Re: Re: Epiphany - Food and Feelings--Psychoactive Foods

[Guest guest]

I do eat a little something in the evening -- because my body gets a bit hungry and tells me to, but it takes a lot less to satisfy my hunger at that time. Also, I cannot sleep very well on a "sloshy" stomach. I don't want to eat past my physical hunger in order not to be hungry in the morning. Hope that makes sense - It was a big discovery for me a couple of years ago to just notice how my body typically tends to experience hunger at different times. I wasn't even aware of that I was so disconnected!

Subject: Re: Epiphany - Food and Feelings--Psychoactive FoodsTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Date: Thursday, August 13, 2009, 10:03 AM

Excellent post Judi!! What a great connection you are making and developing too! I can see no problem with your eating more at the beginning of the day vs. later on. I do wonder if you don't eat (at all?) in the evening which I can imagine would be the reason you are soooo hungry early in the AM too. But somehow I think you already have figured this out. Thanks so much for such a fabulous 'how to' example and kudos to you for sharing this part of your IE journey.ehugs, KatchaIEing since March 2007>> I had an epiphany yesterday. My focus has been on paying attention to how I am feeling and noticing when I am triggered to eat when I'm not hungry.

Yesterday I had figured out this really complex, multi-million dollar problem at work and I was all excited and mapping it out on a timeline for presentation next week. It is a real rush to me when I enjoy a piece of work like that - anyway, I noticed that I immediately wanted to eat chocolate raisins while so busy working on this timeline. I stopped and asked myself "why do I want these?" and I realized that the answer was "to increase my high that I am already having"! Without judgment I saw that as fascinating, and continued to eat my raisins and noticed the great sensations from the taste, and that it boosted my energy (chocolate), etc. Since I ate so many of them, I ended up an hour later with that sick feeling - you guys know that feeling I'm sure!> > Well, my next experiment with myself as my very own laboratory, is to notice when i get those intense cravings and, instead of resisting and setting off really bad things, to try

different types of foods and to really notice the effect it has on my feelings/mood - whether good mood or depressed mood. To truly study when I am triggered and what that food does for me. If I drown it out with judgment and mean talk to myself, I will never fully discover the potential here. For example, it's OK to boost mood as part of self-care - rather, can I achieve the same boost with far less, given the lag time between eating something and the 10-20 minutes later that it registers in our brain? Also to try other things that will boost mood, as well. But if I deprive myself or restrict myself from having foods that my body is telling me to eat at particular times, that sets off bad body thoughts and binging. > > I have also noticed that my hunger is raging when I wake up, and it keeps reappearing relatively quickly all morning, at which points I honor my hunger. However, by about 3pm, I am completely satiated and could care less

about eating for stomach hunger, because I don't have it for the rest of the day, except for something that a small snack will satisfy.> > Thoughts anyone? > > XOXO, Judi>

[Guest guest]

I noticed a very similar eating pattern -- being hungry and eating a lot in the morning, and then tapering off as the day went, often with a snack in the late afternoon but then barely eating after that. it was especially interesting because i suppose i had always WANTED to eat that way, but never had, until i stopped dieting... then it happened naturally.

since i have so busy and stressed and attending to others' needs this summer, i have lost that pattern, and started wolfing down my food, and generally eating unconsciously.. and observed a weight gain along with the change. i know that when i get so focused on the needs of everyone else i don't do well for myself... and so then i inhale food as a (my only) way of self-care. 

now that i finally have some down time i am trying to switch back to my old ways but it is really hard -- i think i may be PMSing on top of everything, which makes me ravenous and also feel the just " inhale " my food, as i said above, and at all hours  -- and i am hoping it will evolve soon. it's hard to be patient. but i am reminding myself that my body and brain did the best it could under trying circumstances, and so there is no point in being mean or punishing to myself! i've been through enough!

still, i am impatient to get back to a more intuitive place. it's hard not to feel frustrated. 

 

Well Judi your connection is wonderful! It can be very insightful to find these and honor them like you have done. I found that I have an 'emotional' connection to eating at about 3PM - it was my after school snack time when I was a kid! But I also discovered that my not eating enough during the day - trying to be HUNGRY for dinner - would find a 'low spot' in the late afternoon times. Happily being retired me and hubby can eat 'dinner' when we want :)

Keep up the great connections and I'm delighted that you are sharing these with us - so inspiring and insightful too!!

ehugs, Katcha

IEing since March 2007

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> I do eat a little something in the evening -- because my body gets a bit hungry and tells me to, but it takes a lot less to satisfy my hunger at that time.  Also, I cannot sleep very well on a " sloshy " stomach.  I don't want to eat past my physical hunger in order not to be hungry in the morning.  Hope that makes sense - It was a big discovery for me a couple of years ago to just notice how my body typically tends to experience hunger at different times.  I wasn't even aware of that I was so disconnected!

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