Re: New to IE

[Guest guest]

I am brand new to IE and recovering from an eating disorder. I have

some of the same feelings about food and exercise right now and have

also taken that step to trash the " fitness " magazines, scale, diet

pills, etc. As a compulsive exerciser (one of my many ED symptoms) I

have lately tried experimenting with NOT entering my weight into the

machine so that I don't get a calorie burned number (and since I threw

out the scale I'm not precisely sure what my weight IS). I also read a

good book on the cardio machines which takes my mind off and covers up

the screen. I set it at a moderate intensity and go until it feels

like enough - I get bored, tired, hungry, or satisfied. It has REALLY

changed the way I feel about working out for the better. I've also

made new playlists for my iPod and taken the dog for a walk with no

intended time or distance...just walk until it feels like enough. The

initial impulse to OVERDO to make sure I got in enough exercise ( " it

doesn't FEEL like I've walked for an hour yet so I'll walk more " ) is

slowly fading and I feel that I'm listening and respecting my body in

much the same way that IE does with food. I guess you have to pick

types of exercise that you enjoy for this to work (I actually enjoy

cardio machines). It feels nice not to have a running tab all week of

total time exercised and total calories burned. It also makes me not

as calorie obsessed with food.

Best of luck!

[Guest guest]

I am brand new to IE and recovering from an eating disorder. I have

some of the same feelings about food and exercise right now and have

also taken that step to trash the " fitness " magazines, scale, diet

pills, etc. As a compulsive exerciser (one of my many ED symptoms) I

have lately tried experimenting with NOT entering my weight into the

machine so that I don't get a calorie burned number (and since I threw

out the scale I'm not precisely sure what my weight IS). I also read a

good book on the cardio machines which takes my mind off and covers up

the screen. I set it at a moderate intensity and go until it feels

like enough - I get bored, tired, hungry, or satisfied. It has REALLY

changed the way I feel about working out for the better. I've also

made new playlists for my iPod and taken the dog for a walk with no

intended time or distance...just walk until it feels like enough. The

initial impulse to OVERDO to make sure I got in enough exercise ( " it

doesn't FEEL like I've walked for an hour yet so I'll walk more " ) is

slowly fading and I feel that I'm listening and respecting my body in

much the same way that IE does with food. I guess you have to pick

types of exercise that you enjoy for this to work (I actually enjoy

cardio machines). It feels nice not to have a running tab all week of

total time exercised and total calories burned. It also makes me not

as calorie obsessed with food.

Best of luck!

[Guest guest]

I appreciate your point and maybe the word " experiment " was a poor

choice of words. However, as someone who has been at this for over

20 years I can tell you that you are never fully recovered from

compulsive eating and you may know your triggers and know the reasons

behind the overeating but its not going to prevent you from doing so

from time to time. I KNOW I can eat whatever I want whenever I

choose, but I find that its best not to keep certain foods around, so

that when I get an urge to eat for reasons other than hunger, I

cannot give in as easily. Understand that this is a choice I have

made so that I can maintain my 30 pound weight loss. We are all on

our individual journeys and need to do what is best for ourselves.

J.

-- In IntuitiveEating_Support , ML Carver

wrote:

>

> -

> It isn't an experiment. You learn from doing something like this

(with whatever foods you need to do it with) that ALL foods have a

place in your life. No one will ever take it away from you, you can

have it for the rest of your life whenever you are hungry for it.

>

[Guest guest]

I wonder if I should try this with cake. Cake is my problem food -

the object of serious binges past and present. I especially love

the Costco cakes and find that I can eat slices of those cakes to

the point of nausea. I have seriously felt like I was in a drug

state after eating several pieces of the Costco cake - I think the

sugar just knocked me out. Anyway, I have played with the idea of

buying a Costco sheet cake and keeping it in my fridge to have

available as the urge strikes me. But I'm desperately afraid that I

would find myself eating the entire cake in a period of days.

Any advice from those of you have been through this food habituation

step?

Thanks!

> >

> > Patty -

> > I hear you about the Hershey Kisses! Mine was always Peanut M &

> M's. I am also working with an IE therapist (sorry, Gillian;-), and

> one of her exercises for me one week was to go to Sam's Club and

buy

> (I kid you not) 6 - 3# bags of Peanut M & M's, pour one in a bowl,

> leave it on the counter and when it was gone, refill it and go buy

> another 3# bag. This way, I know I can't eat 18# of M & M's at one

go,

> so I only have them when I really want them, then I just have a few

> and I'm satisfied.

>

[Guest guest]

Excellent explanation, and thanks for clarifying your thoughts

regarding your trigger foods. I may have to seriously consider this on

my as well. Thanks for sharing. ehugs, Katcha

>

> I appreciate your point and maybe the word " experiment " was a poor

> choice of words. However, as someone who has been at this for over

> 20 years I can tell you that you are never fully recovered from

> compulsive eating and you may know your triggers and know the reasons

> behind the overeating but its not going to prevent you from doing so

> from time to time. I KNOW I can eat whatever I want whenever I

> choose, but I find that its best not to keep certain foods around, so

> that when I get an urge to eat for reasons other than hunger, I

> cannot give in as easily. Understand that this is a choice I have

> made so that I can maintain my 30 pound weight loss. We are all on

> our individual journeys and need to do what is best for ourselves.

>

> J.

[Guest guest]

Why stop at one sheet cake? Heck, if you have the room in your fridge,

buy two. Or a bunch of different flavors of round cakes, if you like

different ones. In Recovery, I heard the line, " My mind is not my

friend. " Our minds haven't helped us figure out the weight loss thing

thus far, so I know for me, it's time to hand it back to my

instincts--my " Body Wisdom. "

Just ALLOWING yourself to buy it, to " own " it, is powerful...I think

if you got more cake--really let your self physically see " bounty " and

see it every time you opened the fridge and even if that's all your

body told you it wanted each meal, day in and day out, you'd begin an

evolution of feeling differently. You'd " get " that it's there in the

universe for your enjoyment/consumption....that it's not a big deal to

go and buy it. That, at the end of the day, it's just cake--just FOOD.

Just an option for something to eat.

And if the negative voices in your head--the ones that are used to the

control of dieting--(aka " the sh*tty committee " ) start screaming at

you when you decide to eat a hunk for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner,

or at any other time that hunger strikes, just shush them, say " thanks

for your input, but I'm worth the enjoyment of this and besides, it's

just food, and there are worse things in life than eating a piece of

cake " and then settle in and eat it. And enjoy it.

Just take this one step and let it happen. It really is about giving

it over to your body. Geneen Roth uses the example of instructing one

of her students to go buy her problem food--a German Chocolate cake.

Her fear is she'll eat it all in one sitting. And Geneen says, so what

if you do? She gets it, places it in front of her at the table....and

cuts a hunk. And eats it. And is done. And that's that.

Who knows what you'll do? What I do know is, trusting my Body Wisdom

is a beautiful thing.

And in the end, it's just cake.

~Caitlin

>

> I wonder if I should try this with cake. Cake is my problem food -

> the object of serious binges past and present. I especially love

> the Costco cakes and find that I can eat slices of those cakes to

> the point of nausea. I have seriously felt like I was in a drug

> state after eating several pieces of the Costco cake - I think the

> sugar just knocked me out. Anyway, I have played with the idea of

> buying a Costco sheet cake and keeping it in my fridge to have

> available as the urge strikes me. But I'm desperately afraid that I

> would find myself eating the entire cake in a period of days.

>

> Any advice from those of you have been through this food habituation

> step?

>

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

- I agree. I'm sorry if it came off sanctimonious, it certainly wasn't intended that way. I'm very new to this process, so it's quite a victory for me to realize I can keep some things around and not eat them compulsively because, if I want them, they will always be there or easily accessible. I am also learning (mostly from people like you who have been at this a longer time than I ) that there will be some well thought out choices re:honoring my health and body that will be down the road. I know on my journey, it will be important for me to remember how things I used to binge on because of shameful feelings are acceptable, but I do need to weigh (pun not intended) how they will affect my blood sugar levels, how I feel later (sluggish or bloated) and if they contribute to my overall health - since that is a goal I am working toward. I totally understand that everyone has their own journey and will have different

ways of dealing with things as they come up. I guess I was just so excited that something is actually making sense to me that I wanted to share it and clarify it - but upon rereading what I wrote, I can see how someone on a different journey with a different experience might have felt preached to, I apologize. I hope that down the road I will have the wisdom not to hit send before I read it through someone else's eyes. Thanks for the help, peace & blessings, CW

Luggage? GPS? Comic books?

Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search.

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much for the info! I think I have heard of her before, I will

check out her website!

Thanks!

Gillian

Gillian Hood-son, MS, ACSM

Healthier Outcomes

It's not just about losing weight!

Want to eat your favorite foods without

gaining weight?

Get your copy of our fr*e special report, " 6 Simple Steps to

Guilt Free Eating " by visiting

http://www.healthieroutcomes.com

At 05:37 AM 6/22/2007, you wrote:

Gillian, per your requests for

IE therapists, my husband has been

talking with Ellen Shuman at A Weigh Out for several months now, and

has found the experience valuable. She is a life coach working with

food issues. From everything he as told me, she seems to follow the IE

approach (she recommended that he read the Intuitive Eating book). She

does most of her work over the phone, so location isn't an issue. Here

is her website if anyone is interested.

http://www.aweighout.com/

[Guest guest]

Hey Marguerite,

If it were me, I would buy as many Costco cakes as I can, make as many as I can in one day and lay them out on the counter and in the fridge. Eat as many as you wil allow yourself (comfortably). Keep doing it until the sight of so many cakes turn you off and your body begins to crave a different kind of food.

We all eat for different reasons. Every time your decide to eat, either write down what is happening physically in your body and in your mind. Also, record what happens after wards. If writing feels too diety, spend some moments reflecting on what is going on with you.

The only reason I give this advice is because it has worked well with me. I stock my cupboards with so much junk and limit my healthy foods, until I get so sick of junk food. But everyone is different - if it does not work for you - don't do it (although I would give it a shot).

Best of luck,

Emma

Re: New to IE

I wonder if I should try this with cake. Cake is my problem food - the object of serious binges past and present. I especially love the Costco cakes and find that I can eat slices of those cakes to the point of nausea. I have seriously felt like I was in a drug state after eating several pieces of the Costco cake - I think the sugar just knocked me out. Anyway, I have played with the idea of buying a Costco sheet cake and keeping it in my fridge to have available as the urge strikes me. But I'm desperately afraid that I would find myself eating the entire cake in a period of days. Any advice from those of you have been through this food habituation step?Thanks!> >> > Patty

-> > I hear you about the Hershey Kisses! Mine was always Peanut M & > M's. I am also working with an IE therapist (sorry, Gillian;-), and> one of her exercises for me one week was to go to Sam's Club and buy> (I kid you not) 6 - 3# bags of Peanut M & M's, pour one in a bowl,> leave it on the counter and when it was gone, refill it and go buy> another 3# bag. This way, I know I can't eat 18# of M & M's at one go,> so I only have them when I really want them, then I just have a few> and I'm satisfied.>

8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with theYahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.

[Guest guest]

Hey Marguerite,

If it were me, I would buy as many Costco cakes as I can, make as many as I can in one day and lay them out on the counter and in the fridge. Eat as many as you wil allow yourself (comfortably). Keep doing it until the sight of so many cakes turn you off and your body begins to crave a different kind of food.

We all eat for different reasons. Every time your decide to eat, either write down what is happening physically in your body and in your mind. Also, record what happens after wards. If writing feels too diety, spend some moments reflecting on what is going on with you.

The only reason I give this advice is because it has worked well with me. I stock my cupboards with so much junk and limit my healthy foods, until I get so sick of junk food. But everyone is different - if it does not work for you - don't do it (although I would give it a shot).

Best of luck,

Emma

Re: New to IE

I wonder if I should try this with cake. Cake is my problem food - the object of serious binges past and present. I especially love the Costco cakes and find that I can eat slices of those cakes to the point of nausea. I have seriously felt like I was in a drug state after eating several pieces of the Costco cake - I think the sugar just knocked me out. Anyway, I have played with the idea of buying a Costco sheet cake and keeping it in my fridge to have available as the urge strikes me. But I'm desperately afraid that I would find myself eating the entire cake in a period of days. Any advice from those of you have been through this food habituation step?Thanks!> >> > Patty

-> > I hear you about the Hershey Kisses! Mine was always Peanut M & > M's. I am also working with an IE therapist (sorry, Gillian;-), and> one of her exercises for me one week was to go to Sam's Club and buy> (I kid you not) 6 - 3# bags of Peanut M & M's, pour one in a bowl,> leave it on the counter and when it was gone, refill it and go buy> another 3# bag. This way, I know I can't eat 18# of M & M's at one go,> so I only have them when I really want them, then I just have a few> and I'm satisfied.>

8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with theYahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.

[Guest guest]

CW, no problem. It is true that once you legalize all foods, you can

then begin to make CHOICES that support your health and well being

(if that's your ultimate goal). To be honest, I'm not a health nut

and never will be. I know I can eat whatever I want, but I choose to

keep healthier foods in the house and handy so I reach for them

first. But I want to make the point that I do not eliminate foods I

love like bread, I've just switched to healthier versions like whole

grain. If I crave something special (read " high-calorie, " " high-

fat " ), I know I can go get it.

J

-- In IntuitiveEating_Support , ML Carver

wrote:

>

> -

> I agree. I'm sorry if it came off sanctimonious, it certainly

wasn't intended that way. I'm very new to this process, so it's quite

a victory for me to realize I can keep some things around and not eat

them compulsively because, if I want them, they will always be there

or easily accessible. I am also learning (mostly from people like

you who have been at this a longer time than I ) that there will be

some well thought out choices re:honoring my health and body that

will be down the road. I know on my journey, it will be important for

me to remember how things I used to binge on because of shameful

feelings are acceptable, but I do need to weigh (pun not intended)

how they will affect my blood sugar levels, how I feel later

(sluggish or bloated) and if they contribute to my overall health -

since that is a goal I am working toward.

>

> I totally understand that everyone has their own journey and will

have different ways of dealing with things as they come up. I guess

I was just so excited that something is actually making sense to me

that I wanted to share it and clarify it - but upon rereading what I

wrote, I can see how someone on a different journey with a different

experience might have felt preached to, I apologize.

>

> I hope that down the road I will have the wisdom not to hit send

before I read it through someone else's eyes.

> Thanks for the help, peace & blessings,

> CW

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Luggage? GPS? Comic books?

> Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search.

>

[Guest guest]

CW, no problem. It is true that once you legalize all foods, you can

then begin to make CHOICES that support your health and well being

(if that's your ultimate goal). To be honest, I'm not a health nut

and never will be. I know I can eat whatever I want, but I choose to

keep healthier foods in the house and handy so I reach for them

first. But I want to make the point that I do not eliminate foods I

love like bread, I've just switched to healthier versions like whole

grain. If I crave something special (read " high-calorie, " " high-

fat " ), I know I can go get it.

J

-- In IntuitiveEating_Support , ML Carver

wrote:

>

> -

> I agree. I'm sorry if it came off sanctimonious, it certainly

wasn't intended that way. I'm very new to this process, so it's quite

a victory for me to realize I can keep some things around and not eat

them compulsively because, if I want them, they will always be there

or easily accessible. I am also learning (mostly from people like

you who have been at this a longer time than I ) that there will be

some well thought out choices re:honoring my health and body that

will be down the road. I know on my journey, it will be important for

me to remember how things I used to binge on because of shameful

feelings are acceptable, but I do need to weigh (pun not intended)

how they will affect my blood sugar levels, how I feel later

(sluggish or bloated) and if they contribute to my overall health -

since that is a goal I am working toward.

>

> I totally understand that everyone has their own journey and will

have different ways of dealing with things as they come up. I guess

I was just so excited that something is actually making sense to me

that I wanted to share it and clarify it - but upon rereading what I

wrote, I can see how someone on a different journey with a different

experience might have felt preached to, I apologize.

>

> I hope that down the road I will have the wisdom not to hit send

before I read it through someone else's eyes.

> Thanks for the help, peace & blessings,

> CW

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Luggage? GPS? Comic books?

> Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search.

>

[Guest guest]

CW, no problem. It is true that once you legalize all foods, you can

then begin to make CHOICES that support your health and well being

(if that's your ultimate goal). To be honest, I'm not a health nut

and never will be. I know I can eat whatever I want, but I choose to

keep healthier foods in the house and handy so I reach for them

first. But I want to make the point that I do not eliminate foods I

love like bread, I've just switched to healthier versions like whole

grain. If I crave something special (read " high-calorie, " " high-

fat " ), I know I can go get it.

J

-- In IntuitiveEating_Support , ML Carver

wrote:

>

> -

> I agree. I'm sorry if it came off sanctimonious, it certainly

wasn't intended that way. I'm very new to this process, so it's quite

a victory for me to realize I can keep some things around and not eat

them compulsively because, if I want them, they will always be there

or easily accessible. I am also learning (mostly from people like

you who have been at this a longer time than I ) that there will be

some well thought out choices re:honoring my health and body that

will be down the road. I know on my journey, it will be important for

me to remember how things I used to binge on because of shameful

feelings are acceptable, but I do need to weigh (pun not intended)

how they will affect my blood sugar levels, how I feel later

(sluggish or bloated) and if they contribute to my overall health -

since that is a goal I am working toward.

>

> I totally understand that everyone has their own journey and will

have different ways of dealing with things as they come up. I guess

I was just so excited that something is actually making sense to me

that I wanted to share it and clarify it - but upon rereading what I

wrote, I can see how someone on a different journey with a different

experience might have felt preached to, I apologize.

>

> I hope that down the road I will have the wisdom not to hit send

before I read it through someone else's eyes.

> Thanks for the help, peace & blessings,

> CW

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Luggage? GPS? Comic books?

> Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search.

>