[mountain walker]

Hi everybody
I know that we all have our different reasons for being in the places that we are. For some it is knowledge about exercise and healthy eating or cooking. Other people just need the incentive of a big event to push them in to action. I read with interest the posts about Type 2 Diabetes as I am always bracing myself for that particular diagnosis.

I have enough knowledge and experience of dieting and exercise to start my own weight loss and personal trainer business( sound familiar?)
I have my daughter's wedding in 5 months and ....what.....a 1:2 chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes......but even THIS wasn't enough!

I have spent all my time berating myself in the " what the Heck is it going to take" punitive voice of my Mum who hated me being overweight, instead of identifying the causes of my poor relationship with food.

I (personally) use food as a form of acceptable-to-others self harm.

For me identifying that simple fact has allowed me to see that for me food can be just as harmful as alcohol or nicotine or the pair of scissors I used to jab myself with.

I have only gone a short way along my journey since discovering this about myself. May be it will help others. I hope so. It has taken me many years to get to this point.

Love and hugs chickens
Donna

[TheSatinPumpkin]

Thanks for sharing and best wishes on your WOE.

[Ubee]

Good thread Donna.
So many times I have done this. Now, I try to catch myself and realize that I have been hurt by someone or their actions. Why would I allow them to hurt me more by punishing myself mentally and physically further with overeating? It is like enabling/encouraging/agreeing with their toxic behaviors.
If I am punishing myself for something I stupidly have done I need to ask myself "Isn't enough that I was stupid once? Do I have to be stupid twice?"
Weight loss is a long and sometimes painful journey. It is also VERY FREEING to deal with and for the most part overcome these negative behaviors.
We need to all become our own best friend and treat ourselves as we would others.

[mandalinn82]

I (personally) use food as a form of acceptable-to-others self harm.

Me too.

Then I began to use excessive exercise.

Then I began to use not eating when I was too stressed.

For me, once I stopped using food, I just found something else. Which meant I had to deal with the STUFF, instead of just the consequences of my varied mechanisms for coping with it.

Honestly, I'm still working on it.

[Gingerjv]

Thank you so much for sharing this Donna! i am sure you can help many people ! Good luck to you

[carmenm]

Thanks for sharing this! I know I have a complicated relationship with my weight. I want it gone, but I have such strong attachments, for a number of reasons. Reading the book "Fat is a Feminist Issue" by Susie Orbach was really eye-opening for me. It's an old book, but the book is just as relevant today!
Reading that book and keeping a journal while I did it made a big difference in my journey. Now I'm ready to say good-bye to the pounds, and HELLO! to me!