Hit a snag in my journey

[Angela_P71]

Hello I.E. Moms,

I haven't posted in awhile, and in fact I was struggling with my I.E. journey. I have made this same "wrong turn" before, actually. What happens is that I turn the principles & philosophy of I.E. into a set of "rules" -- I should ONLY eat when hungry. I MUST stop as soon as I stop feeling hungry. I should ONLY eat in an environment where I can be fully attentive. Etc.

Well, once I start going down that road, I have basically turned it into another "diet" for myself. I feel restricted, not in my food but in my behavior choices. Well, and my food too because I still think that I "can't" eat such-and-such food since I'm not "really" hungry or I "must" leave the rest of the food on my plate since I'm not hungry any longer. That kind of thinking makes it hard for me to experiment to find the right level of fullness for me or to honor my desire for a taste of something when I may not be fully hungry yet. In fact, when I start thinking along those lines, I start getting "phantom hunger" pangs -- Since I'm not supposed to eat until I'm hungry, my body will fabricate false sensations of hunger. Then the problem feeds on itself, because I feel guilty and anxious. Which switches on the urge for emotional eating.

This is why I'm glad that I'm seeing a counsellor. I knew that I was "stuck," but I couldn't quite get out of it on my own. I knew the right words that would help me embrace a more sane approach, but I guess I had to hear it from her before I could really internalize it. (Eventually I'm sure I'll be able to do this for myself and eventually stop getting stuck in that place altogether.)

Anyway, I feel as though I am back "on the path" again. I'm wondering if any of you can relate to this.

- A.P.

[luvmydoxie]

Yep, I feel the same way sometimes.