What are we really hungry for?
The Non-Diet Approach, May5, 2002

Lose weight without dieting? HOW?!?!

By getting to the root of why you overeat in the first place! "Why Weight," written by Geneen Roth, is a non-diet book that contains exercises designed to help compulsive eaters learn how to stop using food as a substitute for handling difficult emotions or situations. You'll also learn how to enjoy eating and still lose weight naturally. This program offers reassuring guidelines on:

-- kicking the scale-watching habit forever
-- learning to say no
-- discovering other pleasures besides food
-- learning the difference between physical and emotional hunger
-- listening to and trusting your body's hunger and fullness signals

Each week at least one exercise will be posted and you are encouraged to share your answers, thoughts, etc..

Please share any insight, ideas, articles or other information that you may have.

Join us in Breaking Free from Compulsive Eating!

Exercise 64: Present Pain

What in your life are you in pain about now?
1
2
3
4
5

Exercise 65: What to do with pain?

Examine a recent time in the past when you ate as a reaction to being in pain.

I ate when I was in pain as a reaction to:


As a result of eating: (check one)
The pain went away forever.
The pain got worse.
I forgot what I was in pain about.
I felt much better about myself.
I felt terrible about myself.
The pain came back the next day.

At best, eating can numb us, soothe us, distract us from the source of our pain. There are more direct and satisfying ways to express our pain, ways to reaffirm our strength and ability to handle the crises that life is always dishing out.

Here are alternative ways of dealing with pain. Check the ones that you could do:
Cry
Take a talk
Call a friend
Hit a pillow
Write in my journal
Listen to soothing music
Read an inspirational book
Post at 3FC (I added this one!!)

I don't think this is going to be a positive post, but I'll go for it anyway. Apologies for negativity or any offense in advance.

What I'm in pain about now (do you have an hour?):

Hmmm. I'm in physical pain from head to toe, especially in knees, back, left rib area and head! I'm in stress pain because I'm trying to write a story I don't have enough information about that has to be turned in tomorrow and I'm trying to get things together to start school to open the doors to a new career even though I'm too, too old to start over. I'm in weight pain because I gained another three pounds and can't stop eating, can't exercise because I'm in pain. I'm in pain because of the world situation and still in pain because of 9-11-01, for which closure has not yet been obtained. There's lots more, but I'll spare you!

Eating as a reaction to pain has lately become an everyday occurrence ... well, not exactly eating with me ... it's milk products I crave. I hit the convenience store on the way to and from jobs and end up with lots of bottles of dulce de leche milk (480 calories, 18 grams of fat per small bottle). Now, here's another really negative thing ... it actually does make me feel better. I can't say that it makes me feel terrible about myself, though it's putting weight on and clogging my arteries. Drinking all of this stuff that I want really helps me cope and I don't regret one calorie of it! There is no alternative thing that works as well and I do believe this is a valid use of food.

The trick now for me is to start cutting back and finding food alternatives to what has been working so well for me all week. I bought some dulce de leche yogurt and we'll see if that helps.

I'm going to stop, though ... soon!

Crone...I am sorry to hear about your physical pain. How did you hurt yourself??? I know how you feel about that story...I am completley stressing out becasue I have two finals tommorow and I have not studied at all. I am a procrastinator and it is slowly taking me to the grave! You are never ever ever to old to start over, please dont ever forget that. I try to tell people that it is never to late to do something positive for yourself. One day you will be glad you did it. I've never heard of this Dulce de leche. From your description it sounds delightfully fattening. Any drink that is 480 calories and 18 grams of fat should be outlawed. I know that it seems like it alleviates your pain but it is definately not helping you in your efforts to lose weight or stay healthy! Maybe you should try to cut down how many you drink, like have one a week to reward yourself for not having one all week. When you feel like your in pain or have the urge to drink one come and post on-line or send me an e-mailand I will try my best to help you out!

I know what it's like to "never stop eating" I am constantly shoving food in my face. I think 50 % of the time it is out of sheer boredom. That is besides the point though. I am at a stage in my life where I am unhappy with my behavior and I want to change it. So I will make a concious effort and I hope you can too. I saw a quote, you may have seen it too, it goes like this
"Nothing tastes as good as being thin feel" ~ Now If I can just remember this when I binge I would probably not do it. Ok...I am going to study now...hope to hear from you soon.

Echristo: I'll bet you are at this moment doing great on your finals; sometimes not studying frees up the brain, at least that's my theory. Thanks for your encouraging post. I am feeling better, having finished my work on that assignment except for some meeting coverage tonight. I've also done the first assignment in the first class leading to the new me.

Dulce de leche in all its incarnations should be outlawed, indeed. I've banished the milk completely from my menu. It doesn't exist!

The dulce de leche yogurt is good, but (sigh) nothing that has 140 healthy yogurt calories and is lowfat will never be as satisfying as 480 kcal/18 g. fat. I try to pretend, but the the thrill is just not there.

Ever onward, guys! I think whoever suggested a special thread for positive thinking was on to something. It'd be neat to have a weight/fitness support group on here devoted only to posting daily POSITIVE ONLY reports and affirmations of how the eating and fitness is going. I believe I will post and see if anyone bites!

Exercise 64: Present Pain

What in your life are you in pain about now?
1 Same old past issues
2 Job
3 Money


Exercise 65: What to do with pain?

Examine a recent time in the past when you ate as a reaction to being in pain.

I ate when I was in pain as a reaction to:
being treated unfairly.

As a result of eating: (check one)

I felt terrible about myself.
The pain came back the next day.

At best, eating can numb us, soothe us, distract us from the source of our pain. There are more direct and satisfying ways to express our pain, ways to reaffirm our strength and ability to handle the crises that life is always dishing out.

Here are alternative ways of dealing with pain. Check the ones that you could do:

Call a friend
Post at 3FC (I added this one!!)