Had a real IE day yesterday. By that I mean I had a cherry coke, the whole thing, in the afternoon, and it tasted so good. I hadn't done that in years! Eating was pretty moderate the rest of the day. Just to think you can have a can of coke and not feel guilty. ha!
Mmm, I love cherry coke. I've been drinking Coke Zero a lot lately, it's my new favorite. SO good. It's basically diet coke but it tastes so much more like regular coke. The first time I had it I kept checking the can to be sure it was diet! But when I go to the movies (which I haven't done in years, to be honest) or when I'm flying (which I'm doing tomorrow!) I do crave the real thing.
Last night I started reading Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink. I really like it! When I was in grad school I remember reading some of his research articles and wishing I could be him. So I really like the way the book is research-based, but I'm so fascinated by the amazing research ideas he came up with and has implemented. (Even though I've seen the experiments demonstrated on lots of TV shows lately). I started reading it last night after I finished another book and figured I would just get through a few pages because I was so tired, but I couldn't put it down! As a result, I'm pretty tired today, but at least it's a Friday.
So I'm definitely enjoying the book, and it won't hurt to reinforce all the IE principles I'm trying to apply, either.
Amy--Congrats on the house! That is fantastic news.
Carol--Isn't it great to have what you want and not feel guilty?
I see we are all interested in gaining more knowledge. I like that. Yesterday I started a food log on my blog. It's important for me to demonstrate that this can be done. I also started logging my exercise there too. I did Jillian from the Biggest Loser's Cardio Kickboxing yesterday and I am hurting today. It's a good hurt thought. I am determined to finish my IE book by Earth day especially since I agreed to go through Bob Harper's Are You Ready Book with TBL group.
Today is Day 25 of being binge free. I only made it through Day 24 last time so I really want to be conscious of what I am putting in my mouth today.
Well I finished another chapter so I want to post my thoughts here. You will probably see a lot of that this weekend because I am tryign to finish the book by Sunday. Tuesday at the latest.
Chapter 10--Principle 6: Discover the Satisfaction Factor
I found this chapter to be very helpful. I have been working on what I truly like to eat. One thing I have figured out is I thought I loved wheat thins but right about now they are tasting like cardboard. So no need to buy them or ever worry about bingeing on them. I've always told myself I will not settle. This book agrees. Settling=bingeing. If I do not eat what I want then I will continue to eat everything and get ridiculous until I actually just eat what I wanted in the first place. Cut out all of the stuff in the middle and I would be just fine. Don't settle also includes if you taste something and its alright not good or something you really want to eat stop. Love this motto: "If you don't love it, don't eat it, and if you love it, savor it". Also like this: "Knowing what you like to eat, and believing that you have the right to enjoy food, are key factors in a lifetime of weight control without dieting". It all about self awareness. I am trying alot of new things and really enjoying it.
I had a half a grapefruit and a cup of broth for breakfast this morning. I've never been much of a breakfast eater and this seems just light enough to get me going. Helps me get something done around here. If I eat too heavy I get tired and dragged down. Lunch might be some protein, fruit and veggies. One of my favorites is tomato soup made with soy milk and tomato juice. I try to remember the things I like as a kid. Seems I still like some of the same things. What do you all like?
Chapter 11–Principle 7: Cope with Your Emotions Without Using Food
This was a tough chapter for me. I knew it would be. I’m an emotional eater. Do I know why? Yes. Do I really want to talk about it? Not really. There’s the problem. At some point I will tell the story here but I am just not ready. I can attribute the emotional eating to 3 specific things. Having just admitted recently to being an compulsive overeater/binger I just think its a bit much to start exploring those feelings just yet. I will have to when I start my Geneen Roth book. When it comes to emotional eating/bingeing I can admit I feel like a failure. Two reasons. I’ve always considered myself an achiever. What ever I set my mind to I do. This is one aspect in my life at which I continue to fail. Also in my field one thing we teach is to use recreation as a coping mechanism. Hello…I’m using food. I’m not practicing what I preach. I’m passionate about what I do so it doesn’t feel good that I’m not towing the line. When attending conferences I want to cower in the corner. Not like I care what others think. Not important. Its what I think about the situation that bothers me. I like the 4 questions the book tells you to ask yourself when dealing with coping with emotional eating:
1. Am I biologically hungry?
2. What am I feeling?
3. What do I need?
4. Would you please?
The first 3 are easy. The 4th is harder. You’re asking someone for assistance. I find it difficult to admit I need help but this is something I am getting better and better at each day.
Hi. I'm about half way through the ie book. I've joined every online diet plan, some of them I didn't even use. I gained 25 pounds taking lithium, but also got mindless about what I was using to satisfy hunger. Tons of junk food, cause it was quick. I am striving to eat real quality food, and stop when satisfied. After finishing the book, I got the author's permission to begin a face to fce support group in my town. I'd like to feel proud of myself for something bessides what I look like in my clothes, and what I way. Oh, well, at least I'm not alone, the vet says she thinks the cat may be bipolar also, when she suggested we put him on prozac, I didn't know whether to laugh, or be appalled. Having a nice, hopefully romatic dinner with my boyfriend tonight. I hope to contribute regularly to the thread.
Amie
jazzmegirl! We look forward to getting to know you. That's a great idea about starting your own support group. I would love to at least have a forum dedicated to IE. I found one but it's based in the UK. There are some other options here in the US but I don't want to join yahoo and I don't like having to enter my e-mail to sign into the page. Did the author give you some specific parameters like you have to work through the book or anything like that?
Sort of a disappointing side effect to IE... I've lost my super love of food. LOL! It's a good thing but still sort of sad to me.
I mean I still realllllllly enjoy a nice creamy plate of fettucini alfredo but I don't obsesses over it. I enjoy good rich food but it doesn't make or break my day anymore. I eat the fettucini and I enjoy every bite of it but I don't stuff myself. I have learned that I hate HATE that stuffed feeling. I stuffed myself a few weeks ago at dinner and regretted every moment of that uncomfortable feeling. It was a nice reminder to myself to not do it. I'm sure i'll over eat again because well, I'm human but before a few weeks ago, I have no idea when the last time I ate until I was uncomfortable. Months. Many months I think.
Cassie, I guess when I am really hungry, I still have an obsession with food. For example, yesterday I was at a conference and the food was very unappealing. So my DD took me out for a hot fudge sundae. That would have been ok except on the way home we stopped to eat again and I had another!!! I was more than a little ashamed of myself.....just so deperate to have something that tasted good. Part of the problem was that we were going to eat the evening meal at a favorite restaraunt and there was a 65 to 75 min wait which we couldn't afford since we had to drive another 2 hr. home. Oh well. Today is a new day. Shay, guess I don't consider myself an emotional eater except I do eat just for something to do sometimes. Usually when I am upset about something my appetite vanishes.
Carol--They did talk about that in the book. The people whose appetities vanish when they are upset. I guess that includes you.
I've been working really hard to finish the book so here are two more chapters.
Chapter 12--Principle 8: Respect your Body
Definitely something important to remember. I need to dress for my body now. I like looking cute and accessorizing with jewelry, shoes, purse. I'm not doing that now. I'm living in sweats and too big clothes. I recently decided I needed to go shopping so it fits right with this. I hate clohes shopping though. It can be quite depressing. I think my natural healthy weight is 150. I really do. That's the smallest I've been as an adult. When I tried to go below that weight is when I dieted back to where I am now. This chapter reiterated not weighing but I've signed up for the new TBL Challenge so I will be weighing weekly for 15 weeks starting next week. I will see how it goes and take it from there.
Chapter 13--Principle 9: Exercise--Feel the Difference
A big obstacle for me. I wax and wane with it. The main reason is because I become an exercise abuser. I get burned out. Separating it from weight loss as suggested in the book is something I need to work on because I see it as a means to an end and that end is weight loss. I can understand the concept of thinking of it as taking care of myself but it is not the way I think now. I need to work on changing my mindset because I know that will help me.
Hi. I'm coming to some paradoxical realizations about IE. I'm hypoglycemic, and also tend to have a bigger apetite, because I'm taking lithium, and inhaled steroids to deal with asthma. My culture and fashion obsessed brain says, I need a diet, common sense says, a diet will just reinforce me feeling lousy about stuff I can't change. The meds cause me to keep more weight on than I normally would, and it's been a real emotional struggle separating my worth from my weight. I'm a size 12 now, instead of the eight I was, prior to lithium, and, it seems stable, so, this may be a fact of life I need to accept. In the q and a section, the author states that if you can't lose weight, the only path to peace is to accept yourself and stop the self blame. I did finally give away those tiny clothes, and am trying not to see myself as a failure for being heavier than I'd like to be.
I eat real food now, and that's been great. I do have to observe certain relatively loose rules, because of the hypoglycemia. If I want cream of wheat for breakfast,my BF makes the best, I have to eat some protein, or, very shortly, I'll feel terrible, and I limit my coffee to one cup a day for the same reason. BF's a gourmet cook, and he pointed out that I eat way too fast, and often don't choose according to what is the very best quality. I'd never thought about it before. Anyway, it's all an evolving journey. Talk to you all tomorrow.
Amie
Thanks, Shay, for the book review. I think I've read that book but it sure is good to go over the main points. I think I'll print them sometime. I've been having a rough time lately. I want to cut back on bread, sweets, etc. but I just fail sometimes. I feel better when I do eat less of those foods........more energy, less aches and pains, etc.
Hi folks!
I'm going to try out IE!
I've had success with WW (Core), but am trying to cut back on my food costs, and it bugs me that some of my fav. cheap things are non-Core (real cheese, tortillas) or limited (brown rice). Of course, I could use points for them, but if I can do IE for free and not have to worry about points, all the better. This way, I won't have the urge to binge when I run low on points!
Anybody here a fan of Beck Diet Solution? I'm starting it tomorrow.
jazzmegirl! We look forward to getting to know you. That's a great idea about starting your own support group. I would love to at least have a forum dedicated to IE. I found one but it's based in the UK. There are some other options here in the US but I don't want to join yahoo and I don't like having to enter my e-mail to sign into the page. Did the author give you some specific parameters like you have to work through the book or anything like that?
LOL! It's a good thing but still sort of sad to me.
