In reading books I've often come to aha moments and want to share some of the words that illuminate my path and motivate me! Please add your own words of intuitive eating wisdom!

"Consuming more than you are hungry for interferes with the pleasure of eating." - Overcoming Overeating

“Many people become compulsive eaters because they respond to the dictates of the culture and start dieting. Others begin to eat compulsively when they are unable to master a new stage in development or when they are in considerable conflict.” Overcoming Overeating

"Controlling your eating and losing weight will never resolve your need to calm yourself with food." Overcoming Overeating

“Eating food that I enjoy is not a character flaw, it’s a goal.” - Me

"The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it." - a blog I can't remember sorry

I don't really have a quote per se, but I keep thinking of the example from Overcoming Overeating of the woman who drank mostly milkshakes for a time after she gave herself permission to eat whatever she wanted. While my diet seems more or less balanced I have been allowing myself many more "treat foods" like candy than I have in many years. Whenever I feel bad for eating these things or I feel a little bit out of control I always think of the milkshake lady and it makes me feel better; yes, I ate a chocolate bar with my lunch and a bagel for breakfast but it could be worse.

One of my favorites from The Overfed Head, which I like so much it's in my signature:

"As I cleared out the clutter of diet propaganda that had expanded to fill every available convolution of my brain, the fat went away with it."
- Rob Stevens, The Overfed Head

I was listening to an Alan Watts lecture via youtube today. He was an interesting man who married zen buddhism with Western philosophy. He was a spiritual teacher of much influence, especially in the place where I now live and work. He was talking about drugs and alcohol but he said something that I thought applied to IE. Unfortunately I have to paraphrase as I don't have the transcript:

"You don't consider someone to have control of automobile driving if they keep their car locked in the garage. You don't consider a person to be in control of their dancing if they don't dance, so why would you consider someone who abstains from (x,y,z) to be in control?"

His point was that if you abstain from those things which you have problems controlling then you aren't truly in control. If you can't keep chocolate in your house because you will binge on it if you do then you are still out of control. If you can't eat food at parties or have a small slice of birthday cake without having problems then you haven't got ahold of your problems with food. This sums up exactly what I've been feeling lately.

If you must meticulously control your external environment in order to do what you need to do then you haven't conquered your problem. You are focused externally rather than where the heart of the problem is- your psychological relationship with food.

I realize this may be controversial to many of the people on this board and I don't mean to offend. This just resonated with me personally as I have been in a constant battle to control myself for years. Your struggles are your own and mine are mine.

That's a good one Locke! One should be able to be around something and maintain their equilibrium.

I do rather hate the term "self-control" and I don't know if it fits in with IE. It makes me think of putting myself on a leash and being obedient.

I just read a post on the intuitive eating site about replacing "self control" with being "in charge". I agree it implies you are holding the lash rather than wearing it.

Yes! I love it thanks!!

Another one from The Overfed Head:

"Overeating is not about how many calories, carbs, or fats you consume, how frequently you eat, or what size portions you eat. It’s about your motives
for eating. To eat a carrot stick when you’re not hungry is overeating. To eat a slice of carrot cake when you’re legitimately hungry is not."

Agreed that what he says is probably true.

But I am not living a philosopher's life and therefore find it necessary to pick my battles. I know this May sound defensive but really some of it is all part of surrender and making choices about where I am going to spend my non-renewable resources called time and energy.

I think there is also wisdom in acknowledging that every battle is not one that needs to be fought/conquered.

You and Allan have got me thinking!

best, Annik