New Member Introducing Myself

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

My name is Liz. I just joined this group yesterday and wanted to introduce myself.

I joined the group because I have begun to practice intuitive eating -- since about this last June. I work with a dietician which is going well and I'd also like the support of the group. I am hoping that it will be possible to just check-in about how I am doing, ask practical/logistical questions, learn from others experience and receive support.

I would like to feel more confident about this approach to eating and just generally be part of an environment where the truth is spoken about why I overeat and/or eat compulsively and what the solution is to that issue.

That said, the closest I have come to having the support in the past was within Overeaters Anonymous. There I could definitely learn from others experience, face the emotional eating directly, receive support and stay connected to a way of living that was working for me. What did not work though, was my experience of a restrictive approach and the fear of a binge if certain foods were eaten/the perception that one bite was too many and a thousand weren't enough. My experience has been that I haven't binged (certainly not in the quantity I used to) since allowing myself to eat what I want, when I want it within some structured guidelines.

But for some time I've been clear that the structured guidelines are even too much "structure", and that it is less important to me what I eat (type of food and quantity) and more important to me why I am eating when I am eating and also how I am eating (frezied/fearful vs. more calm and centered and trusting).

There is still a part of me that is concerned about weight but for today I am commited to not using weight as a measure for my health because it just makes my mind crazy. As soon as I am thinking about weight I am trying to control quantity and as soon as I am controlling quantity I am overeating and/or obsessive in my mind about food, weight, body shape and size -- mine and others, etc. I am unwilling to continue to live like this, at least without trying to live differently.

I believe the answers lie within intuitive eating. And it has been very empowering just to read the few posts I've seen so far.

I've been struggling some recently with my willingness to stop eating when I am full. One reason for this is that I've been feeling alone in this approach to eating and finding myself questioning the approach and wondering if I should go back to a more "structured" approach, a plan of eating but not a diet. I really want to give myself a chance though.

So, I guess that's a little about me. Looking forward to hearing more about your stories. How did you come to IE? Do you trust it now? Does the fear factor get less/do you feel more secure in it?

Thanks for reading,

Liz Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don’t worry about storage limits. Check it out.