NEW!!! Gaining Control (End of Overeating): 1st Thread

FiddleFit

FiddleFit

Cathlete
Hello! This is a check in forum for anyone who's read "The End of Overeating", "Body Fat Solutions", or any other book on the psychology of eating. The purpose of this group is to take the advice and principles advanced in the books, and to apply them in an effort to change our relationship with food; to gain control over what we eat.

If you want some support and discussion as you attempt the difficult task of changing your relationship with food, this is the place to check in!!

A great place to start is to tell us your goal. Where would you like to be, say, 12 weeks from now?

Personally, my goal is to lose the last bit of belly fat. That translates to probably 5lbs. I want to maintain or increase my lean body mass. To do this, I need to maintain a very clean diet, 7 days a week. I'm tired of self-sabatoguing myself and winding up right back where I started. I plan to use the strategies in the two books mentioned above to help me maintain my motivation and focus. I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to eating clean. I start off well, then get derailed by a birthday, or other such event, and never seem to get back on that clean eating wagon quickly enough.

Tonight I'm going to review some of the strategies in The End of Overeating (EO), and tomorrow I'll tell you which one I'm going to employ, and how I'm going to do it.

I hope this doesn't come across wrong, but I don't want to see this thread turn into an enabling group for people to come here and confess about their food "cheats". Too often people seem to fall into a pattern of confessing, then simply repeating their actions, as though the confession has made it all better. Nothing ever improves. I'd like this to be the thread where we change all that! I want people to come here and talk about their struggles, without guilt! If something didn't go as planned, then we can use it as a learning experience, talk about it without judgment, and figure out a way to do it better the next time something similar happens. So, if you're committed to making change, then please join in! This is a place to find and provide support for making a difference! Change is good, but change can be hard. Let's do it!!!

Sandra
 
Hi Sandra..... I just picked up the book from the library the other day and have read the first few chapters -- I love that he has shorter chapters -- that actually keeps me reading it more. But, I must say.... just reading those first few chapters and all the mention of food only made me want to eat more of that kind of stuff! I hope I get to the strategy part soon. One problem I have is that it seems the more I focus on trying to do the right thing, the harder I fall off the bandwagon. Sometimes if I have more of a "don't care" attitude, it's easier for me. Have you found that?

-Beth
 
Hi ladies,

I have read every diet book there is, or it seems like it. I love to work out but my diet is so awful. I am close to 40 and I realize that I have to start taking care of my health. I want to lose about 10 pounds, but more importantly, I want to change the way I see food. I want to eat when I am hungry, like I used to do and I want to make healthier choices. Everytime I try to "diet" it backfires, that obviously does not work for me. I want to learn to listen to my body, eat when I am hunfry, and chose my food wisely.

Sherry
 
Hi guys! What a great thread. I don't have or have not read the book that is mentioned here but i think i will order it. My whole thing is binge eating. I will be a strict and clean eater from 2-8weeks and then i have a massive binge b/c i feel so restricted and hungry. i just want to find balance with my eating and not this all or nothing approach. i have 5-7lbs that won't budge and i know is b/c of the binging which i'm determined to control. i've cut back on the intensity of my workouts so now its time to get my eating under control. i've found that not running myself into the ground working out has helped some but i still have a ways to go mentally.
 
I'm in! Sandra, I think your goals for this thread are excellent! It's exactly what I need! I have gotten all 3 books in the last week...BFFM, The Body Fat Solution, and The End of Overeating (audio book). I am going to spend the afternoon getting through the intro of each and deciding on a goal for the next 12 week period. I will check back later this evening! Thanks for getting this started!
Becky
 
Hi Sandra et al -

I would be very interested in working in this thread with all of you. I read The End of Overeating a few years ago. My very favorite book is called "Intuitive Eating" and I read it all the time to try to help me get over using food as an emotional tool.

I am truly struggling with my weight these days - and I can't diet anymore. I want to find the balance of enjoying food again without overeating and all the the remorse and the consequences. I am a regular Cathe exerciser, but I also overdo it to make up for bad eating habits. I don't want to do that anymore. I just don't know how to do this anymore and am so discouraged. . . .

So - quite frankly, my weight goal is to lose 30 lbs. but my REAL goal is to get back in touch with myself and my body and to make it the healthiest I can make it and still have the joy and pleasure of eating but not overeating.

I'm not sure if that makes sense - but I'm sure I can find time to explore all of these concepts with all of the people on this thread.

Thanks, BTW, for the idea of this thread. I have no one I can talk to about this stuff at home - my husband is wonderful, but this just isn't something I can work on with him. I will need to turn to all of you for assistance with this struggle. . . . .
 
I'm going to read the book as fast as I can this week then come back with my goal/strategies. One goal is to weigh 5 pounds less at my next doctor's appointment which is 2 weeks from today. I want to find a strategy to help me when I reach for food out of loneliness or boredom or depression and when I'm looking for that temporary "high" from certain foods that make me feel disgusted with myself later. I need to let my dog out, get ready and meet my parents for the Apple Festival. I plan on doing some reading tonight though!
 
Hey - I just realized that you are talking about a different "End of Overeating" book - I have one from years ago that is the same title - just the first part. Hmmmmm. . . .when my stuff gets here from California, I will look for it.

However - I HAVE read parts of this other EOO book at Barnes and Noble. It was VERY interesting. . . . Maybe I'll pick it up. . . I have a coupon.
 
Core Principles of the EOE Food Rehab Program

Hello everyone! It's GREAT to see you here! I'm going to save personal chit chat for another post.

Essential Principles of the EOE Food Rehab Program:

"1. Conditioned hypereating is a biological challenge, not a character flaw. Recovery is impossible until we stop viewing overeating as an absence of willpower.

2. Treating conditioned hypereating means recognizing it as a chronic problem that needs to be managed, not one that can be completely cured.

3. Every time we act on our desire for sugar, fat, and salt, and earn a reward as a result, it becomes harder for us to act differently the next time. Effective treatment breaks the cue-urge-reward-habit cycle at the core of conditioned hypereating.

4. The loss of control that characterizes conditioned hypereating is magnified by diets that leave us feeling deprived.

5. New learning can stick only when it generates a feeling of satisfiaction. We can't sustain a change in behavior if it leaves us hungry, unhappy, angry, or resentful.

6. Restoring control over eating requires us to take a comprehensive approach, one that has many interlocking steps. To gain the upper hand, we need strategies that address the multiple behavioral, cognitive, and nutritional elements of conditioned hypereating.

7. Lapses are to be expected. Most of us are never fully cured of conditioned hypereating. We remain vulnerable to the pull of old habits, although with time and the rewards that accompany success, they do lose some of their power. With practice, we can find ways to use "slips" to our advantage, as tools for recognizing where we might stumble and reminders of the need to develop new learning.

8. Eventually, we can begin to think differently about food, recognizing its value to sustain us and protect us from hunger, and denying it the authority to govern our lives."

Taken from Kessler, David A. MD., (2009). The End of Overeating. McClelland & Steward Ltd.: Toronto. Pgs. 208-209.

That's really everything in a nice little nutshell. This is a post that we can come back to time and again, to help us stay focused on what were doing, and how to do it. Feel free to make comments and create discussion. That's why we're here.

Cheers,
Sandra
 
I too have not read the book but the concept is something I've been looking for. My BF and I were just talking this morning about our diets, we do good during the week, but we end up at a BBQ and it's bye good eating, the cocktails is what ruins me. I want to learn not to sabotage my weekly efforts in a weekend and end up where I started. I'm tired of obsessing about my workouts (killing myself) and eating. I too want to find a happy medium.

I also don't want to pressure myself into having this perfect body. I've gained about 10-15lbs over the past few years, and although I'm not overweight, I'm not as cut as what I use to be. But you know, back then, I didn't stress about working out or eating. I just did it because I liked it, and the results were amazing. People complimented me and I didn't even realize the good results, but some where along the way I lost sight of that and began to obsess over maintaining a nice physique and gained weight from the pressure of trying to be perfect. What an emotional mess.

I'm really glad for this post and plan on following. You guys rock!
 
Sandra, thanks for the bullet notes post! :) I didn't get as far as I wanted in my reading, but I certainly have arrived at one behavior which I want to change. My mindest today has been...*oh, no, I need to eat all the crap I can because I'm going to start checking in and after today, I can't eat it anymore.* So now that it is 7pm, I am bloated and sick to my stomach and mad as he** at myself! That is a MAJOR behavior I want to change. I don't want to look at this as just another *diet*. I truly desire a total lifestyle overhaul in many areas, but specifically my nutrition and eating habits (see, I'm really trying to NOT use the word diet! ;)) I am excited about learning why I continue to make choices I know are unhealthy and strategies for turning off those old thought patterns and embracing a new outlook on nutrition.
I'm really looking forward to learning, applying what I learn (the absolute key!) and changing!
Becky
 
Hey gang! I went to a Leonardo da Vinci exhibit this afternoon and saw this quote. It captures the essence of what we're trying to do!

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. " Leonardo da Vinci.

Sandra
 
Good evening!

I know we're all at different places, in terms of reading this book (or others). I'm still making my way through it, too. I just finished the first chapter of the "Food Rehab" section. So far, he hasn't said anything I haven't heard before: plan your meals, watch portion sizes, don't eat until you're stuffed, eat whole foods with good servings of lean proteins, make your meals suit your own personal preferences. The technique that's new to me is the "mental rehearsal" idea. He suggests you think ahead about how you're going to behave, step by step, when you enter a specific situation that you know will be a challenge for you. So, this will be the strategy I focus on using tomorrow. I'll be going grocery shopping tomorrow, and that's a big Red Flag situation for me. I always want a food reward when I come home, and will snack on some treat food when I get home.

My most challenging time of day for eating unnecessary food/treats is late afternoon. As it happens, I've just changed my workout time to 3:30pm. I noticed today that I curbed by lunch food portions and afternoon snacking, because I didn't want to be jumping around on a full stomach. So, maybe I'll be doing myself some unintended good by making this change. It's often said that morning cardio will help burn more calories over the course of the day, but if afternoon cardio reduces the amount of calories I take in during the day, then it all balances out, doesn't it?

Beth - The shorter chapters work well for me, too! I read the first few chapters, then skipped right to the Part Four: The Theory of Treatment. I figure I can start implementing his suggestions, then go back and read all the other information. No, I can't relate to the 'don't care' attitude as being more effective, but we're all different, right? Regardless of who we are, I'm sure there will be a technique or two in here for everyone.

Sherry - Those are great goals!! Welcome!

Kariev - From what I've seen, your situation is very common. I hope you find some help here, and manage to change that behaviour.

Becky - I was in your shoes a couple of weeks ago! AND I subscribed to Venuto's Inner Circle, which is another mountain of information. My head was reeling from all the information! I look forward to hearing your thoughts about it all! OMG I TOTALLY relate to what you said about using the start of a new eating plan as an excuse to indulge in every bit of unhealthy food left in the house! The start of anything new always has some excitement to motivate us, but when the novelty wears off, it's much harder to sustain the changed behaviour. So, I decide to start something new again! Which means, I get to eat everything in the house that I haven't eaten in the last x weeks, the day before I start the new program! It's just another way of justifying a pattern of binge eating; it's just disguised as "falling off the wagon, and starting over again." Or, "It's okay to binge today, because it's going to be the very last time. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be really, really good." It's just another way of justifying a binge, IMO. I do it all the time :) I guess that's a key behaviour I have to change, as well.

Lisa - Welcome! Come here and chat about it allllll you want. Your goal is a great one. What do you think would be realistic to achieve within 12 weeks? How many pounds would be realistic to lose, and which one, specific bad eating habit would you like to extinguish? The other EOE book you mentioned - how is it different?

gogigi - Whew! 5lbs in 2 weeks is pretty fast loss. Specifically how are you going to achieve that? Emotional eating is what most of us are dealing with, from the sounds of it. Ready...set.....GO!!

nspire - Finding a happy medium is a great goal. Now, what specifically does that mean? What does will that look like? How will you feel? Those weekend socialization events are really tough on the clean eating process, aren't they? Do you think your friends are going to be supportive of your changes? Hey! Maybe you'll "npsire" them to make positive changes, as well!!

So, I've got my homework for tomorrow: mentally rehearse coming home from grocery shopping and not rewarding myself with food I don't need!! I'll report back about how I did.

G'night everyone!
Sandra
 
Good morning everyone. Sandra, thanks for all of the tips -- especially the one about skipping to the strategies..... I started getting frustrated with all of the food "talk", so I'm going to do as you did. I need some strategies..... I like the one of visualizing the trip to the grocery store -- I'll be trying that one today, too!

-Beth
 
Good Morning,
I'm about a third into the book. I'll have to think about my goals over the next 12 weeks and set something in concrete and not generalize. I think I need to get further into the book to help me decide on my specific goals.

For me, I tend to eat "unhealthy" food when I'm bored, nervous or wait too long to eat. Overall I eat pretty healthy. Social events are always a challenge, so working on those items will be part of my goals. Reading about all the food, did not tempt me like it did some of you. I like that we all have different struggles and can learn from each other. :)

I was in a bar over the weekend and saw they had Twix. I caught myself saying "oh Twix", I loved those. I know if I had eaten it I would have been disappointed. I had eaten just about 2 hours prior, so I wasn't overly tempted. Had I been hungry I would have thought about the Twix bar much longer and struggled to talk myself out of not eating it, since I really don't enjoy candy bars like I used to. It was purely the memory associated with the candy bar and not the candy bar itself.

The book is already making me more aware of my choices. Too bad I wasn't able to resist the salty chips on another night when I was drinking more then at the bar. :eek:
 
good morning ladies. not a great morning for me. i just binged big time:( again i went 2 weeks of strictness and today i just had to eat eat eat! i'm ashamed to state what i ate but i think its good to be honest so here goes:

5 slices of cinamin raisen ezekil bread with peanut butter spread on top
2 packages of peanut butter cracers
1 large bowl of honey nut cheerios with vanilla soy milk
3 packages of fiber fit southbeach cookies
5 big handfuls of sweet onion chips

This was all after breakfast. The thing is its like i preplanned the binge. I new my hubby would be a work and my appetite was building over the course of the week. Instead of honoring my hunger i punished myself for being hungry which makes no sense. I hope to find balance in all of this one day. Lately i've been doing cardio everyday for 30 min along with light weights everyday and i think that i may take a leave of absence from working out. I need to get my hunger out of control and i'm beginning to think that cardio makes everything worse! I feel so discouraged. Honestly I have been thinking about trying WW b/c what i need is to learn balance and stop all or nothing thinking. Well, i'm going to try and pep up. Whats done is done and i need to move on. Thanks for listening.
 
Thanks for this thread!

As I said in the Open Discussion thread on this book, I decided I needed to lose weight in January. About two weeks into my diet, I decided that I wanted this to be the last diet I ever had to go on. I just had enough of the whole yo-yo thing I had going (eating what I wanted for 9 months of the year, dieting for 3 months of the year, etc). It seems like I've been on a diet for the first part of the year (January-April) forever....and it HAS been about eight years I've been repeating that pattern.

So back in January, I decided it was time to figure out how to change the pattern. One of the things I've been doing is trying to educate myself not only on my food choices but on why I crave some foods the way I do. So I've listened to many podcasts on nutrition, and I've been doing alot of reading/listening to audiobooks on the food industry and nutrition. One of the books I listened to was 'The End of Overeating'.

Since January, I've lost all the weight I want to lose (43 pounds). I reached my goal weight in May and am working very hard right now to not go back to my old habits of eating.

I changed my eating habits pretty drastically in January by cutting out all junk foods, not eating in restaurants, etc. As I continued to read/learn about food and what was in some of those foods I gave up, I knew I would never be able to look at many foods the same way again. I mean, I inwardly cringe everytime my husband drinks a soda because not only do I know what is in the soda now, but I understand the manipulation (that's a strong word, I know!) behind the marketing of the product AND what the primary ingredient in the product (corn) is doing to our environment, etc.

In other words, I've taken quite a long journey since January. But even though I am intellectually aware of many more things than I used to be, I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm not still struggling. Since I've lost all of the weight I wanted to lose, my struggles come in the constant battle every single day to NOT revert back to my older eating habits.

So I continue to read and try to educate myself, if for no other reason that to reinforce my lifestyle change with positive knowledge. One of the biggest struggles I have is the fact that I feel I'm going completely against the grain of mainstream society in trying to eat healthier. And that not only frustrates me, but it angers me a bit as well. I keep saying over and over 'It shouldn't be this hard!' But as Kessler very well describes in his book, there are messages everywhere and cues everywhere for less-than-healthy eating. Unfortunately, there aren't nearly as many for healthy eating.

I'm also one who wants to throw my shoe (not literally) at people who say 'Shop the outside aisles only of your grocery store'. While this makes sense in order to find healthier food, I can't help but me completely baffled by the notion that 75% of my grocery store is off-limits to me if I want to eat healthy. I can't help but think it should really be that way....that I should be able to shop in 75% of my store to eat healthy and only have to avoid 25% of junk! Obviously, there is little I can do about that, but, as I said above, I find it frustrating and angering. And there are days when I say to myself 'It would be so much easier if I just gave it all up and starting eating like I used to again.'

Anyhow, one of my biggest struggles is with sweets. I love dessert. And I don't remember which book this came out of....whether it was 'The End of Overeating' or not (I think it might have been 'In Defense of Food' by Michael Pollan....a book I highly recommend as well), but the author was describing the difference between how the French view a piece of chocolate cake vs. how Americans view the same food item. He said a study showed that the first thought by many Americans when viewing a piece of cake is 'guilt'. For the French, that thought is 'celebration'.

For whatever reason, that really struck me hard. And so I work hard now at making sure that when I do choose food to eat, I do so without ANY attached guilt. I make a very aware choice to eat everything with a clear idea in my mind as to why I am eating it--and for my less-than-optimally-healthy options, I want those reasons to be positive ones (like celebration) and not negative ones (like depression). If I think any food choice will make me feel a sense of 'guilt' or I might be eating it for negative reasons, I simply won't eat it. Making that very aware choice keeps me from feeling poorly about the food decisions I make because I don't want to feel badly about my decisions. I don't think any good can come from that.

So I strive on in my quest to eat healthy and to remain very aware of what I'm eating.

Thanks for letting me share!

Laurel
 
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Laurel ~thank you for sharing your experience in applying the book's principles! Congratulations on the weight loss! That is awesome!

Kariev ~ don't be ashamed. You screwed up, but trust me , I ate about 10 times that amount of food yesterday and my binge included McDonalds, cheesy potatoes, brownies, chips, homemade mac n cheese and so much other garbage I'd make y'all sick if I listed it! Remember how lousy you feel (something I'm trying to do!) forgive yourself and move on to your next meal. You WILL make better choices next time!

Sandra ~ I love the quote! I'm going to post it everywhere! Maybe even tattoo it to my forehead!

Okay...warning lllloooonnnngggg post ahead! ;)

Personals, my name is Becky. I am currently a SAHM living in South Carolina. My kids are (almost) 21, 20, 19, 18 and 16. 2 boys (who will never move out! 3 girls (2 away at college). I will be 38 at the end of the month and my 21st wedding anniversary is the 1st of October. DH's name is Mark and he is amazing! He has recently told me that during this next phase of my life if all I want to do is workout, read, and take care of the critters, that's all I have to do....whatever makes me happy! Amazing...I don't deserve him!
So, that's my perfect segue into why I want to do this NOW and do it for life!
I have gotten away with carrying anywhere from 10 - 40 extra pounds off and on for the last 16 years (can't really call it baby weight anymore!) mostly because I put it on very evenly, so I wear a size 12 at 180 pounds and maybe a size 10 at 150, don't remember a size 8 in the last decade! My eating habits are hands down the worst in the family! I can go days, even weeks without a veggie passing my lips. Fruit, I do a little better with. But chips, cookies, candy, fast food are daily meals! I am what I have heard described as an exercise bulimic. I easily exercise 2-3, or more hours a day and wonder why I never lose weight. Maybe the 3500+ calories a day I am eating?!?! I DO consider myself to have a high metabolism because even with my workouts, the food (I use the term loosely!) I consume should easily put me over 300 pounds. Nothing has worked long term for me, not even my dad's battle (and victory) with colon cancer. I am an idiot! That is one cancer I can make huge strides in preventing just by making healthy food choices. And, I have come to a place where I probably wouldn't fight the cancer if I were ever diagnosed because of watching the chronic agony my dad lives in daily ever since *winning* over the Big C.
So, just how stupid am I???? Pretty dumb I say. I have the head knowledge. It is time to apply it. I'll be honest, a lot of it is pure laziness. It's easier to go through a drive thru than go home and fix a meal. It's instant gratification and refusal to deny myself instant pleasure. And even worse, fear of feeling my true emotions (especially sadness...history of depression, off meds for a year, but terrified to *feel* sad without the safety net of meds to keep me from falling off the cliff)

So there is my ugly story! I hope I have made the rest of you feel much better about yourselves!:p LOL!!!! :p

Sandra, thanks again for starting this check-in!

Becky
 
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