Welcome back, Trish! It's good to have you "home!"

Welcome Daimere!

There are several books out there that point to intuitive eating. The one I have is "Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.

Others may be able to give you some more suggestions, but I think that is the "main" one.

PS, the link in my signature will take you to the IE web site if you want more info.

So how's this for ironic?

I was thinking midday yesterday how interesting it was to me that I really didn't seem to want much food. I've been eating what I want and then stopping, but I always stop before I think I "should", before everything I've learned has taught me. It's always before I've eaten the "4 ounces of protein, 2-3 servings of vegetables, 1-2 servings of whole grains". Yesterday for breakfast I had 2 homemade macaroons and a latte made with soy milk. And I was good til lunch! For lunch I had half of a tempura roll from a sushi place and two mini eggrolls, and I was really very content.

Then I got busy in the afternoon, cleaning, packing, sorting boxes, shifting things around in the storage closet, laundry...you know, house stuff. I had another couple of macaroons at some point, but no real FOOD. Then my husband took me on a date for dinner, and we ended up at On The Border...

I killed the chip basket, may it RIP. I ordered a plate with 3 enchiladas and rice&beans, ate one of the enchiladas and the rice. Had a margarita. Had a sopapilla for dessert which actually, wasn't very thrilling. Too sweet!! I wonder if our bodies tell us "too sweet!!" to protect us from the potential for diabetes etc? Interesting thought. I never get the "too sweet!!" message with fruit, only with foods that have had sugar added. But anyway.

(Oh, and yes I did have to deal with feelings of guilt and "should I be eating this?" for having chips and a margarita. I've been very gentle with myself, reminding myself that I didn't stuff myself and my body was comfortable. But I even hesitated to come here and tell you guys, which is when I decided I had to! )

So I came home and tucked into bed and slept well. I wasn't too full, I wasn't hungry still, I didn't have jittery legs, I was just right. I guess my level of activity in the afternoon meant my body needed more food at its next meal. Huh. Amazing what you hear when you listen--your body (my body, at least!) really does try to self-regulate!

I just spent time writing a long message and lost it. I don't have time to redo all of it so will do a quick one.

Thank you carolr and Blue for the welcome back. I am glad to be here.

I'm not going to comment on everyone, but I would like to tell off you especially the Newbie's that I really enjoyed reading your messages.

sidhe - It is great that you learned that you probably were hungrier for a little more because of your housework. I don't think you had any reason to feel guilty. Guilt is just another one of those emotions that we have to deal with because of all those years we felt guilty when we thought we were bad or did something wrong. It's not an issue with IE thank God.

I have decided that one of the problems I had before with IE and diets is that it takes a long time (sometimes) for me to experience hunger. I was told that you shouldn't go more than 5 hours or 6 at the most between eating something. I've decided that I will follow the basic rules of Eat when you are hungry. I don't want to get into using the clock to eat any more. Didn't do it all the years when I was thin and I don't think I need to do it now. I think there are days you want more than others and that in the long run it will balance out. I've noticed that people that I know who are thin don't get upset if they don't eat every three, four or even six hours. Tony's daughter is thin. She doesn't eat by the clock. She only eats if and when she is hungry. Eats what she wants and as much as satisfies her and then she is through. Ahhhhhh, sounds like IE, doesn't it?

Everybody have a great week end.

Daimere, Welcome I too have the same book that Blue has. It is a good guide and has enough info that I didn't feel that I needed any others.

Trish--I completely understand about being impatient to get hungry. Right now I'm looking at the clock and thinking, "wait, I'm not hungry yet??" I had high tea at noon, and it's now five and a half hours later. And I'm not hungry yet! I'm going to let this sit and try to figure out why I'm so up-in-arms about not being hungry yet. Am I thinking my brain knows better than my body? Am I listening to diet thinking? Do I just really want to eat again? Hmmmmm. This requires a bit more thought.

Well, I don't have any more thoughts about the whole "time to get hungry" thing, but that's because I've been completely distracted from it! I got the book from the library yesterday, and I'm reading it through once (with plans to read it slowly and write as I go, next time through). I'm only on page 78, but already I've written pages in my notebook about things I have realized.

The thing that struck me most was reading the overview of the principles, and specifically principle 8: respect your body ("accept your genetic blueprint"). I can't describe how powerful that thought was to me. I had a mental cascade of ideas, all the ways in which I've been trying to deny my body, who and what I am and how I function. It was so incredibly powerful to me to have someone (even some faceless book author who doesn't know me from a hill of beans) "tell" me that whatever my body is IS OKAY.

I have tried so many times to force my body to follow this diet plan, or respond that way to different foods, or eat after this many hours, or be content with that much food. All following the direction of someone else, someone who does not live in my body and has no idea how it feels--only has theories and generalizations on how it should work. I have completely given over care and feeding of myself to whomever had an opinion. And I was willing to accept that they were right, and I was wrong, that I didn't know my body as well as they did!

I was also willing to accept that they were right in trying to change my body in the first place. I was part of their verdict that my body was not okay and needed to change, to get smaller, to get thinner, to get lighter. To get more attractive. I was an accomplice in that decision. This boggles my mind.

Yes, I do want to be thinner. I want to be thinner, though, because it would be easier to move. It would be easier to ride my bike. I wouldn't be embarassed to climb my friend's steep back stairs while helping her carry groceries in. It would be easier to be active throughout the day. I would feel sexier because my hormones would be more in balance. Those are the reasons I want to be thinner, not because I want to fulfill other people's concepts of what my body should be.

MY BODY IS MINE, AND I AM IN CHARGE OF IT. Wow, that was so empowering to type!

I am so excited to see what happens. I am so excited to see what I become. If THIS body is the result of trying desperately to follow other people's rules, I can't wait to see what it will become when I follow my own. I know I will essentially be the same--still 5'9, still large graceful hands, still have big feet. But other than that, how will I change when I follow my own body's edicts? And how will I feel, emotionally, when I really am who I am, and not trying to force myself to be what other people think I should be?

Wow, guys. A light just got turned on. This is so incredibly powerful.

I love it when that happens! Go Sidhe!

Hello, again! Thanks to all who replied. My family and I were out of town for the weekend. It was very nice having someone else cook for me.
Anyway, I guess I will give IE another go. What else can I do? I don't want to "diet" and maybe I can make this work for me this time. My biggest problem was guilt. I would feel guilty for not eating everything I had on my plate, especially if someone else made it. Does anyone else have problems with that?

Nope. I am not a garbage can, and I'm not willing be fat or sick because someone else has issues. It's kinda blunt, but it's the bottom line.

Hi theCandEs - I used to feel that way too and have to admit that I still do sometime. The way I broke it was a little trick I read about somewhere. I would intentionally leaveve just "one" bite of food on my plate. I had to learn to do this because when I was a skinny teenager, I didn't eat much so Mama would have me eat the leftovers that we're too little to keep, but too much to throw away. When I had kids, I had tendency to keep doing it. I realize now that those habits, triggered cravings. The other day DH didn't want all of the food on his plate and wasn't enough to save and wasn't a good that would be good warmed up. I caught myself starting to eat it. I made myself put it down the garbage disposal. Good luck on finding away that will work for you. Read somewhere that it is better for food to be in the waste basket instead of me wearing it on my waist. Not exact quote, but close.

Hi Everybody,

Got a busy week coming up so thought I would drop in and say hello.

sidhe - Great post. I agree with you completely and especially Loved the "MY BODY IS MINE, AND I AM IN CHARGE OF IT".

Julie "Nope. I am not a garbage can, and I'm not willing be fat or sick because someone else has issues" is a great way to put it.

Blue, Carolr, Julie, Ryanne, Daimere, Truffle and all others

Y'all have a great day!

Well, I think I'm the one with the issues, for the most part. The only person who gets offended if I don't eat enough is my MIL, and I just ignore her. For me growing up, my dad made most of the food. He would get very upset if I didn't eat. I mean yelling and screaming upset. He felt like if he took the trouble to make it, then I should eat it. I suppose it's created a complex in me.

Trish, thanks for the advice. I saw the quote in the book and I suppose for me it's easier said than done. lol