Re: Re: chapter four: Awakening the Intuitive Eater: Stages

[Guest guest]

I'll answer these too!

> 1. What stage are you at? Any others? Do you go back and forth as

> they mention, for instance? Do explain!

>

I too feel that I'm somewhere between stages 2 and 3. Last week I

had a big sundae and felt guilty...but I think that was partially

because I was trying to mix this with OA and it wasn't working for

me. I'm able to recognize if I'm hungry and if it's a meal time.

I'm not worrying obsessively that I'm " getting enough nutrition " ,

knowing that right now may be more unbalanced but that I'm taking

vitamins and all will balance out eventually. I did eat some baked

chips a little compulsively while I was cooking yesterday and the day

before, but that's okay too. I'm learning...and next time I may be

more aware of what I'm doing. Or not, and that's okay too!!! I

too feel more committed to the IE process.

A friend was telling me recently how she lost over 20 lbs eating

mostly meat and veggies, no starches, yadda yadda and was almost

preachy about it. I let her talk, didn't say much more than wow. I

make a habit NOT to acknowledge or compliment people who have lost

weight...those dieters may think that I am rude, but I'm avoiding

triggers for myself AND for others.

> 2. The second paragraph of the chapter states that " your journey back

> to Intuitive Eating depends on " the following questions that I'll ask

> everyone.

>

> a. How long have you been dieting?

>

I've never really been able to stick to a diet more than a few

weeks. I think my higher self knows better, or something. When I

bought the OA/Food Addict stuff I thought maybe I was addicted, but I

think I needed some emotional recovery before I was able to learn the

intuitive side of things. I am an emotional eater, but never a

dieter. I don't tend to binge either, just often eat richly.

My history: I joined weight watchers 3 times, and quit after about 3

weeks each time. lost weight, then gained it back and then some. I

tried to do McDougall or other very very rigid no-oil vegan paths,

which are okay if you don't eat on the go a lot as I do. So again,

not much time!

> b. How strongly entrenched do you feel your diet thinking might be?

>

Not so bad. For awhile I thought that veganism would solve all my

ills, but I've let go of that too. That was more recent...and funny

that I was able to switch to veganism once I stopped thinking that it

was a magic diet that would make me thin tomorrow. So...my diet

thinking was entrenched in an odd way, so to speak. Hard to describe!

> c. How long do you feel that you've been using food to cope with life?

>

Since I was a young child. Mom was bulemic and binged regularly

around me, and I started eating out of nervousness as well. I

learned it at about age 3, and kept it up.

> d. How willing are you to trust yourself? Truly self-examine here...

>

I'm pretty willing...85-90%. Throwing away my scales was a grand

sign that I could indeed trust myself. I'm not going to gain 100

more lbs and explode in a year...I can trust myself to exercise, eat

nourishingly, and RELAX. So I'm pretty okay with the self-

trust. This is new!

> e. How willing are you to make weight loss a secondary goal and

> Intuitive Eating a primary goal?

>

>

I have polycystic ovaries, which makes it super-easy to gain and

super-hard to lose. Just a fact. Every friend who has PCOS is

overweight. And, that's okay. I've gotten into size acceptance and

I'm okay with being large...would like to be smaller than I am now

but I don't have the desire to be a size 8 or anything. I would

rather be a bit larger and enjoy my life with food than smaller and

miserable. But that's me! SO weight loss is a secondary goal,

because it has to be. Exercise and cinnamon capsules work on the

insulin resistance components of PCOS.

> 3. What do you think of the diagrams on p. 33? Does it disappoint

> you to think that the process won't be linear? Have you come to a

> level of peace that recovery goes back and forth a bit?

>

Thanks, Meg, for your comments. Yes, the dieting graph is indeed

simplistic. But, I have to say, any time I tried to diet I lost and

gained. So I'm happy that Intuitive Eating won't do this. When I

access the Divine Within (my own term and my own path, no offense if

it's not yours), of COURSE I can trust myself!!!

> 4. Finding out if you're a good candidate for weight loss:

>

> a. Have you routinely eaten beyond your comfortable fullness level?

>

Yes...a member of the " clean the plate " club at restaurants and

such. Must remind self that I'm not a garbage disposal, and it's

okay to throw food away.

> b. Do you routinely overeat when you're getting ready for your next

> diet, knowing there will be a lot of foods you won't be allowed to

> eat?

>

OH, I've been bad with this...and every time I have it's been counter-

productive by far.

> c. Do you overeat as a coping mechanism in difficult times?

>

Yep! Working on this to be more honest with self.

> d. Do you overeat to fill up time when you're bored?

>

I don't think so...when I watch tv etc. I usually do crafts that keep

my hands busy, so I don't have a food trigger there.

> e. Have you been resistant to exercise?

>

I've procrastinated exercise. Working on this! Was really good with

daily exercise in June and July, then kind of fell off for 3 weeks.

About to take a walk after this email. Trying to do yoga every

day...and allowing myself to do " lazy yoga " , all floor exercises, if

I'm feeling low energy, because I'm still stretching and working my

body for the better.

> f. Do you only exercise when you diet?

>

No. I walk because I need time in nature and time in the sun for

Vitamin D, and walks are FUN. I figure stuff out when i'm walking,

and also listen to fun podcasts.

> g. Do you skip meals or wait to eat until you're ravenously hungry,

> only to find that you overeat when you finally do eat?

>

I've definitely done this a lot. For the past few months I've

actually put snacks like baked chips in my car to stave off hunger so

that I avoid this pattern, and it has helped. Nothing wrong with a

bag of cashews in the trunk! Others may think I'm looney, but that's

their problem.

> h. Do you feel guilty, either when you overeat or when you eat a

> " bad food " which results in more overeating?

>

Yes...getting better, but yes.

> 5. Are you ready to focus on HOW YOU FEEL as the goal, rather than

> weight loss? How does that make you feel now? Any reservations?

>

Absolutely. My spiritual path is based on individual connection with

Higher Power (however you define that), and I'm viewing higher power

as within in addition to without, and I am totally committed to a

path of self-love. Life is too short to spend it self-attacking. I

just won't do it anymore. Sometimes I fall into a funk, get into

shame and guilt, and remind myself that I am committed to my own

happiness. When I commit to that, others will be inspired too, so it

all works out.

> 6. Anything else you want to add about the stages? Have your

> insights changed as you answered these questions?

>

Answering these questions has really helped me, and Meg you made some

great points, so thank you. I love that so many of us are answering

these questions. Yay!

I'd love to get to stage 3 more fully...and I'm sure it'll come.

What do you all do if you're around friends who are really into dieting?

HUGS!