Another attempt... (long)

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

I'm a newbie, but am VERY excited at the prospect of this whole IE

idea. I was JUST a " newbie " over at the Overeaters Anonymous site

about five months ago - and have been working that program since.

But....it's not working for me. I remember typing about being " VERY

excited " about that program and about the prospect of surrendering

and having a sponsor and on and on and on.

One problem.....yet again, that program didn't work for me. Out of

everything I've ever tried, the OA (although I thoroughly enjoyed the

spirituality aspect and very kind people!) was probably the worst of

all of them for me personally. Between all the reading, writing,

phone calling, checking in with your sponsor and dissecting all your

food problems, the meetings and eliminiating sugar and flour -- it

was just TOO MUCH FOOD FOCUS. I knew very early into the program

that the 12 step wasn't for me. I'm not at all saying it wouldn't

work for other problems (i.e. alcohol etc.) but for me personally, it

was just too much.

So, I just dropped my sponsor finally this week and am really not

planning on returning to any meetings etc.

I did a search online with words like " eat normal and lose weight "

and this whole IE topic popped up. I am excited (guarded of course)

about this whole idea.

I have yet to get my book(s) on IE but am going this weekend to the

bookstore. I'm getting more than enough hints and tips on how to do

this from this message board. So, until I get the books, I think I'm

on the right track. It is SOOOOOOOO very weird to actually WAIT for

the hunger feeling. I cannot express (although I'm sure you all

understand) the huge sense of relief of not banning any foods. If I

feel like it -- I eat it, until I'm full.

My two main questions are (and then I have to go because, funny, my

stomach is actually starting to " growl " and it must be time for

breakfast!!)

1. Have any of you been successful at losing weight and getting

healthy with this IE plan? Although, a lot of the benefit of this

program must be just the freedom I'll feel from no food restrictions

or diet-minded thinking, I REALLY do need to shed about 40 pounds to

get healthy, be active with my kids again, have good health etc. So,

have any of you been successful in losing weight while eating what

you want??

2. How long before (if ever?) did you find yourself choosing a " good-

for-you " food when hunger strikes vs. the junky stuff that you're now

allowed to eat? For the past few days, in the morning (right around

this time of 9:50) is when my first signal of hunger comes. For the

past few days, I've felt like some cookies and milk. So, I eat a few

cookies and a big glass of skim milk and keep checking.... " am I full

yet? " Once I am, I stop. WHEN will " good cravings " start to come?

I'm obviously not doing my body good by eating cookies everytime

hunger strikes. Does it eventually turn around to a healthy balance

of craving " good foods " vs. " bad foods " ?

Thanks for reading this incredibly long post! I do have a strong

feeling that this might finally be the answer.

Sincerely,

[Guest guest]

>Another attempt... (long) >Posted by: "" jennbennc@... jennbennc >Wed May 9, 2007 7:23 am (PST) >Hello all,>I'm a newbie, but am VERY excited at the prospect of this whole IE >idea. I

was JUST a "newbie" over at the Overeaters Anonymous site >about five months ago - and have been working that program since. >But....it's not working for me. I remember typing about being "VERY >excited" about that program and about the prospect of surrendering >and having a sponsor and on and on and on. I found the same thing with OA. And I have a friend who is in at now - she has had amazing success in so many ways with it. She has lost about 80 pounds and it has chnaged her life in many beneficial ways. But I am afraid that the constant emphasis on controlling food (and so many other aspects of her life) will backfire on her someday. Food isn't something that is meant to be "controlled" in that way. It is not a poison you have to deny or restrict. I don't think the AA model works for food at all. I wish all the best for my friend ( and all others in OA) but I worry that

their way is not something that can work in the long term. I think IE can. >My two main questions are (and then I have to go because, funny, my >stomach is actually starting to "growl" and it must be time for >breakfast!!)>1. Have any of you been successful at losing weight and getting >healthy with this IE plan? Although, a lot of the benefit of this >program must be just the freedom I'll feel from no food restrictions >or diet-minded thinking, I REALLY do need to shed about 40 pounds to >get healthy, be active with my kids again, have good health etc. So, >have any of you been successful in losing weight while eating what >you want?? When I started IE about 4 months ago I had just gained about 20 pounds after being at a stable (but not what I would call "ideal") weight for about 2 years. Before that I had lost about 100

pounds from "eating better and working out" i.e. dieting. I gained the 20 pounds from binge eating at the holidays as a response from being so restricted for so long. After really working on IE (and I am still really working on it - I don't feel I really understand it all yet) I have stopped gaining weight and am now starting to slowly lose it. I'm down a few (3-4) pounds from where I was when I started. What is much, much more important to me is that I no longer obsess over food, I rarely binge, and when I do, I understand why (from emotions), I don't beat myself up, and I learn from it. Those are huge, huge gains. Much more important than a few pounds.>2. How long before (if ever?) did you find yourself choosing a "good->for-you" food when hunger strikes vs. the junky stuff that you're now >allowed to eat? For the past few days, in the morning (right around >this time of 9:50) is when my first signal of hunger comes. For the >past

few days, I've felt like some cookies and milk. So, I eat a few >cookies and a big glass of skim milk and keep checking.... "am I full >yet?" Once I am, I stop. WHEN will "good cravings" start to come? >I'm obviously not doing my body good by eating cookies everytime >hunger strikes. Does it eventually turn around to a healthy balance >of craving "good foods" vs. "bad foods"? It is very normal to crave the so-called "bad" foods in the early days of IE. In reality there is no such thing as "good cravings" or "bad cravings". You want what you want. Characterizing cravings as good or bad is a diet mentality that we are all trained in. Don't worry about it. A healthy body will crave what it needs eventually, once the emotional cravings are understood. You need to trust your body to know what it wants. It takes a while (sometimes months) to get over the emotional

cravings for cookies and such. Until you really do, you won't be able to have real (healthy) cravings for anything. Just go with it and be patient. Eventually you will want carrots sometimes and cookies sometimes. That's natural. I find that I want cookies occasionally and veggies occasionally. At first I wanted nothing but ice cream all the time. I had to get over the pent up cravings I had for ice cream before I could have any so-called "healthy" cravings. If I had suppressed those ice cream cravings I would have never gotten anywhere. Now I occasionally want a small scoop of really good ice cream. If I have more I get sick of it. Yuck! Too much ice cream! I don't want more than a little because that's really all that I want/need. If I denied the craving I would eat a ton. But because I honored it, I only eat what I really want, which turns out to be not that much at all. That's how we learn what we really want. Just my two cents. - Janet

[Guest guest]

>Another attempt... (long) >Posted by: "" jennbennc@... jennbennc >Wed May 9, 2007 7:23 am (PST) >Hello all,>I'm a newbie, but am VERY excited at the prospect of this whole IE >idea. I

was JUST a "newbie" over at the Overeaters Anonymous site >about five months ago - and have been working that program since. >But....it's not working for me. I remember typing about being "VERY >excited" about that program and about the prospect of surrendering >and having a sponsor and on and on and on. I found the same thing with OA. And I have a friend who is in at now - she has had amazing success in so many ways with it. She has lost about 80 pounds and it has chnaged her life in many beneficial ways. But I am afraid that the constant emphasis on controlling food (and so many other aspects of her life) will backfire on her someday. Food isn't something that is meant to be "controlled" in that way. It is not a poison you have to deny or restrict. I don't think the AA model works for food at all. I wish all the best for my friend ( and all others in OA) but I worry that

their way is not something that can work in the long term. I think IE can. >My two main questions are (and then I have to go because, funny, my >stomach is actually starting to "growl" and it must be time for >breakfast!!)>1. Have any of you been successful at losing weight and getting >healthy with this IE plan? Although, a lot of the benefit of this >program must be just the freedom I'll feel from no food restrictions >or diet-minded thinking, I REALLY do need to shed about 40 pounds to >get healthy, be active with my kids again, have good health etc. So, >have any of you been successful in losing weight while eating what >you want?? When I started IE about 4 months ago I had just gained about 20 pounds after being at a stable (but not what I would call "ideal") weight for about 2 years. Before that I had lost about 100

pounds from "eating better and working out" i.e. dieting. I gained the 20 pounds from binge eating at the holidays as a response from being so restricted for so long. After really working on IE (and I am still really working on it - I don't feel I really understand it all yet) I have stopped gaining weight and am now starting to slowly lose it. I'm down a few (3-4) pounds from where I was when I started. What is much, much more important to me is that I no longer obsess over food, I rarely binge, and when I do, I understand why (from emotions), I don't beat myself up, and I learn from it. Those are huge, huge gains. Much more important than a few pounds.>2. How long before (if ever?) did you find yourself choosing a "good->for-you" food when hunger strikes vs. the junky stuff that you're now >allowed to eat? For the past few days, in the morning (right around >this time of 9:50) is when my first signal of hunger comes. For the >past

few days, I've felt like some cookies and milk. So, I eat a few >cookies and a big glass of skim milk and keep checking.... "am I full >yet?" Once I am, I stop. WHEN will "good cravings" start to come? >I'm obviously not doing my body good by eating cookies everytime >hunger strikes. Does it eventually turn around to a healthy balance >of craving "good foods" vs. "bad foods"? It is very normal to crave the so-called "bad" foods in the early days of IE. In reality there is no such thing as "good cravings" or "bad cravings". You want what you want. Characterizing cravings as good or bad is a diet mentality that we are all trained in. Don't worry about it. A healthy body will crave what it needs eventually, once the emotional cravings are understood. You need to trust your body to know what it wants. It takes a while (sometimes months) to get over the emotional

cravings for cookies and such. Until you really do, you won't be able to have real (healthy) cravings for anything. Just go with it and be patient. Eventually you will want carrots sometimes and cookies sometimes. That's natural. I find that I want cookies occasionally and veggies occasionally. At first I wanted nothing but ice cream all the time. I had to get over the pent up cravings I had for ice cream before I could have any so-called "healthy" cravings. If I had suppressed those ice cream cravings I would have never gotten anywhere. Now I occasionally want a small scoop of really good ice cream. If I have more I get sick of it. Yuck! Too much ice cream! I don't want more than a little because that's really all that I want/need. If I denied the craving I would eat a ton. But because I honored it, I only eat what I really want, which turns out to be not that much at all. That's how we learn what we really want. Just my two cents. - Janet

[Guest guest]

>Another attempt... (long) >Posted by: "" jennbennc@... jennbennc >Wed May 9, 2007 7:23 am (PST) >Hello all,>I'm a newbie, but am VERY excited at the prospect of this whole IE >idea. I

was JUST a "newbie" over at the Overeaters Anonymous site >about five months ago - and have been working that program since. >But....it's not working for me. I remember typing about being "VERY >excited" about that program and about the prospect of surrendering >and having a sponsor and on and on and on. I found the same thing with OA. And I have a friend who is in at now - she has had amazing success in so many ways with it. She has lost about 80 pounds and it has chnaged her life in many beneficial ways. But I am afraid that the constant emphasis on controlling food (and so many other aspects of her life) will backfire on her someday. Food isn't something that is meant to be "controlled" in that way. It is not a poison you have to deny or restrict. I don't think the AA model works for food at all. I wish all the best for my friend ( and all others in OA) but I worry that

their way is not something that can work in the long term. I think IE can. >My two main questions are (and then I have to go because, funny, my >stomach is actually starting to "growl" and it must be time for >breakfast!!)>1. Have any of you been successful at losing weight and getting >healthy with this IE plan? Although, a lot of the benefit of this >program must be just the freedom I'll feel from no food restrictions >or diet-minded thinking, I REALLY do need to shed about 40 pounds to >get healthy, be active with my kids again, have good health etc. So, >have any of you been successful in losing weight while eating what >you want?? When I started IE about 4 months ago I had just gained about 20 pounds after being at a stable (but not what I would call "ideal") weight for about 2 years. Before that I had lost about 100

pounds from "eating better and working out" i.e. dieting. I gained the 20 pounds from binge eating at the holidays as a response from being so restricted for so long. After really working on IE (and I am still really working on it - I don't feel I really understand it all yet) I have stopped gaining weight and am now starting to slowly lose it. I'm down a few (3-4) pounds from where I was when I started. What is much, much more important to me is that I no longer obsess over food, I rarely binge, and when I do, I understand why (from emotions), I don't beat myself up, and I learn from it. Those are huge, huge gains. Much more important than a few pounds.>2. How long before (if ever?) did you find yourself choosing a "good->for-you" food when hunger strikes vs. the junky stuff that you're now >allowed to eat? For the past few days, in the morning (right around >this time of 9:50) is when my first signal of hunger comes. For the >past

few days, I've felt like some cookies and milk. So, I eat a few >cookies and a big glass of skim milk and keep checking.... "am I full >yet?" Once I am, I stop. WHEN will "good cravings" start to come? >I'm obviously not doing my body good by eating cookies everytime >hunger strikes. Does it eventually turn around to a healthy balance >of craving "good foods" vs. "bad foods"? It is very normal to crave the so-called "bad" foods in the early days of IE. In reality there is no such thing as "good cravings" or "bad cravings". You want what you want. Characterizing cravings as good or bad is a diet mentality that we are all trained in. Don't worry about it. A healthy body will crave what it needs eventually, once the emotional cravings are understood. You need to trust your body to know what it wants. It takes a while (sometimes months) to get over the emotional

cravings for cookies and such. Until you really do, you won't be able to have real (healthy) cravings for anything. Just go with it and be patient. Eventually you will want carrots sometimes and cookies sometimes. That's natural. I find that I want cookies occasionally and veggies occasionally. At first I wanted nothing but ice cream all the time. I had to get over the pent up cravings I had for ice cream before I could have any so-called "healthy" cravings. If I had suppressed those ice cream cravings I would have never gotten anywhere. Now I occasionally want a small scoop of really good ice cream. If I have more I get sick of it. Yuck! Too much ice cream! I don't want more than a little because that's really all that I want/need. If I denied the craving I would eat a ton. But because I honored it, I only eat what I really want, which turns out to be not that much at all. That's how we learn what we really want. Just my two cents. - Janet

[Guest guest]

What INTUITIVE comments these are!!!

I know that for AA the problem was and never will be alcohol. I feel

the same about OA but many people who are still wanting needing to

feel they can still control arent ready to be honest with themselves

about it. The first step says I am powerless over food and if I

havent admitted my powerlessness then I havent worked the program.

Glad that you are here and on your way to loving yourself and your

body. Hopefully, Id love to see OA merge with EDA and become

something with a deeper awareness of a spiritual focus. I think that

Higher Power will bring that to fruition in his time. Maybe we will

be part of carrying the message to those who still suffer??!!

Wouldnt that be cool?

For now, I am just struggling to be WILLING to allow HP to remove my

food obsession (thats what it is for me....whether or not I act upon

it....eating when I am not hungry is really " sedation " for that

anxiety)

One of my good friends told me one time when I felt really crappy

about taking care of myself and taking my focus off my kids. She

said, " When the plane is going down, they ask you to put the Oxygen

mask on yourself first for a reason. If you pass out, then you cant

put it on anyone else on the plane even your child. "

I found alot of acceptance and love for myself and my path. I

understood that I neednt be ashamed or worried for caring for myself

as long as I share my strength, hope and experience with others.

>

> Hello all,

>

> I'm a newbie, but am VERY excited at the prospect of this whole IE

> idea. I was JUST a " newbie " over at the Overeaters Anonymous site

> about five months ago - and have been working that program since.

> But....it's not working for me. I remember typing about

being " VERY

> excited " about that program and about the prospect of surrendering

> and having a sponsor and on and on and on.

>

[Guest guest]

What INTUITIVE comments these are!!!

I know that for AA the problem was and never will be alcohol. I feel

the same about OA but many people who are still wanting needing to

feel they can still control arent ready to be honest with themselves

about it. The first step says I am powerless over food and if I

havent admitted my powerlessness then I havent worked the program.

Glad that you are here and on your way to loving yourself and your

body. Hopefully, Id love to see OA merge with EDA and become

something with a deeper awareness of a spiritual focus. I think that

Higher Power will bring that to fruition in his time. Maybe we will

be part of carrying the message to those who still suffer??!!

Wouldnt that be cool?

For now, I am just struggling to be WILLING to allow HP to remove my

food obsession (thats what it is for me....whether or not I act upon

it....eating when I am not hungry is really " sedation " for that

anxiety)

One of my good friends told me one time when I felt really crappy

about taking care of myself and taking my focus off my kids. She

said, " When the plane is going down, they ask you to put the Oxygen

mask on yourself first for a reason. If you pass out, then you cant

put it on anyone else on the plane even your child. "

I found alot of acceptance and love for myself and my path. I

understood that I neednt be ashamed or worried for caring for myself

as long as I share my strength, hope and experience with others.

>

> Hello all,

>

> I'm a newbie, but am VERY excited at the prospect of this whole IE

> idea. I was JUST a " newbie " over at the Overeaters Anonymous site

> about five months ago - and have been working that program since.

> But....it's not working for me. I remember typing about

being " VERY

> excited " about that program and about the prospect of surrendering

> and having a sponsor and on and on and on.

>

[Guest guest]

What INTUITIVE comments these are!!!

I know that for AA the problem was and never will be alcohol. I feel

the same about OA but many people who are still wanting needing to

feel they can still control arent ready to be honest with themselves

about it. The first step says I am powerless over food and if I

havent admitted my powerlessness then I havent worked the program.

Glad that you are here and on your way to loving yourself and your

body. Hopefully, Id love to see OA merge with EDA and become

something with a deeper awareness of a spiritual focus. I think that

Higher Power will bring that to fruition in his time. Maybe we will

be part of carrying the message to those who still suffer??!!

Wouldnt that be cool?

For now, I am just struggling to be WILLING to allow HP to remove my

food obsession (thats what it is for me....whether or not I act upon

it....eating when I am not hungry is really " sedation " for that

anxiety)

One of my good friends told me one time when I felt really crappy

about taking care of myself and taking my focus off my kids. She

said, " When the plane is going down, they ask you to put the Oxygen

mask on yourself first for a reason. If you pass out, then you cant

put it on anyone else on the plane even your child. "

I found alot of acceptance and love for myself and my path. I

understood that I neednt be ashamed or worried for caring for myself

as long as I share my strength, hope and experience with others.

>

> Hello all,

>

> I'm a newbie, but am VERY excited at the prospect of this whole IE

> idea. I was JUST a " newbie " over at the Overeaters Anonymous site

> about five months ago - and have been working that program since.

> But....it's not working for me. I remember typing about

being " VERY

> excited " about that program and about the prospect of surrendering

> and having a sponsor and on and on and on.

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you both Janet and " vox " (not sure your name?) for your

wonderful posts! They were so helpful to me!!

I totally agree about the OA comment in that food is not meant to be

controlled or eliminated as a whole group (sugar/flour). It WILL

backfire (for me at least). I just kept thinking to myself " how am I

going to live my life without all these forbidden foods " . Their

answer was " what if you were a diabetic? " . Well, as of now, I'm not

a diabetic and I know that. If I WERE a diabetic, maybe my thinking

would be different and I know that in that case, for life or death, I

couldn't have those food choices.

This whole IE plan makes SOOOOOOO much sense to me -- more and more

with each hunger sign I get. It's absolutely amazing to me that this

whole process is something I'd never thought of before. How stupid

that it never occurred to me!! Eat when you're hungry, stop when

you're full. No wonder I'm up 50 pounds. I kept praying and praying

during my days with OA for God to help me find the right path. Then,

I sat down and typed in " lose weight, still eat " on the Google search

and there was the whole IE idea. I really really believe this is

something I can do for the rest of my life. How could I not????

It's so flippin' simple!!

I am just " going with it " as far as my food choices go right now. If

chocolate is what I'm craving, I eat it. For the first time in about

7 meals (tonight's dinner) I craved lots of protein and some bread

instead of sweets. So, I had chicken and beans and a buttered roll.

I ended up leaving parts of all of it on my plate. I'm utterly

amazed. So, I can already see glimpses of my cravings changing.

I've deprived myself of sweets and chocolate and fatty foods for so

long that no wonder I'm craving them. I LOVE the idea of nothing

being " bad foods " . What a concept.

Thank you again for your comments. It's so weird, but I have this

huge weight lifted off of my shoulders as I go to bed tonight. I

don't feel deprived. I don't feel cheated and I feel deep down that

healing is coming my way. I just want so badly to be happy again, to

like myself again, to be a better mom/wife, to be carefree

and " normal " . This might be my answer. I sure hope so.

Hoping for another amazing day tomorrow....

>

> >Another attempt... (long) >Posted by: " " jennbennc@...

jennbennc >Wed May 9, 2007 7:23 am (PST) >Hello all,

>

> >I'm a newbie, but am VERY excited at the prospect of this whole IE

> >idea. I was JUST a " newbie " over at the Overeaters Anonymous site

> >about five months ago - and have been working that program since.

> >But....it's not working for me. I remember typing about

being " VERY

> >excited " about that program and about the prospect of surrendering

> >and having a sponsor and on and on and on.

>

> I found the same thing with OA. And I have a friend who is in at

now - she has had amazing success in so many ways with it. She has

lost about 80 pounds and it has chnaged her life in many beneficial

ways. But I am afraid that the constant emphasis on controlling food

(and so many other aspects of her life) will backfire on her someday.

Food isn't something that is meant to be " controlled " in that way. It

is not a poison you have to deny or restrict. I don't think the AA

model works for food at all. I wish all the best for my friend ( and

all others in OA) but I worry that their way is not something that

can work in the long term. I think IE can.

>

> >My two main questions are (and then I have to go because, funny,

my

> >stomach is actually starting to " growl " and it must be time for

> >breakfast!!)

>

> >1. Have any of you been successful at losing weight and getting

> >healthy with this IE plan? Although, a lot of the benefit of this

> >program must be just the freedom I'll feel from no food

restrictions

> >or diet-minded thinking, I REALLY do need to shed about 40 pounds

to

> >get healthy, be active with my kids again, have good health etc.

So,

> >have any of you been successful in losing weight while eating what

> >you want??

>

> When I started IE about 4 months ago I had just gained about 20

pounds after being at a stable (but not what I would call " ideal " )

weight for about 2 years. Before that I had lost about 100 pounds

from " eating better and working out " i.e. dieting. I gained the 20

pounds from binge eating at the holidays as a response from being so

restricted for so long. After really working on IE (and I am still

really working on it - I don't feel I really understand it all yet) I

have stopped gaining weight and am now starting to slowly lose it.

I'm down a few (3-4) pounds from where I was when I started. What is

much, much more important to me is that I no longer obsess over food,

I rarely binge, and when I do, I understand why (from emotions), I

don't beat myself up, and I learn from it. Those are huge, huge

gains. Much more important than a few pounds.

>

> >2. How long before (if ever?) did you find yourself choosing

a " good-

> >for-you " food when hunger strikes vs. the junky stuff that you're

now

> >allowed to eat? For the past few days, in the morning (right

around

> >this time of 9:50) is when my first signal of hunger comes. For

the

> >past few days, I've felt like some cookies and milk. So, I eat a

few

> >cookies and a big glass of skim milk and keep checking.... " am I

full

> >yet? " Once I am, I stop. WHEN will " good cravings " start to come?

> >I'm obviously not doing my body good by eating cookies everytime

> >hunger strikes. Does it eventually turn around to a healthy

balance

> >of craving " good foods " vs. " bad foods " ?

>

> It is very normal to crave the so-called " bad " foods in the early

days of IE. In reality there is no such thing as " good cravings "

or " bad cravings " . You want what you want. Characterizing cravings as

good or bad is a diet mentality that we are all trained in. Don't

worry about it. A healthy body will crave what it needs eventually,

once the emotional cravings are understood. You need to trust your

body to know what it wants. It takes a while (sometimes months) to

get over the emotional cravings for cookies and such. Until you

really do, you won't be able to have real (healthy) cravings for

anything. Just go with it and be patient. Eventually you will want

carrots sometimes and cookies sometimes. That's natural. I find that

I want cookies occasionally and veggies occasionally. At first I

wanted nothing but ice cream all the time. I had to get over the pent

up cravings I had for ice cream before I could have any so-

called " healthy " cravings. If I had suppressed those ice

> cream cravings I would have never gotten anywhere. Now I

occasionally want a small scoop of really good ice cream. If I have

more I get sick of it. Yuck! Too much ice cream! I don't want more

than a little because that's really all that I want/need. If I denied

the craving I would eat a ton. But because I honored it, I only eat

what I really want, which turns out to be not that much at all.

That's how we learn what we really want. Just my two cents. - Janet

>