Hi all,

I am in a posting frenzy it seems, so I am writing separate posts for different subjects, to keep my head clear and so you can scroll on past if it bores you to tears!

I don't think I mentioned here on the board that I stopped seeing my counselor several weeks ago. At first I felt very fortunate that I had found someone who was supportive of the Overcoming Overeating approach (I thought!), but as time went on, I found that she was not so supportive, and that she didn't really get it. She kept referring to Overcoming Overeating as something I had tried already, that supposedly hadn't worked, and it was time to do food diaries and ban certain foods from the house again. I fought like a mad woman when these ideas were brought up. And all that from someone who had never read the book!

Sometimes I would become so angry with the things she would say. She would keep saying that the true definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, and then suggest that I start strictly monitoring my food or even restricting my food. Hello, past experience shows that this will send me over the edge with bingeing! Would it not be crazy to expect a different result this time?

Anyway, I would not call my time with her a waste, but I did have to call an end to the sessions when our insurance changed. Ironically, this was the week after she agreed to finally read the book. I was actually relieved. I don't understand how someone who has a background in adult eating disorders has such a hard time with the concept, and would have a patient come in weekly (for months!) who lives around this book, and she didn't even read it.

I was disappointed because otherwise, I really liked her.

Wiffle, When I went back to the dr. for the first time in 25+ yr (that is for treatment for sarcoidosis) I had been taking several natural supplements such as COQ10, garlic, lutien, billberry (my mom and I have always had bad eyes but my mom ended up with macular degeneration) and my first dr. took me off everything.......he was very anti herbs. So when I went to Mayo I just gradually started taking them again without discussing it with the dr. I also take fosamax for high blood calcium.....I know, it's complicated. 25 yr. ago I begged for something other than prednisone and still 25 yr. later there is nothing else they recommed. What would you google to find out about the things you were talking about. I have read only one book by Eugenia somebody on prednisone and how to live with it. She was a professional muscian and went on a very strict diet to keep from gaining.

Wiffle, You should recommend The Overfed Head by Rob Stevens......really short and he really gets his point across. Best IE book I have read and I think I've read them all.

Forgot to say my dh is a veterinarian with very bad joints and has been taking the glucosamine-condrioton for years and loves it.

There is another thread on here ....Starvation Mode.......where they are discussing the idea of calories in calories out (most would agree with that) and I wrote the following.
All this is very interesting but my question is.......Why from the time I was about 12 (I was a chubby child who grew thin by then) did I never think about food and really not get that much exercise (I was in school all day long) and stay thin? My first problem started when I took birth control pills right before my wedding. Even then I lost 10lb as soon as I got home from my honeymoon. After 10 pregnancies, illness and taking prednisone, reading hundreds of diet books......I really think dieting has been the problem. Why? When I started doing lots of fasting my problem became much worse. You can say calories in calories out but I don't think that's it.
Think I might be in hot water?

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Does anyone have any good ideas for IE when driving long distances and eating out when away from home. Should you take food with you? Seems like a lot of mindless eating occurs on long car trips.

Bring stuff to do, I find if I have a book, or a puzzle or something I am less likely to eat out of boredom. Also with the idea sometimes you are just going to do it anyway, bring good stuff versus junk.

As for eating out. I like seltzer so I try and have a salad and a glass of water or seltzer or something first. Takes the edge off if I am hungry. Also I have no problem asking them to leave off certain thing.s (i.e. at applebees I ask them to take off the mashed potatoes or give me a double serving of veggies).

I haven't had a dessert in a restaurant in a while with the IE....usually too full.

Thanks Obi. I one of those "aha" moments last night. One of the things I loved it eat as a child and teen was homemade tomato soup. My mom just made it with milk and tomato juice. I ate it all the time even when I was sick. My dh doesn't like it so I just quit making it. The other thing is that it is hard to heat it without curdling, especially using home canned tomato juice. Yesterday it hit me that one of those hand blenders might work to smooth it out. I live in the country but there is a store called Johnson's One Stop about a 2 miles away and they had one. Did it work good! I fixed reubens for my family but because I don't eat cheese I made the soup with soy milk for myself. And I felt so energetic all night!

We drove twice last week to a city 250 miles from us (so 1000 miles total). On the first return trip, we stopped at a truck stop to use the restroom and we ended up buying candy and chips too. I felt so sick!

The second trip was a little more thought out and I washed some apples and packed a cooler with bottled water. That time we were not tempted for candy although I bought some V-8 at a restroom stop. That is not so bad!

My experience is that if it is in the car, it will get eaten, so I vow to think more and impulse buy at convenience stores less.

As for eating out when traveling, I've been viewing it as an opportunity to add new previously forbidden foods to my repertoire. There is a McDonald's smack dab in the middle of the turnpike, so we stopped there. I got a small wrap thing that they refered to as a "snack wrap". Funny how a "snack" is big enough to be an entree, but then they are the ones who wanted us to supersize everything, right? Anyway, this was a small flour tortilla with a chicken strip, a bit of lettuce, maybe some grated cheese and a little sauce. It was really good! I also got a small fry and that was more than enough but I ate it all anyway.

Sometimes I really need to remember to throw stuff away or give it to my husband. Especially when traveling and there is no fridge for leftovers.

How does everyone else handle traveling?

I found this on another thread somewhere and thought it was cool on 3fc

This is an excerpt from Linda Spangle's book 100 Days to Weight Loss. I think this might have been mentioned here before, but it bears repeating.

People who are interested in losing weight:
1. Stick with it until something better comes along
2. Take action only if they “feel like” doing it
3. Need to see results in order to stay motivated
4. Blame people or circumstances for their struggles
5. Easily give up whjen the face challenges.

People who are committed to losing weight:
1. STick with their plans no matter what
2. Take action whether they feel like doing it or not
3. Assume that if they stay motivated results will follow
4. Take responsibility for their own actions
5. Keep going in spite of challenges and setbacks

This is going to be kind of a rant/vent, sorry.


Ok, so I posted a while ago that I needed to weigh myself so today while exploring I found a ballys and got on the scale...problem...the scale only goes up to 350. At my last weigh in I was 356, I have lost a little but I am still not under 350. I stayed the same, or I gained....I decided to pick a happy medium and say I stayed the same. My clothes haven't gotten any tighter and if anything I feel better. I also think with the whole condo buying thing I was a little interupted.

So my goal is to get under 350 so I can use a regular scale. I am sticking to the IE, but uping my excercise. I have been doing 2 miles a day(WATP) , but I am going to add swimming and try and move up to 3 miles a day and see where I am in a month. Being in water is something I just love and miss alot.

I am not going crazy, but I am very focused.

I think that is a fine goal to have, Obi. I was wondering how your weigh-in came out because I remember you saying it was just about time. I'm glad you posted and let us know.

With the extra exercise, that weight should come off before you know it.

I have a question. How do you guys swtich from the diet mentality to the intuitive eating approach? I have read the book, but I just can't seem to let go of the 'you should only eat that if no one is looking' type of thinking.

For me I had already reached a point where I realized the cycling of dieting wasn't working for me and it was getting smaller and smaller. I was just fed up when I found the first IE thread and jumped in. Also it wasn't something that happened overnight. I was a little paranoid for a while, and now I just refuse to be held hostage by the cycle. Also I think once you read the Overfed head it is like a light bulb goes off.

And with any other "program" you have to make it work for you. Do what you need to make it work.

I still have gooes days and bad days, but overall I'm happy. LOL,even with my drama today...

Thanks for the wise words. I'm at the beginning of my journey but hopefully it will be a happy and successful one