More company coming Fri. Seems all I do lately is change beds....and computer. ha!

chavwright, in case you pass through and see this, I wish you all the best!

I never had an eating disorder. I'd certainly say I had a problem with eating, and still do to a much lesser extent, but not an eating disorder per se. But I do very much see it as a recovery - not from an ED, but from the crazy society we live in!

There are a number of 3FC's who have mentioned their eating disorders, and I find it SO inspiring the ways they've changed. It gives me a lot of hope.

I am very thankful I had no eating or weight issues growing up (other than thinking the SAD was "normal" or even healthy). I think my eating issues came more secondary to emotional / psychological issues as an adult. It was both a coping mechanism for tremendous stress, and also a symptom of the self-regulation I never learned growing up.

Are any of you ladies over on the through thick and thin forum? Sorry....I can't post the link because I'm too new...

It's a nice one....lots of good information.

Ok, my issue for today is this....because of our schedule today, I have a very narrow window to eat dinner. I'm trying to wait to eat meals until I'm hungry...but what if I'm not? Is it better to eat when you're not hungry, or to wait a few hours until I'm really really hungry?

In the book she addresses this. It's just part of life that you make some compromises. One of them being, when you can only eat at a certain time (or else have to wait until you're beyond starving), just go ahead and have a light meal and don't worry about it.

I agree Julie. Today I had to clean my room and rather than stop in the middle I ate before I started cleaning even though I wasn't quite as hungry as usual. I think I've been on the thick or thin forum but I stick to this one ......too many gets me bogged down and I can't remember where I said what. Now that was quite a sentence!

flmom23 - I'm on through thick and thin, but I don't post on it much any more. They have a lot of good information. I took advantage of reading everything that was there for us. So take the time to read it. I also was able to get a lot of information by writing Shannon and asking her about things I had trouble with. I prefer this thread here at 3fc as far as posting and support. I only use through thick and thin for reading.

My issue today is that I have been fighting the "diet" mentality which has been trying to convince me that I need to be on diet. I'm hanging in here, but I have had the continuing thought all day that I should be following some kind of diet plan. I am also getting bored with the thought of what to eat. Nothing sounds really good right now.

Hi everyone! :wave:

Yesterday was pretty strange for me as far as eating goes. I was really down in the dumps and didn't really care what I ate. Interestingly, I found myself eating chicken and a brownie for breakfast, cookies on a whim, cup-o-noodles for lunch, freetos for the heck of it, green beans and smoked sausage for dinner and even ice cream and popcorn for an evening snack. Probably a heavy calorie day, but I didn't care, I felt totally satisfied with what I ate. (I've been known to eat some strange foods for breakfast, but not brownies!) But since I was in one of my "I-don't-care" moods whatever appealed to me was what I grabbed.

Just to analyze a bit ... today I'm looking back over my list thinking "Wow! I ate a lot, I need to get a grip on myself." But on taking a closer look, I never ate past full. Everything (except dinner) I ate because I was feeling hungry. And dinner wasn't very much. But I even went to bed hungry late last night. Normally the food police would have been criticizing me about what I ate and when I ate it (and how much). But because I just didn't care, I did have permission to eat. And imagine this ... I felt satisfied. lol Maybe to really get this total permission to eat thing to work we need to eat like kids again ... literally! I think someone mentioned watching kids eat a few posts back and yes, I have noticed this too, they self-regulate if allowed to. I know I won't want brownies for breakfast everyday, so why not just allow it anytime of day. Why do I have to eat brownies only for a snack (and after I've had my "nutritious" meal)? What if the pick-me-up I needed to get me thru the morning came from that brownie that just sounded so good at the moment? Had I ignored it for the sake of eating a healthier choice ... perhaps I still would have been craving and would have found myself in binge mode? Who knows?

Well, anyways, all of that just to say I think I've learned something from this experience. When I started IE I did an experiment where I went out and bought all my favorite foods to give myself permission to eat them as I so desired. But in that experiment, I don't think I gave myself permission to eat candy for breakfast. I think I still had rules about what should be eaten when. You know, 3 meals a day with snacks as needed. But when I think about it, back when I was in my late teens and early 20s I didn't eat breakfast. I usually would get hungry around lunch time and can remember eating one of my favorite foods at the time ... canned vegetable soup mixed with cooked white rice. lol And I can even remember when I was working one particular job I would run out for lunch (don't remember if I ate breakfast then or not) and I would grab a diet pepsi and a bag of smartfood popcorn. That was lunch. Or there was another time in my life that I would have a diet pepsi and a package of peanutbutter & cheese crackers for lunch. At those times in my life bingeing never happened. Guilt never happened. I just ate what I liked ... and was at my ideal weight. A lot has changed tho over the years.

Well anyways, I ran on again, just reflecting on some things ... this time I'm done!

Have a great one! :sunny:

I'm there today, too, Blue. I have been sitting at the computer eating Back to Nature crackers mindlessly because my back hurts, I'm recovering from a sore throat, my gouty toes are hurting and the air conditioning guy can't get a part. This is the first time we've had central air......that is if we get it before winter. And it is supposed to be in the 90's Sat. Ugh. Actually I'm putting off cleaning. Why do I do this? Oh, and company is coming again Fri. Life goes on, right and we have lived without central air for 40 yr. of married life. Now if I can just get back to hunger. ha!

I am Julie and just love it there but love it here too! Learning a-lot from both, making new friends is the best part!

I finished off my sirloin steak last night. It was 1/2 steak and it just filled me up quick.

A wasp got tasty this morning and got me on my finger and i sure am sleepy but not hungry and have to fix David some dinner, guess I best go. All have a great day and Carol I know what is to live with out air but it is not easy, get your fans going and forget that food drink plenty water before that food makes you sick in this heat, if its as hot as Texas!

Blue Thanks for sharing your experience. A lot of "food for thought" there to chew on. lol I can remember times like that when I was thin as well.

Carolr Hope you get to feeling better and get the AC working soon as well.

I got up this morning and wanted eggs, sausage and toast. I've done low carb for so long that my first thought was "Oh, that bread is fiber not low carb so I can't have that!" (Isn't it interesting that today I start reading Chapter 8 Principle #4 titled "Challenge the Food Police".) I caught myself and said out loud "Oh yes I can have the toast if I want it" and I did.

Mentioned on an IE thread on another website that I was bored with trying to figure out what I wanted to eat. One of the girls on there made an interesting statement. She said that when we stop "dieting" we don't know what to eat because we have no forbidden foods to crave any more. I believe that is so true. I also find that since I'm not on a diet and don't have to write down, plan, and/or count every bite I eat that I have a lot more time on my hands to do other things.

BTW the other site is www.lowcarbfriends.com if you want to check it out. I think IErs have more time for other things so we don't post as much as dieters do so while his is still my favorite IE place, I find the other places have good info too.

Everybody have a nice day.

A little advice from Beyond Chocolate.

We wait for it all year, we long for the sunshine, the blue skies and the warm breeze on our skin. We plan holidays and picnics and seek out the pubs with the best gardens. We get out the t-shirts and the shorts and the sandals. Summer is upon us... rejoice!

Or not?

For many women, summertime can be fraught with unease, anxiety and embarrassment.

Alison has planned an all inclusive holiday but she's terrified she'll put on loads of weight - she just can't trust herself around all the yummy food which is there just waiting to be eaten.

Beth hates having to bare her arms and legs. It's a daily battle having to choose between feeling hot and sweaty or hiding the arm wings and flabby thighs she hates so much.

Cynthia cringes every time she gets invited to a barbeque. She spends most of her time wondering if other people are counting how many sausages she's got on her plate while she beats herself up for being too weak to opt for the salad.

Dawn is dreading the family get together this year. Her sister in law looks so good in a bikini and she always feels fat and frumpy next to her. She wishes she didn't care and had the confidence to wear a bikini but she hates her belly and ends up spending the day hidden under a t-shirt.

Eleanor buys ice cream and tells herself they are for the kids, but ends up standing in front of the freezer eating it out of the tub with a spoon and then she feels sick and guilty when there's none left.

TRY THIS

For picnics, barbeques and all you can eat buffets: Take a good look at the food on offer and tune in. How hungry are you? What type of food do you really fancy? Select what you are going to eat, choose carefully - you can always go back for more if you're still hungry. If possible, find somewhere quiet to sit, with people whose company you enjoy. Eat mindfully, focus on the food and savour each little delicacy! Tune in often and STOP when you're satisfied.

For those summer and holiday treats you just can't resist: Whether it's ice cream, a bag of hot, crunchy chips or those glorious, sticky ribs with BBQ sauce - if you tell yourself you shouldn't be having them and then beat yourself up for having them anyway it's a no win situation. How about having whatever it is as your meal rather than a treat? Wait until you are hungry and have some. The next time you are hungry, have it again. By giving yourself full permission to have these foods when you are hungry for them instead of sneaking them when you're not, you'll soon find they become like any other food. And then you'll be able to make a real choice rather than feeling compelled to eat them.

For the bikini crisis: Or is it shorts? Or tank tops? Do you spend most of the summer sweating in clothes that cover you up while wishing you could feel more comfortable or fashionable or fresh? We imagine that others are scrutinising and judging our bodies - but in reality we are our own worst enemies and this is what holds us back. Pick a day when you pay special attention to the way you talk to yourself about your body. Notice what you say about the bits you don't like, focus on catching those nasty, demeaning comments and tune in to how it feels to beat yourself up this way. Is there any way you can find something kinder to say?

BINGO!!!



.

You know, this makes me wonder ... there's a diner I love to go that's about an hour away, so it's usually a treat for us to eat there. First of all they have awesome meals and a huge menu but secondly, they have a bakery window loaded with the most sinful looking desserts that I am always way too full to try (but would love to). Meals are huge portions, can hardly ever finish a plate, usually get leftovers to go, so I never get to try the desserts that look so very yummy. I just wonder if a trip is in order. I always joke around saying "we ought to just skip dinner and go straight for dessert" ... why not?

Hi Everyone,

I almost caved in to the "diet mentality" yesterday. Even got an old book out to look at the plan again. As I look at the diet plan, I realized that I would not make it through Step 1.

Then I started reading IE Chapter 8 Principle 4 "Challenge the Food Police". I figure I am right on time for this chapter. I decided to stick to my commitment to IE and just trust it. So I am still doing IE.

I am doing the affirmation thing that I learned from the Beck diet book which teaches to make Response cards that you read everyday. So I took my cards and made them to fit IE thinking and started reading them today. I feel like I'm back on top of things again and more encouraged about what I'm doing.

I see there's lots of reading to do here so I'll come back in a bit and read and catch up with y'all.