Welcome Cindy! I'm 62, and I can relate to a lot of what you wrote.

I wish I'd learned about IE years ago, although for 20 years of my adult life (28-48) I was a normal weight and ate intuitively. I'd lost a lot of weight when I had my first child due to being extremely sick and it just never came back until menopause, when I started DIE-TING again. Should have left well enough alone.

Started IE in March of last year but like you said, it's easy to slip in and out of it. So I've started over this year and am going to try very hard to stay focused on the IE principles.

It really is a process, and even though when people first start out they THINK they get it - seems simple enough, huh? - it's quite difficult to let go of familiar ways of eating.

Glad to have you here!

Liliann - I'm sure you caught the posts after this one, but you can download the free pdf of Overfed Head. Just google Overfed Head pdf and it will come right up. You'll have to read it online as you can't print it out, but it is a very easy read!

Just like when people go on a DIE-T, they are rarely perfect - and when they are, it inevitably leads to binging, or at the very least, chucking the diet altogether.

So it is with IE, but unlike a DIE-T, when we eat to satisfy mouth hunger or eat more than we should at a sitting, it's just not a big deal. It IS part of the process of learning how to listen to our bodies. I think the fact that you haven't gained is WONDERFUL...many times people do gain initially. And unfortunately that's what frustrates them and they then often decide IE doesn't work and they start the restrict/binge cycle all over again.

In The Overfed Head Rob Stevens discusses why it is so important to eat and not try to restrict in any way so that our bodies can "reset" themselves. Most people trying IE for the first time have been dieting so long that their bodies aren't used to normal eating. Sometimes gaining weight is a part of that process. I do think when people start losing very quickly then that's an indication of them still restricting, although there may be some cases where it's a normal reaction. Generally speaking, weight loss is almost imperceptible. But it's permanent, provided one continues to eat intuitively.

Maven...Thanks...I downloaded it and read it a few..Everyone has different views on this. I grown into this and acting on it. It works for me..There is one fitness guru who used to be Oprah's trainer, I forgot his name, but his book called Best Life, his method is based on IE.

Overcoming Overeating is my IE bible!! and knowing that diets do not work and used to read plenty of Geenen Roth books as well that helped me.

Now am doing great and am eating healthy, most of the time and staying active! :)

Hi Guys,

I haven't been saying anything because I had to work at getting my blood sugar under control. I decided to start doing Weight Watcher's Point Plus just to get my portions under control. I haven't lost any weight and I really think I could do Simply Filling WW plan better, but I'm not ready to do that yet. I have got to get it into my head that portions are important so I don't overeat. Example the new Smart Start plan says you don't have to count points... you just eat more of the foods they have on a Power Foods list and eat as much as you need to be satisfied. It would fit perfectly into the Intuitive Eating principles. I have absolutely no problem with the any of the foods on that list. In fact, most of the foods that I like are on that list, but I know from my years of doing IE that if you let me have whole wheat/grain pasta and tell me I can eat as much as I need to satisfy me that I could sit and eat a whole big bowl of it because taste more than hunger comes into play with that food.

I have not lost weight, but my blood sugar reading is coming down. I know weight loss isn't supposed to be what it is all about, but I really want to get some of this weight off because that will help keep the blood sugar under control. So today I decided that I will continue to use my IE principles of eating in my WW plan. If I'm hungry, I will eat what I want and count the points it is worth, but I'm not going to get hung up on eating all my points. I exercise a lot to earn extra points so I don't think I need to worry about the days I go over the points because I will be able to use those points if I run out of my weekly points. I do not want to get back into the habit of eating just to use points that someone else has decided that they thing I need to eat, but I do want to use some of their tools to get my eating under control.

Most of us Americans do not know what a normal portion of food is. We have been conditioned to think that "huge" amounts of food is a normal portion. I recently learned that I can make myself a breakfast of 1 egg, 1 sl of bacon or whatever meat and 1 slice of toast with my coffee and be just as satisfied as if I had eaten double that. I can eat what I want, eat less and be just as satisfied as if I ate more. Another example, I make my oatmeal when I have it. I know a serving is 1/2 c uncooked, but that is too much for me so I make 1/4 of a cup. I don't use a whole serving of the yogurt I put in it or a whole cup of fruit. I have decided it is my way of eating and I don't have to eat a whole serving of food just because it is listed.

I really believe that if I can learn how to eat healthy and eat sensibly by using the Points system then I can eventually move to the Simply Filling plan and slide back into strictly IE without counting anything. It is just learning how to do the so that the exercising and healthy eating become a habit so that it becomes something I do so well that it becomes second nature to me so that I will automatically eat this way without even thinking about it.

I've been doing this for about a month... started right after Christmas because I wanted to lose the weight I gained during the holidays. I lost the water weight and then gained back and have now weighed the same for 3 weeks with only a 4.5 weight loss for the month. So nothing is happening weight wise for now, but evidently there are healthy things going on since the blood sugar has come down considerably although not normal yet.

I haven't been here in a while because I technically I am on a diet although I am basically doing it Intuitively. I've decided that IE is a constant learning experience. I've learned there are some foods that some people even diabetics can eat that I can and vice versa. So this is my journey of making IE my way of eating. So if it is okay, I would love to continue to be a part of this group.

Hey guys has anybody read The Thin Woman's Brain by Dilia Suriel? I was able to "borrow" it with my Amazon Prime on my Kindle but it spends most of the book focused on how to deal with non physical hunger response which in the end is my long term issue. When I'm relaxing without stress it's easy to eat intuitively and I love to cook and pretty tables and inviting meals are my cup of tea so that part is easy. Anyway still reading and feel like this will take a 2nd read later but it's interesting and and addresses my big gaps.

Btw I made a wonderful coconut chicken soup today it was exactly what I wanted and boy was it satisfying. I just love that feeling.

I never heard of soup made with coconut. Do you have a recipe or did you make it up yourself? I love foods cooked with coconut and the coconut is so good for you that I'd love to know how to use it in a soup. Thanks.

Maven for what it's worth I read IE so long ago but still don't have it figured out!

Patty, here's a link for a recipe but do a search and you will find dozens of versions online.

I used to actually have a pot of lemon grass growing for Thai cooking I like it a lot, but this time I just left it out. I used a can of chicken broth, most of a can of light coconut milk (the light works fine tastes excellent I had used 1/3 cup for another recipe dumped in what was left), juice from a small key lime, a T of Thai fish sauce ( sounds gross but don't leave it out you can buy it at any grocery store), tsp or to taste soy sauce, a small 3.5 ounce package of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced, small piece of diced jalapeño however much you want but the heat is good, dash of Thai chili oil(which you could leave out), and you just dice up a chicken breast and toss it in let it cook with the soup, green onions diced on top at the end and I had a little fresh parsley. I added it up for the heck of it and it's less than 200 calories a serving I got 3 servings out of this recipe, and ok don't worry about the calories but the point is it is delicious and not a bit heavy.

Let me try that again I guess you can't put in links...is it ok to stick a recipe in this thread? If not I won't do it again!!

yield:
Serves 6
ingredients
2 14-ounce cans light unsweetened coconut milk*
3 cups canned chicken broth
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
6 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass*
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)*
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 serrano chili, sliced into rounds
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce*
8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

*Available at Asian markets and many supermarkets across the country.
preparation
Combine first 8 ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add chicken; simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Mix in green onions, basil and lime juice..

CindySunshine Thanks for the recipes. I will definitely be trying these. I love soups and homemade are the best.

Hi folks.... I am interested in Intuitive Eating. I've been trying to feel hunger. I think the hunger thing is 'broken' - but, I am working on it. I've started to eat and follow each bite down to my tummy. I think it will help me feeling food down there and fullness, too.

Reading the past threads have been helpful. It's really hard to get the to think that I can really eat what I want. I do know... I can get carried away easily on certain foods. I will have to be careful.

I have the books Intuitive Eating, Overfed Head, 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food and I Can Make You Thin. I haven't read them all. Bits and pieces from them.

I thought about EI once before... but, couldn't wrap my head around it../ especially when I am stressed. I think I am ready to try again.

Welcome and so glad you are here Beverlyjoy. I sure think when you are so done with DIE-Ts this is the place to be. One day at a time and a lot of introspection is a good place to start.

I have a couple positive experiences to report. First off I am making a conscious effort to eat slower and savor the bites, the idea of taking a breath between bites is useful to me and certainly extended my soup lunch to double the time and pleasure it would have normally been.

And then driving back from my sister's house I was on this stretch of road with few dining options. It was almost noon and I'd had just fruit and coffee before I left was about 2 hours from home and thought I'd wait to eat til I arrived but darn it I was hungry and McDonalds was honestly the only option. I am not a fast food person at all either, but I did the drive through and ordered a small hamburger and decided I would make it last I mean I had over an hour to go and I just had a bite at a time and you know it was remarkably satisfying. The coffee drink I ordered without syrups I know had some kind of sweetening in it and I just quit drinking the darn thing and threw it out I don't like sweet in hot coffee at all. Anyway it felt sort of liberating and very intuitive. :)

Hi everyone,
Like Beverlyjoy, I'm new to the idea of IE. I've actually never heard of it until here and I'm very interested in seeing if it will work for me. I took the advice of some posters above and got Overfed Head on PDF and I'll check that out!
But what, really, is IE? Can someone explain it like I'm five?

Welcome back, Trish! So glad to see you posting again.

You definitely have to take care of health issues. I think IE can work along with any type of dietary restriction you may have due to health concerns.

Welcome, Beverlyjoy and Thousandsunny.

Thousandsunny, read over the Overfed Head and I think it will give you a great explanation of what Intuitive Eating is (and what it isn't). In a nutshell, with IE you:

Eat ONLY when you're hungry
Stop when satisfied
Eat what you want, not what you think you should eat
Savor your food & eat without distraction

Cindy, your McDonald's experience was perfect! Just exactly what IE is all about. I always keep in mind, if I am truly hungry, just about anything will satisfy my hunger. And when you're really hungry, EVERYTHING tastes better!

Great Video
 

Here's a really wonderful video I wanted to share:

http://youtu.be/JQ4lcd7IQe4