Blue - Thanks for the words of encouragement.

I am trying to be sure I get my minimum fiber, but everything is done according to IE. It is amazing to me how I respond to food on IE. When on low carb, I got hungry for ice cream. So I bought some when I decided to do CAD. The strange thing is that now that I can have it, I do not want it. The thought of it makes me feel sick. Isn't that weird?

I went to the store today and bought foods I like and most of those are healthy foods. Not because I'm on a diet saying that I have to eat it but because that is what I really want. It just seems that once I you tell me I have to eat it, I rebel, but when I don't "have to" eat it any more I find that is exactly what I want.

I think that I have come to the place where I am just "burned out" on diets, especially after too many years of all the "Diet" thinking. I woke up a few days ago and realized that I'm going to be 66 yrs old next month and I have spent most of the last 46 years on some kind of a diet and I am tired of it. Just can't do it any more.

I'm sorry for venting my feelings here. I know things will get better.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Trish, the reason we get discouraged, I think, is because IE takes longer. But after 2 yr. of being faithful to IE people are always asking me if I have lost weight even though I'm a long way from thin. Just keep swimming, swimming.....

Thank You Carol! I am new at this diet, going to check with some resale stores see if i can find a book. Right now its just eating till your full, making healthy choices and keeping God first right? I can do that!

Thanks carolr. I really believe IE is the only thing I can do right now. Remember the first story in the IE book about the woman named Sandra? She walked into the office and said "I just can't do another diet: you are my last resort."? That is the way I feel. I get the impression so far from what I've read that this is the place we have to come to with IE.

I have dieted for so many years that I have evolved into a "Professional Dieter". I think this is why IE has been so difficult for me to get hold of and hang on to. This time I have to really stick with the IE program and make it mine. It really is the way I ate up until my 20's when I began to take on "other" peoples ideas of what was "their ideas" of what was a "healthy" way to eat. Somehow I have to learn to trust myself and those old ways that were "really" my healthy ways of eating for me. I sure hope I can do it this time.

I was just reading something I got from another IE thread that says our focus should be to achieve and maintain a healthy, comfortable weight not focused on getting thin at any cost. As we learn to look after ourselves and our bodies in the best way we can, our weight and size will evolve to the healthiest level that is possible. I am going to do my best at making this my focus.

Blue, Julie, SnowWolf and IE lurkers :wave:

Y'all have a great weekend.

I thought maybe I would try to share here what I am learning about my IE Journey. I am reading the Tribole and Resch IE book again and will try to put into action in my life. I was reading about Principle #1 Reject The Diet Mentality. According to the book, I have to stop thinking nutrition for now. As a Professional Dieter personality, I spend so much time thinking "nutrition" over the years. I spend a lot of time reading and trying to learn more about nutrition so I can be sure to eat more nutritious foods. I can almost tell why I eat certain foods to keep myself on a good healthy Diet. Example, Blueberries for antioxidants and for eyes, oatmeal for cholestrol, bananas for blood pressure, etc. They ask the question in the book "has it worked?" Well, I'm sure it does some good things for my health, but it has done nothing for weight loss. If anything, I've gained weight over the years. They say nutrition can be respected and honored, but it cannot be the 1st priority when you have dieted all your life. In fact, it must be ignored because it interferes with the process of re-learning how to become an Intuitive Eater. So starting today, I will start working on Principle #1 "Reject the Diet Mentality" and I suspect it will also be a struggle to work to ignore nutrition for now.

I hope by sharing this that it will help others who may be experiencing the same struggles that I am.

This is a great thread!

I feel like crying right now. I so WANT to learn how to listen to my body when I am eating, but I am so bad about ignoring my body.

It's not a matter of not knowing what is the right way to eat - I already know a lot about that. I just don't want to have to count calories for the rest of my life to lose weight.
:(

Welcome Tanna and great insight, Trish.

Welcome to the IE thread Tanna. I understand what you are saying about having to count calories for the rest of your life. It gets old. It gets frustrating. Re-learning to eat intuitively definitely takes time and patience and if you're trying to lose weight on top of that it can get quite frustrating as well, especially when you don't see the scale moving the way you would like it to. But, the bottom line is, I think those of us who are sticking with IE (no matter how many twists and turns or how far we get off the path at times), I think we all realize that there is no better way. We have tried all the diets, more than once. We've given it all we've got but haven't gotten anywhere. We realize that life wasn't meant to be lived with a fork in one hand and a calculator in the other. Years of imposed rules on eating (self-imposed or otherwise) are taking their toll. We're not lazy. We don't lack the will power. We're just sick of all the rules and want to live normal lives. Personally, it has taken me almost 30 years to "learn" everything I have "learned" about dieting and losing weight (like a yo-yo, that is). I don't want it to take another 30 just to lose it, but I realize that that's a lot of UN-learning to do. It's gonna take some time. The best advice I can offer anyone who wants to do IE is to have a realistic view of it. It is definitely NOT a lose-weight-fast approach. That is not to say that one cannot lose weight at a steady rate, but I believe that how much we have to unlearn will definitely determine our rate of success.

Learning to trust our bodies takes lots of time. Just recently I put a restriction on my carbs because I *know* that eating too many carbs causes me to crave more carbs and pack on the pounds. Not only that but I'm at high risk of developing diabetes and thought that it would be a good idea to try to be proactive against it. What I wasn't doing was trusting my body to tell me what it needed. I was relying on a number to prevent me from getting too much of what I *thought* I didn't need. The result? Diet backlash with binging on carbs. I convinced myself that counting my carbs was still IE, I was just controlling one little area of it. Nope. It's not IE. It was still a diet. Yet another diet I could not stick with. BUT it was an important IE lesson learned and more un-learning of the diet thinking that has ruled my life.

IE takes time and patience. Be kind to yourself if you decide to follow IE.

Have a great one everyone! :sunny:

:wave:Hi Carolr and all IErs,

:welcome3:Bootsie and Tanna. Glad to have you here.

Blue I agree 100%. I am learning the same things you are. I had to learn the same thing about the carbs. I was shocked when I started reading IE book again to learn that I was still dieting.

Principle #1 Reject the Diet Mentality

I think this is going to be a real process time for me. I realized when I went to bed last night that I lay in bed and think "diet" thinking about what I should/shouldn't eat tomorrow. Usually the first think I do when I first wake up in the morning is pray before I even get out of bed. I was amazed this morning when I realized that I wasn't praying. This is when I realized that in the mornings before I get out of bed that my mind wanders to what? "Diet" thinking. I lay there thinking of how and what I should/shouldn't eat today. I ended up telling myself last night and today "No, I am not dieting any more. Stop thinking 'diet'". This is going to take some time to get rid of these "diet" thoughts, rules and regulations that it has taken me about 46 yrs to learn. The sad thing is that until sometime in my early 20s I started learning all these rules. Until thenI was naturally an IE person. IE was "normal" for me, but everyone around me was telling me "You have to learn to eat "normal"... to them it was 3 meals a day and for some it was 3 meals and snacks. I had a dietician friend who wrote up a diet for me. It had 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks. I remember telling someone, "I can't eat all that food. I'll weigh a ton". Now here I am at this age 46 yrs later having to learn how to let that Intuitive Eater back out. She was, is and will be the "normal" again.

Poor DH. I told him last night. I am NOT on a diet and I am NOT going to ever diet again. He probably thinks I've lost it.

Y'all have a great day.

Thank You, Trish. I am hiding my scales and start taking my measurements once a month. Those scales are as depressing as the weather man or news any more. I took my leg measurements and lost 1 inch in one week ! I plan on August 2nd to start taking my measurements once a month, life is depressing enough with out making it worse. I been eating, breakfast, one good meal a day and eating light for supper. Exercising more and living on a ranch that is not hard to do.I put on my mile counter and I walk 5 to 8 miles a day.
I built my dog a pen today but still got to find her a dog house she will like. She is kinda having to get used to it for it has more shade trees and she has not got a straight running path. She is a border collie and she is the fastest dog I ever saw! I been trying to get her to gain some weight but she runs all the calories off! I wish I could be that actived! it want be long before she starts running around those trees like a horse barrel races.

Originally Posted by Bootsie:
Thank You Carol! I am new at this diet, going to check with some resale stores see if i can find a book. Right now its just eating till your full, making healthy choices and keeping God first right? I can do that!

Hi Bootsie, welcome! Glad to have you with us!

Thank you Blue Serenity, I have been having trouble being a yo -yo in the past, been First Place for 9 years which I did loose weight but begin to yo-yo and I have been on the atkins diet and lost weight. I have been on lots of others with no results, I feel not weighing in is going to help me and taking my measurements because I would gain 2 to 10 pounds in one day before I was to weigh in, which was water but still it weighed! I find life less stressful not weighing every week and turning it in. Which I need a little less stress in my life.

I have been lurking and researching intuitive eating and body acceptance for a while now, and reading this thread is usually a wonderful little part of my day, but I am noticing some attitudes about listening to your body and intuitive eating here that I also notice in myself, and that I have found are harmful to me.

I think that thinking of intuitive eating as another thing to be "good" or "bad" at is dangerous, and is similar to the mentality we use when we are following a diet plan. There is always something which makes us want to eat a certain type of food.

I also think that having the goal of weight loss as the most important thing, or even an important thing in listening to your body tends to make me feel awful about myself, and put me right back into a binge eating/dieting mentality. If I am measuring my worth by my weight, I am no longer concerned with my spiritual, mental, emotional, or even really my physical well-being.


The only way I can listen to my body is if I realise that my body is very wonderful, just the way it is, and knows what it wants. Just because I gain weight or lose weight or stay the same weight does not mean that my body is addicted to a certain type of food, or I am not listening to my body, or I am doing something wrong. Life is very beautiful, and I have begun to realise that being so focused on my weight has drawn me away from living life for anything but being healthy and losing weight, or obsessing over why I am gaining weight.

Does any of this make sense? Or help? I hope I don't sound like I am preaching, as I am feeling lost most of the time myself...

Dietcokeaddict, thank you for sharing, I am new here, but a-lot what you have said , I can relate too. I been on a-lot of diets and this one is new , still have not got the book, but right now I am concentrating getting my body out of stress, for I think that makes me gain. Anything in a diet that stress's my body at the moment, I will not do. Like have one special day to weigh! As for as I am concerned the scales are one of Satan's tools to use against me. I have been God's work in progress for 9 years and he still is not finished with me. I am hard -headed so stubborn and there are times I don't like me, but he never gives up on me; so why should I give up on myself. I know I been there ,there is another me, I got down to 155 and now I am back up to 199 but I used to be 259! I want to be 155 again but I am going to have to be patient about getting there, it is going to require a-lot of work form me to succeed. Right now it is hard to love myself, but I do have respect for my body, it has carried my soul around for 56 years and I owe to it to be good to it and I will. Does that make sense to anyone?

yes
 

Life is very beautiful, and I have begun to realise that being so focused on my weight has drawn me away from living life for anything but being healthy and losing weight, or obsessing over why I am gaining weight.

Does any of this make sense? Or help? I hope I don't sound like I am preaching, as I am feeling lost most of the time myself...[/QUOTE]

I think this is right on!

Sharing Journey - Long
 

Today as I was reading about Pseudo-Dieting, I realized that unknowingly I did this myself. I fell into the trap of “cutting back on food”, but the strange thing is that I didn’t do it to keep from gaining weight. I did it to stay within my allowance budget. My Daddy gave us girls $5.00 when he got paid which was twice a month. I could eat for $.24 a day. Boy those were the days. Then I could have spending money for gas to run around with friends and purchase records or whatever extras I wanted. In my senior year, all my friends went to the little café across the street from the high school. As I write this, everything starts to make sense that happened that year because I changed the way I ate.

I learned that if I had a coke and a package of chips on Monday - Thursday that on Friday I could have a hamburger with the coke and chips. This became my way of eating. Then once a week after school on my way to pick up my Daddy from work, I would stop at my aunts grocery store and have a cold drink and a piece of pastry. My body rebelled, but no one even the doctors couldn’t figure out what was going on. I became lethargic. I had always been active even in sports and suddenly during P.E., I had no energy to participate. I became anemic and experienced dizziness and had fainting spells. The doctor put me in the hospital and ran tests, but couldn’t find what was going on. I even gained about 5 lbs but didn’t gain any more until I was about 20 or 21 years of age. I always thought the weight gain was because of the lack of all the activity.

Now I realize that I started the yo-yo eating and I wasn’t even on a diet. I was just trying to stay within my budget. But our body doesn't know the why's, it just does what it was create to do. When we work against it, this is the results we get. Unknowingly, I was putting my body in a starvation mode which they didn’t even know about back then. Later, I would get with people who said I that to eat certain ways thus the cycle of “diet thinking” and years of dieting.

What a revelation this is to me. I think this will help me a long way. You know what is amazing to me is that my Pastor in the church where we’ve attended now for almost a year eats pretty much what he wants, but recently he made the statement that he usually eats only 2 meals a day. He said that he has always eat this way and he does not have a weight problem. However, he did say that if he ate any other way that he would have a weight problem. This says to me that if I had continued eating the way I had eaten growing up and not put myself in the “starvation mode”, that I would never have had a weight problem in the first place. This also proves the fact that IE book brings out about diets is true. Diets cannot be the solution because they are what causes the problem.

You know the interesting thing about my Pastor is that his wife is on WW not too much over weight at this time and she is always trying to get him to change the way he eats because she thinks that he eats "unhealthy". He is eating Intuitively and as usual, people who follow the "traditional" thoughts of how we should eat thinks he is nuts and eating so unhealthy.

Hope what I learned helps someone else as well as it has helped me.

Y'all have a great IE day.

Originally Posted by dietcokeaddict:
I have been lurking and researching intuitive eating and body acceptance for a while now, and reading this thread is usually a wonderful little part of my day, but I am noticing some attitudes about listening to your body and intuitive eating here that I also notice in myself, and that I have found are harmful to me.

I think that thinking of intuitive eating as another thing to be "good" or "bad" at is dangerous, and is similar to the mentality we use when we are following a diet plan. There is always something which makes us want to eat a certain type of food.

I also think that having the goal of weight loss as the most important thing, or even an important thing in listening to your body tends to make me feel awful about myself, and put me right back into a binge eating/dieting mentality. If I am measuring my worth by my weight, I am no longer concerned with my spiritual, mental, emotional, or even really my physical well-being.


The only way I can listen to my body is if I realise that my body is very wonderful, just the way it is, and knows what it wants. Just because I gain weight or lose weight or stay the same weight does not mean that my body is addicted to a certain type of food, or I am not listening to my body, or I am doing something wrong. Life is very beautiful, and I have begun to realise that being so focused on my weight has drawn me away from living life for anything but being healthy and losing weight, or obsessing over why I am gaining weight.

Does any of this make sense? Or help? I hope I don't sound like I am preaching, as I am feeling lost most of the time myself...

Thank you for sharing. You are right. I have a post on my mirror in the bathroom that says "My weight is not who I am. It is not a measure of my worth. It is just a number that gives me important information". It was not my idea. I got it out of Dr. Beck's book The Complete Beck Diet for Life. She has her patients say it everyday.

I agree that we need to think of our body as wonderful as it is and that is something I have not come to as yet but hope I will. I too want to stop focusing on the food and the weight loss which is what I hope to accomplish through IE.

Again thanks for sharing. You gave me some good things to think on.

Have a great day.

I told someone today that I believe if I had never dieted, I would never have had a weight problem. I was thin until after my 4th baby when I had to take prednisone for several months. That started the yo yo going.

I am finding that I am intuitively eating healthier than I every have and the wonderful thing is that I am not on a diet. I have not had the same thing for breakfast all week. I got up this morning and looked in the fridge and just went with what seemed appealing. For our main meal DH and I halfed a steak and we had salad with it. Neither of us wanted anything else with it so we didn't. It is so nice to eat only what you want and enjoy it. I do need to slow down and savour each morsel. But that will come in time. Right now I am just enjoying eating what I want when I want and as much as I want. Even then I'm learning I don't have to eat a whole lot of it... just what makes me feel satisfied.

This wonderful.

You know Trish I fixed this great big sirloin steak tonight off of one of our calves and it was delicious, halved with Husband but I ate one forth of it and I was FULL! I could not believe it, I used to could eat mine and his too!

Hi everyone :)

I have some back-reading to do here, but I think this may be the place for me . . . I spent the last year gaining back much of the weight I lost. Many many things went into that but the main thing that has come out of it is that I cant diet any longer. Not even "diets" that say you dont have to "count" but rather just eat "portions". As I type this I am welling with anxiety at not being able to do "it" . . . that next diet perfectly so all I want to do is not do it!

I remember a time last year when I was on holiday for 3 months . . . it was the most perfect stretch of calm I have had in my life around food and body issues. Things were not "perfect" during that time. I did break up with someone, I was out of work and trying to get a new job . . . but the food stuff was not such a struggle.

I ate when I was hungry. I ate whatever spoke to me and I stopped when it was no longer doing it for me. I listened to my body and if something did not sit well with me . . . I didnt eat it again (or at least not daily!). I did not sit and stuff my face and body full of food. I ate freely. Not low carb, not low fat but foods in quantities that kept me happy and healthy.

I want that back.

Originally Posted by Bootsie:
You know Trish I fixed this great big sirloin steak tonight off of one of our calves and it was delicious, halved with Husband but I ate one forth of it and I was FULL! I could not believe it, I used to could eat mine and his too!

Bootsie I remember an article Carolr posted here way back by a man who ate at fast food place in another country. He said that he realized that the foods he bought there were the same as what he got in the same fast food place here in the states except the food in the foreign country was in smaller quantities. What surprised him was that he was just as satisfied with the what he there as he was when he ate it here. Some times when Tony and I go out to eat we will share a meal and I find that I'm just as satisfied with the smaller portion as I would have been if I had eaten a regular portion. I'm not sure why we think we need larger portions.

:welcome3: Danni. Glad to have you here and look forward to getting to know you. I've been there as many of us have and understand where you are coming from. I think IE is the only way to get free of all the craziness I've done in the past. Good luck with your journey.

Thanks Trish!! :)

And I hear you on the US/Canadian portions . . . coffee is larger, McDonald's drinks/fries (this is a good thing when you are on holidays bcos you feel you are getting value for money) . . . Everytime I come home from a few months in the states I look at my "large" coffee here as though I have a kiddy cup! :D

Hi Everyone,

A quick one here. I just finished reading the Steps in Principle #1 and I am going to give up the scales. I understand why I should give them up period, but not sure I can do that yet. So I'm going to try to give them up for a little over a month and not weigh again until the September 1sr.

Now because of my age and the fact that I have gaine weight rather than lose in the last 3 months, I sneaked a peek again at what they had to say about basic nutrition. Although I will be working at not getting back into a "diet mentality", I wanted to know what they say about certain foods. I see that carbs are not my enemy, but done right are helpful. I also see that while nutrition has its place that enjoying the taste and texture of what I eat is extremely important.

I also like one thing I read today. You cannot fail at Intuitive Eating. We are free from the old falling off the wagon so to speak. If we eat something that we consider "bad" food etc, we are never to look at it as "blowing" it since for one thing we are not on a "diet". We are to see how we feel when we eat some of what Elyse Resch calls "play foods" rather than "junk or bad foods". Actually she says she eats 90% healthy and 10% "play" foods. Evaluate how we feel after eating the "play" foods and then decide if how we feel (good, lethargic, headaches, etc) is worth eating it again. I can do this.:)

Have a great IE day

Hi y'all! I had my first 2 mile walk with a friend this morning! It is so nice to be able to walk and talk even if your dripping in sweat. Good old Texas weather, Love it! I think its 104 high today.

I looked for the book while in town, no luck...is the title Intuitive Eater or is it under another title? I think it sounds a-lot like the New 4/health in First Place, except we have to weigh in etc..

Patty girl it is hard giving up those scales! We can do it though it is like weaning ourselves from them, like a calf from a cow, their gonna ball for each other for two or 3 weeks then they are somewhat weaned, in 6 weeks they are weaned! I just thank Jesus those scales can't talk to me! I do like the tape measure for it does not lie, my scales[ have two pair] dance; may say something one time and you get all excited, think I got to see this again! The dumb scales go up 3 or 4 pounds makes you want to take a bat to em!

Originally Posted by dietcokeaddict:
I think that thinking of intuitive eating as another thing to be "good" or "bad" at is dangerous, and is similar to the mentality we use when we are following a diet plan ...... I also think that having the goal of weight loss as the most important thing, or even an important thing in listening to your body tends to make me feel awful about myself, and put me right back into a binge eating/dieting mentality. If I am measuring my worth by my weight, I am no longer concerned with my spiritual, mental, emotional, or even really my physical well-being ....... Does any of this make sense? Or help? I hope I don't sound like I am preaching, as I am feeling lost most of the time myself...

Welcome dietcokeaddict! I agree with you, too! I was just thinking about the whole good/bad mentality thing the other day. It's an area I have struggled with and find that I have a hard time breaking free from that good/bad attitude. I've even mentioned this before, that I always feel like if I'm not doing something that I'm "off" my plan but if I am actively doing something (monitoring my food, counting something, etc.) then I'm "good" and "on" plan. I don't know why I can't just accept that eating normal IS on plan!!! LOL! Sounds like it's time for me to reread my book, too! Oh, and the weight-loss issue. Yeah, guilty there. I so desperately want to lose weight, and don't know how to turn off that motivator either. Like Trish, I wish I had never "budgeted" my food (by trying my first diet).

Originally Posted by Danni:
Hi everyone :) ....... I ate when I was hungry. I ate whatever spoke to me and I stopped when it was no longer doing it for me. I listened to my body and if something did not sit well with me . . . I didnt eat it again (or at least not daily!). I did not sit and stuff my face and body full of food. I ate freely. Not low carb, not low fat but foods in quantities that kept me happy and healthy.

I want that back.

Welcome, Danni, you're in the right place to share this journey and find motivation. I personally wish I could be a better testimonial of IE, but I struggle with it every day. But, coming here regularly helps keep me focused, the ladies here are quite encouraging.

Originally Posted by pattygirl63:
You cannot fail at Intuitive Eating. We are free from the old falling off the wagon so to speak. If we eat something that we consider "bad" food etc, we are never to look at it as "blowing" it since for one thing we are not on a "diet". We are to see how we feel when we eat some of what Elyse Resch calls "play foods" rather than "junk or bad foods". Actually she says she eats 90% healthy and 10% "play" foods. Evaluate how we feel after eating the "play" foods and then decide if how we feel (good, lethargic, headaches, etc) is worth eating it again. I can do this.

Hi Trish, this is exactly where I find myself struggling right now (as I mentioned earlier). I'm having a hard time making the mental shift that I'm not being bad or good. Even when talking to relatives (who diet and/or watch their food intake for whatever reason) the topic always comes up ... "I was so bad today, I ate ________" or "Monday I start over" ... that's not me saying those things, but others do and it only helps to remind me that when I'm not dieting like they are I'm being bad. They're losing weight or keeping health concerns under control and all I can do is be bad and watch that darn scale (that yes, I want to beat with a bat, lol) go up and up. I try to tell myself that I can eat whatever I want and I'm NOT being bad, but STILL feel guilty for doing so. I really need to reread my book! Sorry for venting. Just feeling like I've hit a brick wall lately.

Well, have a great one! :sunny:

Hang in there Blue and others here. This takes time. This summer I am basically not very hungry and might see the scale below 140 but not worrying about it. I have not put the lever ........we have a balance beam scale....... below 150.......you know it goes in increments of 50.........for years. And if it goes below 150 with clothes and after eating that is getting pretty close to 140. But the little rewards like wearing smaller clothes and people commenting on my loss is good enough. I rarely pay attention to the scale. I have also noticed that when I buy something like donuts that I get tired of them before they are gone. I keep them in the freezer and can give them to my DH.

Hi everyone! :wave:

Hi Bootsie, sorry for not answering you in my last post. I was having a moment. lol Here's a link to the book I have: Intuitive Eating You can also click on the link in my signature for more info.

Carol, I'm hanging! But my arms are getting tired!

Have a great one! :sunny:

Hi Trish, this is exactly where I find myself struggling right now (as I mentioned earlier). I'm having a hard time making the mental shift that I'm not being bad or good. Even when talking to relatives (who diet and/or watch their food intake for whatever reason) the topic always comes up ... "I was so bad today, I ate ________" or "Monday I start over" ... that's not me saying those things, but others do and it only helps to remind me that when I'm not dieting like they are I'm being bad. They're losing weight or keeping health concerns under control and all I can do is be bad and watch that darn scale (that yes, I want to beat with a bat, lol) go up and up. I try to tell myself that I can eat whatever I want and I'm NOT being bad, but STILL feel guilty for doing so. I really need to reread my book! Sorry for venting. Just feeling like I've hit a brick wall lately. :sunny:[/QUOTE]

Blue - I do the same thing. I think that is why I have bounced around so much on diets. I wish I had a nickle for every time someone shared with me the "diet" they just knew would work for me. I feel guilty when I don't try it and I have experienced that for years. Now, I choose to do what "I" believe is right for me. I think we have to learn to say, "I'm glad you have found what works for you. I am equally glad that I have found what works for me" smile, walk away or change the subject.

Originally Posted by Bootsie:
Hi y'all! I had my first 2 mile walk with a friend this morning! It is so nice to be able to walk and talk even if your dripping in sweat. Good old Texas weather, Love it! I think its 104 high today.

I looked for the book while in town, no luck...is the title Intuitive Eater or is it under another title? I think it sounds a-lot like the New 4/health in First Place, except we have to weigh in etc..

Bootsie - I live in SC, but I was born and raised in Waco. I've lived in Dallas, League City down between Houston and Galveston, Gatesville besides Waco.

I got my book from Amazon.com It is Intuitive Eating by Rachel Tribole and Elyse Resch.

Originally Posted by Bootsie:
Patty girl it is hard giving up those scales! We can do it though it is like weaning ourselves from them, like a calf from a cow, their gonna ball for each other for two or 3 weeks then they are somewhat weaned, in 6 weeks they are weaned! I just thank Jesus those scales can't talk to me! I do like the tape measure for it does not lie, my scales[ have two pair] dance; may say something one time and you get all excited, think I got to see this again! The dumb scales go up 3 or 4 pounds makes you want to take a bat to em!

Bootsie - I didn't weigh this morning. I gave up the scales today. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. When I saw the section under Step 3 Get Rid of the Dieter's Tools in the book in bold letters The Scales as False God, I think it did it for me. As a Christian, I don't have any intention of allowing a scale become a god to me. Looking at it from that thought, it was easy to stay off the scales this morning. Strange, but it suddenly became an enemy not a friend.

Busy day we hadn't planned on so will be eating out, but I don't think that is going to be a problem any more.The last time we went to Ryan's I walked around trying to decide what jumped out at me and just ended up eating something because I was there and we were eating our main meal.

carolr - I understand about the donuts. I think I am moving into a new attitude about food, because suddenly nothing tastes as good as it did when it was "forbidden" foods when dieting. In fact, I got one of those "getting to know you" type emails recently and one of the questions was... "What is your favorite food?" I didn't have an answer? I could not think of anything that I would consider a favorite food. In fact, I'm having a hard time deciding what to eat because nothing is really appealing except maybe fruit and I think that is because you don't have to cook it and you can grab it and just eat it and be done.:dizzy:

Who would every have thought that I would get to the place that nothing looks good to eat.

Hope everybody has a great day.

Oh, I have a favorite food..... a fresh garden tomato on toast. But a lot of former favorites have faded in significance.

Hey reading the book today and I found out today that I am actually in stage 2. I am glad to learn that I won't be eating the way I eat forever. I suddenly realized today that I really have this problem. I don't know what foods I like and don't like. My choices of food has pretty much been planned for me either by other people... example my Mama when I was growing up, friends when we went out to eat, my aunt when I lived with her and then by what hubbies and children liked to eat. Oh and diets. Now that I'm free to choose for me, I have the problem of figuring out what to eat just because "I" like it. Strange thing is that my DH is going through this thing right now where nothing tastes good to him. Makes it hard to plan meals, but this may be good because right now I have to choose without any outside ideas. But according to the book, this is normal.

Patty - what is the book that you are referring to?

And I totally understand falling back into the "diet" mentality.

I realised the other day that the way I eat is basically South Beachy when I opened some of the cookbooks that I had at home for some new meal ideas. I know I have been eating mindlessly at night (and thefore not intuitively at all . . . ) so I thought I would get some structure around my eating and look into SB.

For me, being intuitive with structure feels really good at the moment. I think when it doesnt feel good is when I will know that I need to adjust something a little. I cant log calories though. Or count carbs. Or limit veggies that I know make me feel like a rockstar. And I wont eat everything on the SB "plan" just bcos someone has said I need to have those servings at those times. But I do like to read about new ideas and different plans as I know I like some loose rules - particularly with my insulin resistance it helps to be educated about what will make me feel better.

Being aware of how I feel and just asking myself "are you hungry" "how did that make you feel" is really helpful.

ps. I love that you are all finding what works for you :)

Hi there! I've been reading your thread for the last day or so and I think this might be the place for me.

Years ago I read the book "Intuitive Eating" and another older book "When Women stop hating their bodies" which is similar. I (of course) and a chronic dieter and am like many of you....wishing I'd never dieted in the first place. I'm 5'9" and would kill for the 140 pounds I was in high school (when I thought I was sooo fat!)

I've had a couple of periods in my life when I was really not thinking about food constantly and (ta-da!) those were the periods in my life when my weight went down steadily. Imagine that?

Right now I'm just trying to focus on honoring my body...listening to it, making healthy choices and not punishing myself. What I find now though is that I've been so out of whack for so long that I don't recognize any of my body's signals. :(

Originally Posted by pattygirl63:
I think we have to learn to say, "I'm glad you have found what works for you. I am equally glad that I have found what works for me" smile, walk away or change the subject.

Agreed!

Originally Posted by flmom23:
Hi there! I've been reading your thread for the last day or so and I think this might be the place for me.

Years ago I read the book "Intuitive Eating" and another older book "When Women stop hating their bodies" which is similar. I (of course) and a chronic dieter and am like many of you....wishing I'd never dieted in the first place. I'm 5'9" and would kill for the 140 pounds I was in high school (when I thought I was sooo fat!)

I've had a couple of periods in my life when I was really not thinking about food constantly and (ta-da!) those were the periods in my life when my weight went down steadily. Imagine that?

Right now I'm just trying to focus on honoring my body...listening to it, making healthy choices and not punishing myself. What I find now though is that I've been so out of whack for so long that I don't recognize any of my body's signals. :(

Welcome flmom23! I hear ya about the high school flash back! Oh how fat I thought I was. Insanity! LOL My thighs were just a little bigger than the rest of the girls I hung out with so I thought I was fat. *sigh* I know what you mean!!! But you sound like you've got a good grip on IE, so you should be well on your way! The more you listen, the more you'll hear the signals, just may take a little time.

I'm digging my book back out T-O-D-A-Y! (Not only that, but I'm gonna read it too! hehehe!)

Have a great weekend everyone! :sunny:

[QUOTE=Danni;2852230]Patty - what is the book that you are referring to?QUOTE]

The book is Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S.,R.D. and Elyse Resch, M.S.,R.D.,F.A.D.A.

Originally Posted by flmom23:
Hi there! I've been reading your thread for the last day or so and I think this might be the place for me.

Years ago I read the book "Intuitive Eating" and another older book "When Women stop hating their bodies" which is similar. I (of course) and a chronic dieter and am like many of you....wishing I'd never dieted in the first place. I'm 5'9" and would kill for the 140 pounds I was in high school (when I thought I was sooo fat!)

I've had a couple of periods in my life when I was really not thinking about food constantly and (ta-da!) those were the periods in my life when my weight went down steadily. Imagine that?

Right now I'm just trying to focus on honoring my body...listening to it, making healthy choices and not punishing myself. What I find now though is that I've been so out of whack for so long that I don't recognize any of my body's signals. :(

flmom:welcome3: to the group. I know exactly what you are saying. What a weird thing to learn that we have done what is right for us in the past and didn't know it? We listened to the wrong people and slipped into the "dieting" cycle and caused us a lot of problem that we now have to unlearn all the wrong things so we can learn to do what was "normal" again. I too am having to learn to recognize my body's signals too.

Have a good day.

Well, today I learned that I love oatmeal with fruit and yogurt. I had it for breakfast not because it is good for me, but just because I like it. I don't like the texture of instant or quick oats which is all I have at the moment. My favorite is old fashioned oats.

I'm having fish sticks for dinner today. Was my favorite growing up so it will be interesting to see if it still is.

I'm also into fruit -- melons, bananas and strawberries to name a few. I am also loving cooked carrots. Interesting. huh No junk in there.:D

carolr, Blue and everyone else - Have a great day!