Is this the right thread to discuss 'mindful eating' (slowing down, paying attention to your food, stopping before your really full etc.)?
Haven't read anything on 'intuitive eating' but it sounds like it might be similar, or encompass some of the same principles?

Hi Pine. Welcome to 3FatChicks. Yes, Intuitive Eating is basically the same as Mindful Eating. I try to work toward this practice myself, only eating when hungry. It is helping me break some bad habits, like eating because everyone else is eating and finishing everything on my plate.

Hope it helps you, too!

Hi everyone!
It's been quite a while since I stopped by. I have been doing really well in my personal life, however I slowly over the course of about 5 months gained about 10 pounds by eating when I wasn't hungry.

In January, I got a new physically active job that involves teaching physical education to preschoolers for a few hours in the mornings. I had to leave early in the morning and because it is physically active and there is no break time to eat anything between classes, I started eating a good breakfast before leaving in the morning when I WASN'T hungry. Just this act of eating when I wasn't hungry every morning over time, I think dulled my hunger and fullness cues and I started to find myself eating more and more through the day and more and more often. I also started eating emotionally a LOT more than I used to.

The school year is over now, so my job is over until August when school starts again. I imagine that this summer I will go back to my natural weight of usually only eating when I am hungry. This morning, the first day of summer vacation, I didn't eat for about 3 hours after I got up and that is my natural pattern. I just think its crazy how much of a difference that can make for me. Has anyone else experienced anything like that?

It's OK though. Although my weight is a little higher, I am physically very strong and fit because of this job and so that is awesome! Getting paid to exercise. :)

I hope everyone is doing well!

Hello All!
 

Well I just got put on a once a week shot to help with my blood sugar, in addition to the oral meds. Just put me on a new fluid pill and support stockings since my ankles have the mumps by the end of the day. DO NOT like the support stockings!!! This is my first day wearing them. I am still struggling with after supper snacking when not hungry. Really need to get that under control. Anyway thanks for the listening ear.

Question: Why is there a video that appears in my post? I don't see it show up on other people's post. How do I stop it?

Tam Tam, that is an ad that is popping up. It has been showing up in the last post of each thread lately. As far as I know there is no way to stop it. I just ignore it. When someone posts after you it will show up in their post instead of yours, at least that's the way I've seen it working. I don't know if everyone is seeing it.

Pinkhippie, that sounds like a good job you have! Being physically active is much better than sitting at a desk all day. You don't have to go home and figure out what type of exercise you will do.....you've already done it!!

I don't have an suggestions about your breakfast dilemma. That was the way I ate when I worked, also, and I ate a lot more than I do now. A lot of people don't seem to understand how the first meal you eat each day can turn on your appetite and you just want more and more. Instead of satisfying you, it just gets you started. It's been about a month since you posted this, so I'm hoping that by the time the school year starts again you found a solution to this dilemma.

Ok, a little slow at work so I have a few minutes to post. I did ok with my eating yesterday. Not the best, but so much better than it has been. Blood sugar was not too bad this morning, so I am happy about that. I am going to be re-reading the Overfed Head and after my diabetes class Wednesday, try and figure how to marry the two into a feasible, working program. It sure is HOT here, temp. today with the heat index is 105! Stayed in the air condition this morning a did some leg exercises, I know I need to walk, but it is still so hot at 4:15 in the morning. Hope you all have a great afternoon. Customer just pulled up! Blessings.

Wow, this thread has pretty much died. It's good to see the few still here. Tam, Tam I just re read the overfed head a few months ago, its a good book.

So, every now and again I update on my IE journey and I thought I would stop by for an update.

After many many starts and stops and backwards steps toward diet mind thinking, I feel like I am the closest I have ever been to my goal of being comfortable with my body and not obsessing over food. What it took for me was finally realizing that my little food rules were never going to really work, and I was eventually ALWAYS going to rebel no matter how many times I tell myself I won't. So, I decided since I didn't want to do that anymore that I had to be happy with my body exactly as it is right now. A very tall order. But, something shifted subconsciously for me where I realized my worth was not related to my body size or how I look. I had a dream that I had a much larger body than I do in real life and in my dream I was OK with it. I accepted myself exactly as I was. The next night I had a dream that I was in front of hundreds of people in my swimsuit, and I was OK with it and comfortable. Dreams like that have never happened in all my years of existence, so I think that something finally clicked for me.

So, anyway, once that puzzle piece was in place, food became more about for my enjoyment and how I felt than anything. Now, I try not to overeat not because of my body worries, but because then my next meal won't taste as good if I am not hungry when I eat. I have completely shifted my eating since I started listening to my body in this way. I used to never eat breakfast and then I started eating a small breakfast, and now I eat a REALLY big breakfast because if I don't I feel lightheaded and sick before lunchtime. I always had tried to keep my breakfast to a "reasonable" portion if I did eat it, but it wasn't enough for my body. Eating a big breakfast has translated into not feeling so hungry all day so then I don't overeat for lunch and dinner and I don't feel the need to gorge on sweets after dinner. ( I can if I want to, but it doesn't feel physically good) But, I wouldn't have discovered this if I hadn't just truly thrown all my eating rules out the window. And they are so insidious, sometimes I don't even realize I have an eating rule. I am still ferreting them all out.

My clothes all still fit fine,but if they got too small, I am committed to going and out buying bigger clothes, NOT restricting my eating to fit back into them. I still have my active job, but less hours now since I am in school this semester. I have discovered I need lots of food for all my brainpower so I have been eating more protein snacks. It really is as simple and as extremely difficult as listening to your body.

I obviously still have body thoughts that pop up, and I am working every day on accepting myself exactly as I am, but I definitely feel so much better than I did even a few years ago. :) I stopped weighing myself as well, and that has been very freeing.

I hope everyone on their IE journey is doing well!

Awesome post!
 

Nice to see you Tam Tam! That is great that you have been able to greatly decrease your weighing frequency. I think no goals is so helpful too, even though it can be really hard to do.

Its really funny but I am surrounded by calorie counters who are losing weight slowly over time, however they have no issues with eating, disordered eating or guilt. It's hard for me sometimes but I really just can't do it anymore. I was telling my husband who has been calorie counting for 2 years and has lost about 40 pounds how I felt as I slowly and joyfully ate a dish of peanut butter party ice cream. I was telling him how I just couldn't follow the "food rules" anymore, and that I had been controlling what I eat and yelling at myself about it, feeling guilty, being unhappy with my body, and constantly trying to restrict my food intake for over 25 years. I almost started crying as I really felt that statement. I have set myself free from all my food rules and now I just eat when I want to, what I want to and it is pure joy, like being let out of a self imposed prison. I had done that before but never really let go of my guilt and food ideas so it was more like a gorge fest. Eat it all while I still could and feel horribly guilty later. I do still sometimes have to struggle with guilt or "feeling fat" but I remind myself that I am done dieting and trying to change my body shape, that I accept myself just the way I am and if this is how its going to be, then this is how its going to be.

Like for example, when I have an event coming up, seeing people I haven't seen in years, my old thoughts ( and actions) used to be "gotta work out, gotta lose at least 10 pounds." And I would do it! And for the event I would be thinner and more toned than I had been in years. But, it obviously never lasted.
Now I have an event coming up and I think " Well, this is really me and how I am. My friends and people I care about will not judge me for how I look and the people that do, don't matter. My worth is not based on my body size or how I look." And then I go on about my day.

This is a lot of work, but its worth it. Sending good thoughts to all of us who are on this journey. We can do it!

guys i just want to eat all the time! what is wrong with me

Hi ladies. I am so glad to see you posting here and keeping the thread going. I am still following IE to a point in an effort to correct poor eating habits. I now only eat when hungry and pay attention to satiety. In the past I ate anytime someone else was eating, and ate until I was stuffed. I do have to follow some "food rules" due to my diabetes. Certain foods spike my blood sugar and that can be life threatening. I don't count anything, but check my blood sugar several times a day. I wish I could say I don't care about weight loss, but with diabetes and heart disease, this has to be a concern. I believe the whole idea of IF is to change binge eating behavior. I have changed many bad eating habits that led to my weight gain and health issues and am forming new ones that have me feeling much better, physically and emotionally.

I don't worry about what other people think of my weight. I have good grooming and I wear nice clothes. I am happy with the way I look. No one ever comments to me about it, so I don't really know how they feel about it. I'm happy the way I am.

The best to all of you.

Happy New Year!
 

Was wondering how all of you are doing with IE? I am good, not good, good, not good, stop and repeat! I am going to the library to drop off diet books. I had a couple of weeks of weak moments and the lure of Woman's World with their promise of the easy and fast weight loss headlines. Those are now in the trash. Will I ever learn? I am going to re-read the Overfed head.

I haven't been on here in over a year. For some reason I started getting advertising messages from 3 Fat Chicks so I decided to drop in and see who is posting and what is going on.

I did try some intermittent fasting and had some success, but you know how it goes. Up and down.

But on June 24, 2018 my life was turned upside down. Forever.

On that date I lost my beautiful, sweet, loving daughter at the age of 38. She died of complications of viral pneumonia. It was sudden, unexpected, and horrific. The death of a child is like no other; it is so out of the natural order of things.

Now it is the beginning of 2019, and both my husband and I are beginning to come out of the fog. He has gained quite a bit of weight since Sarah's death; I'm about the same I've been for the last several years. I told him that I felt like the best thing for us to do is to simply try and eat healthy; cut out the processed foods and cook everything ourselves from scratch. We shall see how that goes.

Wishing all of you a blessed New Year!

Southern Mavin I am so glad to see you back but broken hearted to hear of the death of your daughter. It is so scary that that can happen in this day and age. May she rest in peace.

I really got into IF during my DH's recent hospital stay. No cooking dinner with him not here. I lost about 12 lbs. I'm holding that loss with him back home but not doing as well with IF and not losing any more. I don't want to go back to longer eating windows.

I hope this thread comes back to life. Its a plan that works well for me and many others.

Hi Tam Tam. Good to see you too. I too fall into the lure of promises of weight loss that don't deliver. I need to stick with what has worked in the past instead of following what worked for someone else. Even if I don't do IF every day I believe it helps a couple days a week. Lets make 2019 our year for success!

I have never read The Overfed Head. I need to get it.

I need to reread TOFH again, myself. I also get tempted to go back to calorie counting. But I'm determined that in 2019 I am NOT dieting, no matter how tempted I may be.


I have low thyroid and thankfully have a new doctor that I hope can help me with this light-headedness (sometimes feel like I could topple over) and lethargic feeling. The tiredness leaves me constantly thinking that if I "eat a little something" I'll feel better. Never happens, but I fall for it every time. I had a blood-work done on Wednesday, and have a follow-up tomorrow afternoon. I hope he'll tell me there is help for how I've been feeling.


My evening and weekend eating are so out of control. I hope if I can get help and simply feel more energetic that I'll have more control with the eating.

Hi Liz! Its amazing how our bodies try to fool us into thinking that all we need is more food...food that caused the problem in the first place. I hope the blood work leads the doc to a solution.

Thank you, Carol. I ate totally out of control again today. I know what to do (or not to do). It's just a matter of doing/not doing it!

I'll update later if I get over this tiredness whether it helps with self-control. That's my prayer.

Thank you again for the reply.

Thank you, Carol. I appreciate your kindness.

Liz, I've been a little out of control lately, too and need to get back to the IE principals...mainly eating only when hungry, and not because others are eating. (DH)

I am so sorry for your loss!
 

Oh my honey I am so so very sorry for your loss. I cannot even imagine your sorrow. Please know of my prayers for you and your family.

Best book on IE
 

In my opinion the Overfed Head is the best book on IE. It is simply written, easy to read, it can be read in one day and makes more sense than any other IE book I have read. It is not longer in print, sadly, but I got a used on one Amazon.

Thank you so much, TamTam. I apologize for the delay in acknowledging your post; have been pretty busy over the last few days and haven't thought to check in here. I do appreciate the prayers; they are what have gotten us all though this nightmare.

My husband and I are doing pretty well on our attempts to stick to whole foods; I am trying to eat only one meal a day but I'm not being super-rigid about that. If I get truly famished before supper I will eat a piece of fruit. So I guess you could say I'm doing both OMAD and intuitive eating. One habit I have managed to break is that evening snacking while watching TV. It's the only time I watch TV and had fallen into the bad trap of snacking.

Hope all are doing well this weekend.

Good for you on breaking the night time snacking habit, and in most cases, that's what it is, not true hunger. I still do it occasionally and am also working on breaking the habit. My problem is mostly eating because others are eating instead of when I am truly hungry. When DH was in the hospital I did no evening snacking at all.

SouthernMaven :

I am so so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts.

I haven' been here in ages. SouthernMaven, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your precious daughter. I remember after my uncle died years ago that my grandmother would always say "No parent should have to out live their children". She had such a difficult getting used to him being gone. My prayers are with you and your family.

I have been gone for quite a while. I kind of strayed from some of my intuitive eating principles and my clothes started getting a bit tighter so I have been working on coming back to the IE principles.

One thing I struggle with and have always been REALLY resistant to is mindful eating. Out of all the IE principles, eating while doing nothing else has been almost agonizing to try to do. Also eating slowly and savoring my meal. However, I realize as technology takes over our world, I want to be a good example for my kids. I don't want them to see mommy wolfing food down mindlessly as she stares at a device. Yikes. If anyone ever watches youtubers " a day in the life" type videos. It always shows them eating their meals either watching something on TV, working on their computers, or watching videos on their phone or computer. It is kind of a jolt of reality for me to see that.

So, I finally have my motivation for mindful eating and I have been working on that.

I realized that a long time ago I somehow conquered eating after dinner. That was so hard for me for many years and it was a real struggle to overcome. Now I don't even think about food after dinner and sometimes desert.

Is anyone still around? We had such a good thing going... 6 years ago. :D

Hello. I was hoping someone would come back to this thread! Welcome back. I struggle with mindful eating too, not eating fast, just eating without thinking about eating, if that makes sense. Hubby and I sit for supper and talk about our day so we eat and talk, and it's hard to keep mindful while catching up on our day, but I do try. Hopefully one day I will be able to do both at the same time. I do struggle with snacks after supper, but I found this "candy" called Meal Enders, It is has a light chocolate covering and then a cinnamon type flavor hard candy underneath, I take one after supper and let it melt slowly and it usually takes care of the sweet craving after supper. Have a blessed day.

TamTam!

I am so happy to see you! Thank you! Yes mindful eating is a challenge for sure! I have been doing pretty good today, eating slowly and eating without reading. I timed my average meal last week and it was Seven minutes! I have been trying to stretch it to 20, but really only been able to get it to 15 minutes. Progress.

I have been going through and reading our old intuitive eating threads. There is so much wisdom from the personal journeys and realizations that we were all going through there. I am so glad to see one of the members from the intuitive eating threads. I will try to post in here more often, maybe it will help others who end up reading our old threads as well.

Glad you are doing well. Meal Enders sounds pretty useful for an after-dinner sweet taste.

At home eating for 20 minutes is attainable, but at work it is not always. I am almost always able to eat more mindfully at work, but not at home. It is all so crazy. But I try and do the best I can under both circumstances. Having boiled crawfish tonight, that takes a while to eat since you have to peel them, but it is harder for portion control per se. Anyway have a blessed day.

True, TamTam. I have the luxury right now of not working. It is pretty hard to have a long leisurely lunch in the middle of the workday. I have never had boiled crawfish before, I have heard they are good.

I am going to start reading my old intuitive eating books again, and refresh myself. Like I mentioned, I have left some of the principles behind.

Do you have a favorite IE book TamTam? I hope you are having a good day!

My favorite IE book is the Overfed Head. It is so simple to read, not a lot of science talk, just plain and simple. Of course putting into practice is a whole different story! Have a blessed day.

TamTam, thanks for the recommendation! I haven't read that in several years, but I know I have the PDF on my kindle. I will go read it again. I do remember that as being good.

Today I had a delicious dinner and was speedily wolfing it down when I remembered about 3/4 of the way through that I am trying to eat slowly. ooops! I have been doing very well with lunch but dinnertime is so distracting. I think maybe I will put a reminder to slow down on my phone since we always have dinner around the same time.

Hope your day went well!

Bruh

I did good this weekend. Hubby and I work every Saturday and then we go eat out for date night at a wonderful little seafood restaurant. I had small salad, fried catfisth and onion rings and a glass of wine, it was so good considering they had been shut down for this crazy virus nightmare. Sundays tend to be bad days for me when in comes to eating. I tend to have high blood sugars on Monday because we tend to snack around most of the day and evening, I snacked but did not over do and my blood sugar was not great, but not as bad as it usually is so that is a plus. We were up at 4:15am and I did one lap around my street, one lap for me is good, will need to build up to more, will try 1 1/2 tomorrow. Have a blessed day.

That is so nice you got to have date night with hubby. I have missed eating out quite a bit. That is great you got a lap in as well. 4:15 is early!!

I am still working on slowing down and eating to satisfaction. I notice if I manage to slow down or do something in the middle of my meal and then come back to it, that I am fuller than I thought I was. Still working on it!

My eating yesterday was nothing to be proud of! Did okay for breakfast and lunch. Did not eat anything all afternoon (was hungry but did not eat) and for a diabetic that is not good! Then last night after supper ate 3 cookies AND an ice cream sandwich, the sad part is I am not crazy about the cookies or the ice cream sandwich, maybe it was because I did not neat enough that I ate it, I have no idea. Anyway I still need LOTS of work We go walk that early because after we shower and then have our morning meeting with Jesus and Coffee and then we have to drive an hour to get to work and there are times that the traffic can be pretty bad also we do try and make morning Mass before we open the shops.. Have a blessed day. I have the overfed head on audio CD, think I will go listen to some of it.

wow you are dedicated to get up so early for all that! That is neat that you walk with your husband too.

Sorry to hear your eating wasn't what you wanted it to be. I have read and noticed for myself that when I am REALLY hungry, what I crave are sweet things or things with lots of fat or both. I think it's a physiological response that our bodies want high-calorie things when they are really hungry to survive. And going for a period of time being super hungry can really activate those cravings.

I didn't know that overfed head was on audio cd, that sounds like a great way to get the information in your head more firmly.

I have been still working on slowing down and I am having a little more success. I am also working on waiting until I am hungry to eat, and stopping at satisfied, not full like I feel the food in my stomach. This is something I have never been able to do before. It's only been a few days but so far so good.

Have a great day today, and remember to take care of yourself by honoring your hunger!