What works for you?

[Guest guest]

I feel a bit stalled out right now because I am at the point where I need to let

the focus on weight loss go and focus on how my body feels. The problem at the

moment is that in the past week or so, I seem to have gained a chunk of weight

(not getting on the scale, so I don't know how much, but I can suddenly barely

button my pants). My clothes went from a little snug but looking nice to

straining at the seams and looking very unflattering in a short amount of time,

which has caused me both the panic of " Oh no, I'm gaining a lot faster than I

expected " and an unrelenting focus on the sudden change in my body. When I look

at myself, all I can see is the swollen belly and fleshy arms that have

appeared. To be honest, some of this is probably water retention as I have been

feeling extremely swollen all over, but it doesn't change the fact that it has

become very difficult for me to shut down the critical voice inside when I look

in the mirror.

The more I read about IE and the more I explore my feelings that have led to

binging and strict dieting, the more I realize that I need to change some

fundamental views before I can let go of the negative body image and self hate I

have developed over a lifetime.

So, my question is: what has worked for you to help change the faculty thinking?

Have you had success with using affirmations? With journaling? Do you start on

the negative body image thoughts that float into your head or aim for the faulty

beliefs behind them (I'm no good, I don't deserve to treat myself well, I am

fundamentally flawed, etc.)? Do you have a certain time of day when you address

these issues (morning meditation, before bed) or do you tackle them whenever

they come up? Do you try and reverse bad thoughts ( " Your stomach is not fat; it

is beautiful. " ), do you question why the thought came up at that moment to try

and get to the root of it, do you try to dispel the power of the thought ( " So

what? Who cares if my stomach is fat? " )?

I know what works for you won't necessarily work for me, but I feel like it will

give me some ideas that I know CAN work to help me get started.

Thanks!

Liz