Interesting aha moment for me today.

[Guest guest]

Hi! I just wanted to share my experience at lunch today. I have

been pretty happy with IE over the last month or so. I have stopped

the binges by making all food legal (I even had a pumpkin pie in the

house that lasted more than a WEEK! First time!). However, I have

been frustrated that I find it hard to really, really listen to my

hunger and not just say " yes " to every food that enters my head.

So, today, I had an acting class in the morning, and at 1:30 when it

was over, I was hungry. I was physically hungry. So, I asked myself

what I really wanted - I wanted soup. Easy enough, I went to a cafe

and asked what the soup was - vegetable, with a piece of bread. So I

ordered it with a bottle of water, and mid-way through the soup, I

started thinking " Oh - I am so good. All I ate was soup and bread.

Now I can have a chocolate chip cookie. " STOP! First of all, if I am

thinking about a chocolate chip cookie, I'm not enjoying my soup.

Second of all, what if this meal is enough to satisfy me, do I really

feel hungry for a chocolate chip cookie? Thirdly, am I really

being " good " - isn't that a diet thought?

So, I enjoyed my soup. I told myself that I would go to the

bathroom, and when I returned, if I still desparately wanted the

cookie, I could have it. And to my great surprise, I returned and

didn't really want the cookie. I left the cafe and realized that I

was satisfied.

I find that there are more and more layers to getting rid of the diet

mentality - including the " I'm being good, I deserve a treat. "

I also realized that if I had said " No way - you can't have a

cookie. " I would have been DYING for the cookie.

Learning all the time...

-

[Guest guest]

, congratulations! That is a really good observation about

thinking about another food while you are eating something else. I

have done that, too. I would always think about " forbidden

desserts " while eating " a diet portion " of real food. It IS very

distracting and unsatisfying.

I never ate enough with those diet portions so my body and mind

would have those cravings. Now that I allow myself as much as I

want of real food, I don't think about the desserts while I eat. I

enjoy the real food in front of me and find it much more satisfying.

Yay for us!

Amy

>

> Hi! I just wanted to share my experience at lunch today. I have

> been pretty happy with IE over the last month or so. I have

stopped

> the binges by making all food legal (I even had a pumpkin pie in

the

> house that lasted more than a WEEK! First time!). However, I

have

> been frustrated that I find it hard to really, really listen to my

> hunger and not just say " yes " to every food that enters my head.

>

> So, today, I had an acting class in the morning, and at 1:30 when

it

> was over, I was hungry. I was physically hungry. So, I asked

myself

> what I really wanted - I wanted soup. Easy enough, I went to a

cafe

> and asked what the soup was - vegetable, with a piece of bread.

So I

> ordered it with a bottle of water, and mid-way through the soup, I

> started thinking " Oh - I am so good. All I ate was soup and

bread.

> Now I can have a chocolate chip cookie. " STOP! First of all, if I

am

> thinking about a chocolate chip cookie, I'm not enjoying my soup.

> Second of all, what if this meal is enough to satisfy me, do I

really

> feel hungry for a chocolate chip cookie? Thirdly, am I really

> being " good " - isn't that a diet thought?

>

> So, I enjoyed my soup. I told myself that I would go to the

> bathroom, and when I returned, if I still desparately wanted the

> cookie, I could have it. And to my great surprise, I returned and

> didn't really want the cookie. I left the cafe and realized that

I

> was satisfied.

>

> I find that there are more and more layers to getting rid of the

diet

> mentality - including the " I'm being good, I deserve a treat. "

>

> I also realized that if I had said " No way - you can't have a

> cookie. " I would have been DYING for the cookie.

>

> Learning all the time...

>

> -

>

[Guest guest]

, congratulations! That is a really good observation about

thinking about another food while you are eating something else. I

have done that, too. I would always think about " forbidden

desserts " while eating " a diet portion " of real food. It IS very

distracting and unsatisfying.

I never ate enough with those diet portions so my body and mind

would have those cravings. Now that I allow myself as much as I

want of real food, I don't think about the desserts while I eat. I

enjoy the real food in front of me and find it much more satisfying.

Yay for us!

Amy

>

> Hi! I just wanted to share my experience at lunch today. I have

> been pretty happy with IE over the last month or so. I have

stopped

> the binges by making all food legal (I even had a pumpkin pie in

the

> house that lasted more than a WEEK! First time!). However, I

have

> been frustrated that I find it hard to really, really listen to my

> hunger and not just say " yes " to every food that enters my head.

>

> So, today, I had an acting class in the morning, and at 1:30 when

it

> was over, I was hungry. I was physically hungry. So, I asked

myself

> what I really wanted - I wanted soup. Easy enough, I went to a

cafe

> and asked what the soup was - vegetable, with a piece of bread.

So I

> ordered it with a bottle of water, and mid-way through the soup, I

> started thinking " Oh - I am so good. All I ate was soup and

bread.

> Now I can have a chocolate chip cookie. " STOP! First of all, if I

am

> thinking about a chocolate chip cookie, I'm not enjoying my soup.

> Second of all, what if this meal is enough to satisfy me, do I

really

> feel hungry for a chocolate chip cookie? Thirdly, am I really

> being " good " - isn't that a diet thought?

>

> So, I enjoyed my soup. I told myself that I would go to the

> bathroom, and when I returned, if I still desparately wanted the

> cookie, I could have it. And to my great surprise, I returned and

> didn't really want the cookie. I left the cafe and realized that

I

> was satisfied.

>

> I find that there are more and more layers to getting rid of the

diet

> mentality - including the " I'm being good, I deserve a treat. "

>

> I also realized that if I had said " No way - you can't have a

> cookie. " I would have been DYING for the cookie.

>

> Learning all the time...

>

> -

>

[Guest guest]

, congratulations! That is a really good observation about

thinking about another food while you are eating something else. I

have done that, too. I would always think about " forbidden

desserts " while eating " a diet portion " of real food. It IS very

distracting and unsatisfying.

I never ate enough with those diet portions so my body and mind

would have those cravings. Now that I allow myself as much as I

want of real food, I don't think about the desserts while I eat. I

enjoy the real food in front of me and find it much more satisfying.

Yay for us!

Amy

>

> Hi! I just wanted to share my experience at lunch today. I have

> been pretty happy with IE over the last month or so. I have

stopped

> the binges by making all food legal (I even had a pumpkin pie in

the

> house that lasted more than a WEEK! First time!). However, I

have

> been frustrated that I find it hard to really, really listen to my

> hunger and not just say " yes " to every food that enters my head.

>

> So, today, I had an acting class in the morning, and at 1:30 when

it

> was over, I was hungry. I was physically hungry. So, I asked

myself

> what I really wanted - I wanted soup. Easy enough, I went to a

cafe

> and asked what the soup was - vegetable, with a piece of bread.

So I

> ordered it with a bottle of water, and mid-way through the soup, I

> started thinking " Oh - I am so good. All I ate was soup and

bread.

> Now I can have a chocolate chip cookie. " STOP! First of all, if I

am

> thinking about a chocolate chip cookie, I'm not enjoying my soup.

> Second of all, what if this meal is enough to satisfy me, do I

really

> feel hungry for a chocolate chip cookie? Thirdly, am I really

> being " good " - isn't that a diet thought?

>

> So, I enjoyed my soup. I told myself that I would go to the

> bathroom, and when I returned, if I still desparately wanted the

> cookie, I could have it. And to my great surprise, I returned and

> didn't really want the cookie. I left the cafe and realized that

I

> was satisfied.

>

> I find that there are more and more layers to getting rid of the

diet

> mentality - including the " I'm being good, I deserve a treat. "

>

> I also realized that if I had said " No way - you can't have a

> cookie. " I would have been DYING for the cookie.

>

> Learning all the time...

>

> -

>

[Guest guest]

I have an aunt (who does not have wieght issues) that almost always

has her dessert before she has her meal. She always says it is so

that she doesn't get so filled up on the meal to not have room for

dessert. Interesting philosphy, don't you think.

> >

> > Hi! I just wanted to share my experience at lunch today. I

have

> > been pretty happy with IE over the last month or so. I have

> stopped

> > the binges by making all food legal (I even had a pumpkin pie in

> the

> > house that lasted more than a WEEK! First time!). However, I

> have

> > been frustrated that I find it hard to really, really listen to

my

> > hunger and not just say " yes " to every food that enters my head.

> >

> > So, today, I had an acting class in the morning, and at 1:30

when

> it

> > was over, I was hungry. I was physically hungry. So, I asked

> myself

> > what I really wanted - I wanted soup. Easy enough, I went to a

> cafe

> > and asked what the soup was - vegetable, with a piece of bread.

> So I

> > ordered it with a bottle of water, and mid-way through the soup,

I

> > started thinking " Oh - I am so good. All I ate was soup and

> bread.

> > Now I can have a chocolate chip cookie. " STOP! First of all, if

I

> am

> > thinking about a chocolate chip cookie, I'm not enjoying my

soup.

> > Second of all, what if this meal is enough to satisfy me, do I

> really

> > feel hungry for a chocolate chip cookie? Thirdly, am I really

> > being " good " - isn't that a diet thought?

> >

> > So, I enjoyed my soup. I told myself that I would go to the

> > bathroom, and when I returned, if I still desparately wanted the

> > cookie, I could have it. And to my great surprise, I returned

and

> > didn't really want the cookie. I left the cafe and realized

that

> I

> > was satisfied.

> >

> > I find that there are more and more layers to getting rid of the

> diet

> > mentality - including the " I'm being good, I deserve a treat. "

> >

> > I also realized that if I had said " No way - you can't have a

> > cookie. " I would have been DYING for the cookie.

> >

> > Learning all the time...

> >

> > -

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Yeah, I suppose it is interesting. As long as you eat what your body

needs the most, who cares what it is called.

I always worry about examples like this in the hands of dieters

though. Next thing you know...someone is going to start the dessert

first diet. :-P

Amy

>

> I have an aunt (who does not have wieght issues) that almost always

> has her dessert before she has her meal. She always says it is so

> that she doesn't get so filled up on the meal to not have room for

> dessert. Interesting philosphy, don't you think.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Would the " Dessert First " diet be a truly horrible thing? At least

desert wouldn't be a source of guilt. That would be a step in the

right direction.

[Guest guest]

Yes, I think a dessert first " diet " would be a bad thing if you are

only eating dessert first because the " diet " tells you to, that

you " won't have weight issues " or " will lose weight " . I think it is

fine to choose to eat dessert first because it makes you feel better or

encourages you to stop an obsessive behavior or feeling (guilt).

Choosing to eat dessert first (regardless of what your body needs or

wants) because some other thin person did it...well, that kinds of

sounds like buying into a diet ad, right?

Overall, I think it is good to learn from other healthy people.

However, I also think it is difficult to do so. If you have your " diet

thinking cap on " , you also might have selective observing...you might

only pick out the pieces that mesh with your existing diet thinking.

I'm pretty sure that I have been guilty of that before. I suspect that

if you let go of diet thinking, you are more inclined to look at the

big picture and discover what works best for you as an individual.

Amy

>

> Would the " Dessert First " diet be a truly horrible thing? At least

> desert wouldn't be a source of guilt. That would be a step in the

> right direction.

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, I think a dessert first " diet " would be a bad thing if you are

only eating dessert first because the " diet " tells you to, that

you " won't have weight issues " or " will lose weight " . I think it is

fine to choose to eat dessert first because it makes you feel better or

encourages you to stop an obsessive behavior or feeling (guilt).

Choosing to eat dessert first (regardless of what your body needs or

wants) because some other thin person did it...well, that kinds of

sounds like buying into a diet ad, right?

Overall, I think it is good to learn from other healthy people.

However, I also think it is difficult to do so. If you have your " diet

thinking cap on " , you also might have selective observing...you might

only pick out the pieces that mesh with your existing diet thinking.

I'm pretty sure that I have been guilty of that before. I suspect that

if you let go of diet thinking, you are more inclined to look at the

big picture and discover what works best for you as an individual.

Amy

>

> Would the " Dessert First " diet be a truly horrible thing? At least

> desert wouldn't be a source of guilt. That would be a step in the

> right direction.

>