Hi nelie!

I'm trying to figure this all out because the whole IE approach just makes so much sense on so many levels to me. I think the most crucial skill to develop in order to eat intuitively is to distiguish between actual physical hunger and "head" hunger. My understanding is that this can be achieved by tuning in to your body's physiologic signals, eating slowly and monitoring your body for feelings of fullness and stopping the moment you feel you are no longer hungry (which may be different than the moment you are "full"). And, in my case, exploring why I use food for "emotional" reasons.

I have heard of a few people feeling hungry all the time once they near/reach goal. My personal goal is not to be "thin," it is to a achieve a weight at which I can feel comfortable and maintain without feeling constantly hungry. I can't live like that. I'd rather weigh more and enjoy my life. Plus, if I was always hungry I would be setting myself up for a binge and regaining my weight.

As we all know, everyone has to do what works best for us as individuals. I love that there are so many ways to get to the same place!

Breakingfree,
Thanks for your remarks. We trully have to find what will work for us. I know that the first second I deprive myself the binging will start.
It does take a lot of work distinguishing between the two types of hunger. I like this program in that you don't have to beat yourself up if you eat for the wrong reasons. You get to use it as a learning experience and ask yourself, if this comes up again, how will I approach it differently.
I've got some "snacking" issues that I am still trying to figure out, for example, my parents live 45 minutes from me. After I leave their house I want to stop at a convenience store and get sweets. I finally realized that I am sad that I am leaving them, my mom let us have candy bars for treats when we were little , and that I comforting myself like mom used to do. Now I don't stop like I used to. I have actually stopped, walked into the store, and walked out empty handed also. Today coming home I stopped and actually bought a sugar daddy- a treat we used to eat on long drives. Guess what, I dropped my 10 year old off at my parent's house because he is going with them on vacation to Wyoming. -There's the long drive that was on my mind! I didn't realize the connection until I got home and had already eaten the sugar daddy, but I can honestly say that it didn't make me feel better about my "baby" being gone for the next week. It wasn't a good tool. I won't use it again. You can't unlearn bad habits in a week.
I too have decided that I don't have to get down to my high school weight. I want to be comfortable and happy. I would like to lose weight, but I had to laugh because this morning I decided that I would be happy to lose 4 pounds a month. In the past I wanted 4 pounds a week! I feel very peaceful about taking the long journey toward my natural weight.
Thanks for putting up with my long posts everyone... This is sort of my journaling and my affirmation that I have made a good choice about how to take care of myself. I hope everyone who is interested in taking part will share, share, share. I don't have anyone around me that is using this program, so I don't have any other support.

runnin' momma -

You're giving great examples of how IE can and does work in "real life." You're an inspiration!

Kay, love those long posts. BreakingFree, thanks SOOOOOOOO much for joining us. Do you have a name besides breakingfree? Yes, this way takes some time but I think in the end it will be worth it. The book, Inuitive Eating, by Evelyn Tribole explains things quite well. I still have trouble in the evening part of which I think is due to eating early when I was a kid, say around 5:30. But my hubby is a vet and farmer and we sometimes eat at 10pm. Takes getting uised to but after 37 yr. I still have trouble.

Carol,
I don't know how you can wait for dinner until 10! I'm in bed by then At my house we usually have dinner between 4 and 5. We've been known to eat as early as 3:30 on days when we don't have school! (During the school year my 3 year old is put to bed by 7 and my 10 year old by 8 so we are early to bed. Everyone is up by 5am.)
I haven't finished reading my IE book yet. I have read through chapter 11. I had to put it down for a few days and let the material digest. I'm heading out for a run... will check back in later.

Carol -

Thanks for the warm welcome! My real name is Mary (shorter than "BreakingFree" huh?). I will have to check out some of the other books mentioned on this thread. I'm also reading SuperFoods Rx and like runnin' momma says, it takes awhile for me to digest new or old material I haven't looked at for awhile before trying to put it into practice.

BTW, we eat b/t 7:30 & 8:30 p.m. but I'm pushing for closer to 7:30!

Mary,
I see you are in Houston. I'm in Fort Worth. My inlaws live outside of Houston near Bellville. I was in Houston two weeks ago for a math conference. While it is hot in Fort Worth, we don't have the humidity that makes it so much more miserable there in Houston. My kids stayed with their grandparents for two weeks and spent most of it in the pool. The only way to survive!!
Kay

Kay -

Yup, it's pretty steamy here. At least we're used to and prepared for it, not like the poor folks on the East Coast and Midwest. I went to Bellville for the first time last year (I've been in Houston for 20 years) and loved it. We were there for a festival but I didn't have time to go into the shops on the square. I'm sure we'll go back.

Glad your in-laws had a pool for the kids!

Mary

I had kind of a sad day so far. I went to the dentist and found out I need a crown and a filling. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal but I spent so much last summer on health care (over $10,000... I am uninsured) that I feel like I am wasting our money. I know it can't be helped but it still hurts. The good thing is my mom and daughter went out to eat and I didn't order!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just wasn't hungry. Can you believe that? Carol

Carol -

Any investment in your health is not wasting money. Plus, things would be a lot more expensive (and painful) down the road if you don't take care of this now.

WTG on not eating when you weren't hungry! for you.

Mary

Mary, you should see if you can get some other people on this thread. Know anyone who might be interested? Carol

Hello everyone! I think I "know" a few of you from a different IE group. Thanks to Carol for mentioning this post on that group.

I have been reading about IE for a couple of years now and it's the only long term "eating plan" that I can see myself doing for life.

I am currently working my way through Intuitive Eating on my blog and also am reading Linda Moran's How to Survive Your Diet.

I like the idea of this thread on this forum. I am used to this type of a forum set up. The other groups I belong to I find hard to get very involved in just because of the set up.

Now to go back and read what you all have posted!

Mmmm, well, I've only been at 3FC for a month (not counting the 4 years I lurked ) so I really can't think of anyone. But people will find us if they need us, I hope.............

When I was successful w/ intuitive/mindful eating in the past, this website was helpful to me and I'll be using it again to get back in the correct mindset:

http://www.mindfuleating.org/index.html

I think we can get and use resources for this intuitive approach to eating from a number of different places.

First thing I need to stop doing is eating my breakfast and lunch while reading & posting here !