Re: Epiphany - Food and Feelings--Psychoactive Foods

[Guest guest]

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, Katcha

IEing 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]

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

>

> 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!

>