get in some other way that day)? And I also eat three meals

a day; my body really likes to have three meals. The size can vary, and sometimes I have snacks. So, that works best for me; other methods might work better for you.In your 7am example, if I were leaving home and would not get a chance to eat for a while, I'd eat then. I do best with eating within an hour of getting up; my blood sugar feels more stable that way. That's just what I have learned with my unique body.I don't know if that helps at all, but I think IE is essentially about listening to your unique body and its signals, and that encompasses when you eat, why, how, and what.best,

Hi, I'm sure this has come up before, but, I'm new and haven't found it yet. How do you make IE and your food choices work with reality? I mean, you might want a cheeseburger, but you might not always be able to get that cheeseburger, or you might not be hungry at 7 am, but you know that you won't get the chance to eat again until noon.

[Guest guest]

Hope this helped.

 

Abby- what does HTH mean?

 

From:

Abigail Wolfson <abigail.wolfsongmail>

To: IntuitiveEating_Support

Sent: Thu, April 22,

2010 5:41:36 PM

Subject: Re:

Food choices and reality

 

Hi Dawn,

I think we eat intuitively the best we can. One way I like to

think about it is to picture a toddler... imagine that she indicates

she's hungry. so you put out several options (or you offer one to

start, and she flings it across the room, so then you try a different

option) and she picks at what she wants, when she's hungry, but won't

eat what doesn't appeal, and likely won't eat just because it's there,

because there are so many interesting things to play with. on the other

hand, if you put out several options, she won't say "I don't want

apples, or raisins, or yogurt, or a bagel... only creme brulee will be

acceptable."

does that make sense? you do your best to provide yourself with

some food choices that you think you will like, and to have them

available at times when you think you will be hungry. but you're not a

short order cook and you don't have to keep every conceivable food in

the house. 

again, as far as eating when you have the chance instead of

eating when you are hungry... you do the best you can. if you are

really not hungry and you really wont have another chance to eat for

hours and hours... have a small snack, whatever you can stomach. if you

can find a way to take a quick (even five or ten minute) break later

when you are actually hungry, all the better.

the point of this is not to please some external authority on

how IE is "supposed" to be done, it's to make YOU feel like you are in

charge of taking care of you, and that that is an important and worthy

responsibility, one that you will honor to the best of your ability. 

also, this is not an all or nothing thing. you do the best you

can with where you are right now.. things will definitely shift as time

goes on.

HTH,

abby

On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 11:43 AM, Greer

<lisalgreeryahoo (DOT) com>

wrote:

 

Hi, Dawn,

I think it comes down to making this plan your own. There is no perfect

way to do it... just the best ways that work for you. I have read

several Intuitive Eating books, and I take the best (for me) and leave

the rest, and it's working well for me. As for not getting to eat what

we'd like all the time, I think that's definitely something to work

through.

I try to have foods i really like in my home at all times (I shop at

least once a week to make that happen), but there are some days that

food is just... well... food. I eat what is there, even if it is not

something I really really want because I don't have time to go out to

eat or I have other things to do (even if I would really like a

cheeseburger) . Sometimes, I also do work on what that craving means.

Is it for something more than a cheeseburger can provide like love,

companionship or fun (that I can get in some other way that day)? And I

also eat three meals a day; my body really likes to have three meals.

The size can vary, and sometimes I have snacks. So, that works best for

me; other methods might work better for you.

In your 7am example, if I were leaving home and would not get a chance

to eat for a while, I'd eat then. I do best with eating within an hour

of getting up; my blood sugar feels more stable that way. That's just

what I have learned with my unique body.

I don't know if that helps at all, but I think IE is essentially about

listening to your unique body and its signals, and that encompasses

when you eat, why, how, and what.

best,

 

Hi, I'm sure this has come up before, but, I'm new and

haven't found it yet. How do you make IE and your food choices work

with reality? I mean, you might want a cheeseburger, but you might not

always be able to get that cheeseburger, or you might not be hungry at

7 am, but you know that you won't get the chance to eat again until

noon.

[Guest guest]

Exactly--we do the best we can.  For me, one big thing about eating

intuitively is that I can't get too hung up on things not being perfect

at any given time.  My life right now is busy and sometimes chaotic;

I'm out of the house at odd times and sometimes I'm really just too

tired to even think about what *exactly* I want to eat.  I keep a lot

of standbys around that I pretty much always like to eat, so if I'm

tired or rushed I can just look through what I have and pick something

from there.  I'm also a habitual eater, in that if I like something

I'll want to have it every day for a while until I get tired of it, and

that helps me to plan things a little.

If there's something I want that I don't have around, I just tell

myself I'll get it at the soonest opportunity and just eat something

else.  I think there's a big difference between restricting/dieting and

just not having the food available when you want it. 

Sohni

 

Hi Dawn,

I think we eat intuitively the best we can. One way I like to

think about it is to picture a toddler... imagine that she indicates

she's hungry. so you put out several options (or you offer one to

start, and she flings it across the room, so then you try a different

option) and she picks at what she wants, when she's hungry, but won't

eat what doesn't appeal, and likely won't eat just because it's there,

because there are so many interesting things to play with. on the other

hand, if you put out several options, she won't say "I don't want

apples, or raisins, or yogurt, or a bagel... only creme brulee will be

acceptable."

does that make sense? you do your best to provide yourself with

some food choices that you think you will like, and to have them

available at times when you think you will be hungry. but you're not a

short order cook and you don't have to keep every conceivable food in

the house. 

again, as far as eating when you have the chance instead of

eating when you are hungry... you do the best you can. if you are

really not hungry and you really wont have another chance to eat for

hours and hours... have a small snack, whatever you can stomach. if you

can find a way to take a quick (even five or ten minute) break later

when you are actually hungry, all the better.

the point of this is not to please some external authority on

how IE is "supposed" to be done, it's to make YOU feel like you are in

charge of taking care of you, and that that is an important and worthy

responsibility, one that you will honor to the best of your ability. 

also, this is not an all or nothing thing. you do the best you

can with where you are right now.. things will definitely shift as time

goes on.

HTH,

abby

On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 11:43 AM, Greer

<lisalgreer>

wrote:

 

Hi, Dawn,

I think it comes down to making this plan your own. There is no perfect

way to do it... just the best ways that work for you. I have read

several Intuitive Eating books, and I take the best (for me) and leave

the rest, and it's working well for me. As for not getting to eat what

we'd like all the time, I think that's definitely something to work

through.

I try to have foods i really like in my home at all times (I shop at

least once a week to make that happen), but there are some days that

food is just... well... food. I eat what is there, even if it is not

something I really really want because I don't have time to go out to

eat or I have other things to do (even if I would really like a

cheeseburger). Sometimes, I also do work on what that craving

means. Is it for something more than a cheeseburger can provide like

love, companionship or fun (that I can get in some other way that day)?

And I also eat three meals a day; my body really likes to have three

meals. The size can vary, and sometimes I have snacks. So, that works

best for me; other methods might work better for you.

In your 7am example, if I were leaving home and would not get a chance

to eat for a while, I'd eat then. I do best with eating within an hour

of getting up; my blood sugar feels more stable that way. That's just

what I have learned with my unique body.

I don't know if that helps at all, but I think IE is essentially about

listening to your unique body and its signals, and that encompasses

when you eat, why, how, and what.

best,

 

Hi, I'm sure this has come up before, but, I'm new and

haven't found it yet. How do you make IE and your food choices work

with reality? I mean, you might want a cheeseburger, but you might not

always be able to get that cheeseburger, or you might not be hungry at

7 am, but you know that you won't get the chance to eat again until

noon.

[Guest guest]

OHHHH!! I was racking my brain trying to think what it could be! Thanks!

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Sun, April 25, 2010 4:50:33 PMSubject: Re: Food choices and reality

Hope this helped.

Abby- what does HTH mean?

From: Abigail Wolfson <abigail.wolfson@ gmail.com>To: IntuitiveEating_ Support@yahoogro ups.comSent: Thu, April 22, 2010 5:41:36 PMSubject: Re: [intuitiveEating_ Support] Food choices and reality

Hi Dawn,

I think we eat intuitively the best we can. One way I like to think about it is to picture a toddler... imagine that she indicates she's hungry. so you put out several options (or you offer one to start, and she flings it across the room, so then you try a different option) and she picks at what she wants, when she's hungry, but won't eat what doesn't appeal, and likely won't eat just because it's there, because there are so many interesting things to play with. on the other hand, if you put out several options, she won't say "I don't want apples, or raisins, or yogurt, or a bagel... only creme brulee will be acceptable."

does that make sense? you do your best to provide yourself with some food choices that you think you will like, and to have them available at times when you think you will be hungry. but you're not a short order cook and you don't have to keep every conceivable food in the house.

again, as far as eating when you have the chance instead of eating when you are hungry... you do the best you can. if you are really not hungry and you really wont have another chance to eat for hours and hours... have a small snack, whatever you can stomach. if you can find a way to take a quick (even five or ten minute) break later when you are actually hungry, all the better.

the point of this is not to please some external authority on how IE is "supposed" to be done, it's to make YOU feel like you are in charge of taking care of you, and that that is an important and worthy responsibility, one that you will honor to the best of your ability.

also, this is not an all or nothing thing. you do the best you can with where you are right now.. things will definitely shift as time goes on.

HTH,

abby

On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 11:43 AM, Greer <lisalgreeryahoo (DOT) com> wrote:

Hi, Dawn,I think it comes down to making this plan your own. There is no perfect way to do it... just the best ways that work for you. I have read several Intuitive Eating books, and I take the best (for me) and leave the rest, and it's working well for me. As for not getting to eat what we'd like all the time, I think that's definitely something to work through. I try to have foods i really like in my home at all times (I shop at least once a week to make that happen), but there are some days that food is just... well... food. I eat what is there, even if it is not something I really really want because I don't have time to go out to eat or I have other things to do (even if I would really like a cheeseburger) . Sometimes, I also do work on what that craving means. Is it for something more than a cheeseburger can provide like love, companionship or fun (that I can get in some other way that day)? And I also eat three meals

a day; my body really likes to have three meals. The size can vary, and sometimes I have snacks. So, that works best for me; other methods might work better for you.In your 7am example, if I were leaving home and would not get a chance to eat for a while, I'd eat then. I do best with eating within an hour of getting up; my blood sugar feels more stable that way. That's just what I have learned with my unique body.I don't know if that helps at all, but I think IE is essentially about listening to your unique body and its signals, and that encompasses when you eat, why, how, and what.best,

Hi, I'm sure this has come up before, but, I'm new and haven't found it yet. How do you make IE and your food choices work with reality? I mean, you might want a cheeseburger, but you might not always be able to get that cheeseburger, or you might not be hungry at 7 am, but you know that you won't get the chance to eat again until noon.