Non-Diet Approach Week 11/13/2001 - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

LuckyLadyBug · 11-13-2001, 07:46 PM

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; participants will be encouraged to share their answers, thoughts, etc. pertaining to the particular exercise. Snippets from Geneen's other books may be posted from time to time as well. She's a great writer and I encourage you to look into her books (and burn all your other "diet" books in the bathtub.

Join us in Breaking Free from Compulsive Eating!

LuckyLadyBug · 11-13-2001, 07:49 PM

Exercise 15: If My Weight Could Talk.....

If your weight could talk, what would it say?

Examples: It would tell my husband that I am angry with him for telling me to lose weight.
It would tell me that I am unhappy in my job and that I want to quit it and start my own business.

Complete the sentence:

If my weight could talk, it would say....
1
2
3
4

LuckyLadyBug · 11-13-2001, 07:56 PM

I didn't do very good with last weeks lesson...

The things that could happen that would change my life forever and make me extraordinarily happy are:

I could only come up with one consistant answer that would take care of almost everything else...financial wealth.

Then of course there is health and sprituality. I know it is up to me to do the second and most of the first is in my control.

I was somewhat surprised my first thought was not losing weight. Also the wealth part could be coming from the changes in my life over the last year - had money and now not so much.

I haven't thought much on this question yet but what springs to mind is that my fat is disgusted with me - there is too much of it and is not fun or healthy....more later.

Amarantha2 · 11-13-2001, 09:24 PM

I think it'd say something to the effect that I really look and feel good at this weight, so it doesn't know what my problem is now.

Hmmm. It'd also kind of whine that it wants to go to work in a newsroom again but no one wants it, so it's going to demand more food to punish all those people who don't want us!

And it wants to be left alone so nature can take its course and it can expand as far as it choses. It wants to wear a muu-muu and eat chocolates all day in bed with a mystery novel and a Jimmy Stewart movie. It wants to move to Hawaii and sit all alone on the beach and eat donuts.

Finally, I think it would say that it is bored with maintenance and wants to double and quadruple itself so it can find the same meaning and excitment in life that it had when it was giving its all in the effort to shrink. It wants to be on a diet! It needs an occupation.

Interesting question. Thanks LLB for posting this!

Sprite · 11-13-2001, 11:31 PM

If my weight could talk it would say:

I'm tired of you stuffing your feelings down by stuffing your face.

I'm tired of being the blame for everything wrong in your life.

beckyfurn · 11-14-2001, 09:21 AM

Hi there - Good question...

If my weight could talk it would say:

I'm fine how I am, thanks, so why are you so obsessed with making me smaller?

Your eyes are bigger than your stomach girl, so if you want some candy, have one bar instead of 6 - it's not as if Chunky KitKats aren't going to be around ever again after today...

Just be KIND to yourself - when you were BIG, you didn't notice a 0.5Ib gain, so why should such small things matter so much now?

The crux of it being... weight loss becomes an unhealthy (or rather TOO healthy) obsession if I'm not careful...

Thanks for making me think...

FuzzyBear · 11-14-2001, 01:25 PM

I was looking for people doing the non diet approach

A great book I have found is "The Solution" by Laurel Mellin.
Check it out at the Library.
I've lost 10lbs since Nov 5. It's been really nice. I've gotten through hard times but I am also going to counseling and stuff to hit the hard stuff when it surfaces...

This seems like the same approach so do you mine if I join in?
270/260/160*for now

LuckyLadyBug · 11-14-2001, 07:04 PM

Welcome, FuzzyBear....

Of course you can join in...just jump in.

Could you tell us a little more about the book "The Solution"?

FuzzyBear · 11-14-2001, 07:23 PM

It's the same concept. Just tells you to look at why you are eating.
Writing journals about when you first became overweight- just from your thoughtS and then write to the feelingS you had during that time. Doing the same with looking at parents and other relationships and writing letters telling them what you are feeling. It helps so much because I stop and ask myself why am I about to gorge on this bowl of m&m's and am i really hungry. I honestly feel like thsi is something I can do. I haven't begun the exercise portion but that's because doing this has also cause me to quit smoking. It hasn't been hard at all! I had a major stress week at work and I got through it without one binge!

I cried alot but that's because I was feeling and not numbing with food.

LuckyLadyBug · 11-15-2001, 09:50 PM

FuzzyBear
I know journaling helps - but I have to admit I really am terrible at it !!!!

I have tried journaling for many different reasons in the past and just don't do it more than twice...yep I made it for two days in a row and was quite proud of myself...

I find it much easier to write to "someone" than just write. The problem is I need it to be a person (not just pretend because I won't do it - I know this from experience) and I haven't reached the point where it can be someone I know already. Did that make sense? I think people already in my life always try to make me feel better - being the good friend they are - but that isn't what I need to really analyze this - - I need to tell how I felt & feel whether someone sees it the same way I did or not because how I felt is what got me here...Now, did that make sense?

I guess I shouldn't post when I feel tired....

Do you all want a new lesson next week or to stay with this one since it's a holiday week and all?????????? Let me know.

FuzzyBear · 11-16-2001, 07:32 PM

Well in the book she gives you a list of letters to write to people and about feelings. I think it has helped alot!

I weighed this a.m. and I am at 249!!!

I began on Nov 5. I am very excited!!

270/249/160 for now

Chango · 11-17-2001, 04:57 AM

If my weight could talk, it would say....

you're focusing on the wrong thing!

and then I would say, but what is the right thing, I'm really trying to figure it out!

and then it doesn't say anything.

Congrats on your successes FuzzyBear!

I've noticed that when I take a relaxing bath and write in my journal I'm okay, but as soon as I start slacking off on those two things, I start that "but why? I can't understand why!" bingeing.

LuckyLadyBug · 11-19-2001, 07:14 PM

Moving on to Exercise 16

Chango · 12-12-2001, 07:34 AM

I just want to thank you FuzzyBear for recommending that book. I bought it and read it and it really seemed to "close the loop" with me (kinda finishing what Roth started). It's great if you need a little bit more structure than Roth provides. I wish I had read it first because it has seemed to really help me right off the bat, whereas with Roth I gained a lot at first during "phase 1".