Thread: Alli's 2011 "Head stuff" diet

Since everyone else has a 2011 diary I suppose I should as well .

I've put on about a stone since 2009 so would like to lose that but I'm not in the right frame of mind to do Cambridge at the moment so am losely following WW. The plan though is to work on my mind rather than my weight as it is always my mind that let's me down when it comes to putting the weight back on again. I need to change the way I think about food so that it doesn't have the power over me that it does currently and no diet will do that for me. I've read countless books on intuitive eating in the past but I have never actually followed any of the advice in there so will make more of an effort this time. I'm sure every book I've read about this topic states that in order to succeed one must stop dieting altogether. Well I'm going to be my own guru and decide that I can work on headstuff whilst also considering what I put in my mouth (what a rebel I am ).

I have a book called "Normal Eating". I've had it for years but never actually read it. I ordered it at the same time as a whole pile of other "diets don't work" type books and by the time I'd finished reading the others I'd put more weight on and started another diet

So this will be a place where I ponder not so much about food but what makes me
overeat so often and why is it that some people don't crave junk as much as I do.

2011 is going to be a good year!!

Originally Posted by herewego

I have a book called "Normal Eating". I've had it for years but never actually read it. I ordered it at the same time as a whole pile of other "diets don't work" type books and by the time I'd finished reading the others I'd put more weight on and started another diet

So this will be a place where I ponder not so much about food but what makes me
overeat so often and why is it that some people don't crave junk as much as I do.

2011 is going to be a good year!!

Lol, that made me smile Alli, how true. I was just over 9 stones when I first started a diet Dieting does make you fat!!!! CD is just a quick means to an end for me. To get the weight off quickly, as slow slow quick quick slow does not work for me at all. You're right though, it is getting all the head stuff sorted out. My ex husband's cousin is a year older than me, (I'm 55) and she has always had a fabulous figure. Her mantra is.......when about to have something to eat.... "Will this do me any good? Is it healthy?" If the answer is no, she doesnt have it. She has been the same weight, give or take the odd lb, since she was a teenager. Despite two pregnancies. Perhaps that is something I could do.

Good luck with sorting it all out Alli, that stone will be gone in no time!!!

Can I join you please Alli? This is what I am trying/struggling to do and I know it would help.

I first decided to diet because I was so unhappy at the way I looked - I was 11 stones - what was the matter with me? Stupid woman - well I was young. I kept putting on weight instead of losing it and then found I was pregnant! .....

24 years later I started my second diet, CD, all too well documented here. After a 4 stone loss, 2 are back on. After failed attempts at CD over the last year I don't have the strength of character to try yet again so I need to eat sensibly. All head stuff too. xx

Hi Alli,

I think I posted before on your previous diary thread about intuitive eating. I totally believe in the concept of IE, I think if you truely do the head work and stick with it for a long time, weight loss will follow. It seems the positive changes non weight related are what is so much more worthwhile though.
I followed IE throughout a lot of my pregnancy and felt like i'd really turned a corner with bingeing, low self esteem etc. Unfortunately for me I think I just panicked about my weight and threw myself back into dieting as soon as baby was born.

I'm trying to follow IE again with a few of my own ideas thrown in the mix too so I will be interested to see how you progress.
By the way, I recently tried to restart cd but I couldn't do it, my body just seems to reject any kind of dieting whatsoever, so at the moment I too am being my own guru and *trying* to reject the diet mentality which only leads me to failure.

Good luck with it Alli, I will be checking in soon

DM - That's the problem with IE: The concept makes perfect sense but it is so hard to put into action!

I am so grateful that I found CD as I lost a lot of weight and it didn't mess with my head any more than any other diet. In fact, probably less so as I wasn't on it for very long due to the fast weight loss possible on CD.

I successfully lost some weight with IE a few years ago but could never quite relax into it so every time I lost a few lbs I'd get excited and turn it into a diet which inevitably led to a binge etc.

What is going to be different this time - I've no idea. Maybe nothing but I feel like giving it a go so I am

One of the things I'm planning on working on for the next few days is eating mindfully. Whenever I overeat I eat quickly, shovelling it down before it's too late or I eat in front of the TV / whilst reading so that I barely notice it. Today I've really tried to tune in and notice what I'm eating and as a result I haven't eaten that much. I know this is hard to keep up, but I will try to eat mindfully at least 80% of the time - who needs perfection

Wish me luck!

Originally Posted by Chelsea Lou

Her mantra is.......when about to have something to eat.... "Will this do me any good? Is it healthy?" If the answer is no, she doesnt have it.

Now this is something to think on....?

What's Intuitive eating?

Bess, intuitive eating basically means going by your insticts. Eating when you are hungry, eating what you want, conciously (sp) enjoying every mouthful and stopping the moment you feel satisfied.
It sounds like a dieters dream, and it is in some ways but it also means rejecting the dieting mentality. For some it can be easy and for others it may take years to grasp. Paul McKenna uses this system in his 'i can make you thin book' and there are various books on the subject. 'beyond chocolate' I can throughly recommend too.

I've got the PmK book but didn't realise that it was called IE - good, sound ideas but it does take some doing to get into that mindset. I have a work colleague who can take a look at the food on her plate and immediately tell what she will eat and what she will leave, although she says it's taken years to get there. I can't do that - I have to clean the plate (childhood stories of starving children in Africa from my mum I think!) so I find smaller portions is the way to go for me. My biggest downfall therefore is BUFFETS!!!! I even love to say the word. With no curb on portion size, I can't stop - although now I can discipline myself in 'normal life'. We are going to Florida in May and I'm more excited about the all you can eat places than the theme parks so I need to do some serious head work before then. I would like to come home just a few lbs heavier than 18lbs, as happened last time
I thought about hypnotism as it did curb my choc urges but I'll look into IE
xx

Originally Posted by dreamingmaid

and stopping the moment you feel satisfied.

This is the bit I don't recognise - yet.
I've got the book somewhere, I'll look it out. Thankyou DM.

Originally Posted by boardwitless

I have a work colleague who can take a look at the food on her plate and immediately tell what she will eat and what she will leave, although she says it's taken years to get there. I can't do that - I have to clean the plate (childhood stories of starving children in Africa from my mum I think!xx

BW, my mother was just the same "Starving kids in Africa would give their right arms/walk 30 miles just to have a fraction of what you are leaving" So guilt around leaving/wasting food and punishment if you didnt eat it all. Being made to sit there at the table with it stuffed in your mouth and being unable to swallow because you were so full or didn't like it!!! These days they would probably call it child abuse. Parents that went through rationing during and after WWII probably did view it as a sin to leave food after what they had been through but it has certainly messed with my head

I have a work colleague who can take a look at the food on her plate and immediately tell what she will eat and what she will leave, although she says it's taken years to get there.

Personally I don't think that's a good way to be - sounds very controlled to me. How can she possibly know how much she needs before she is satisfied???

IE for me is to listen to internal cues that tells you when you are hungry (much in the same way that we know when we need the toilet) and to pay attention while you eat so that you can feel the signs of having had enough. Once you have finished eating you get on with life until the next time you feel hungry.

When it comes to other bodily functions such as going to the toilet it comes so naturally and it is so easy - nobody spends their whole life planning around going to the toilet - wondering when they'll next go and stressing about whether they're going at the right time etc. It would be ridiculous (unless you had a medical condition I guess) but it's exactly what I do with eating. It should be natural - Intuitive Eating is about trying to get closer to that natural state.

Babies do it - even as toddlers my children were very much intuitive eaters and would stop half way through a chocolate button if they had had enough. It's sad to see that at age 6/7 they have already learned to overeat certain foods...

This weekend I've been trying to just notice how I feel around food. It's mainly guilt really - either plain guilt or guilty pleasure. I somehow need to stop feeling guilty for eating - it's silly when you think about it yet most women are constantly feeling guilty around food unless it is celery or grapefruit

Yeah, but what about the puppy?? Enough of the head stuff just for today, lets play with the puppy!! x

Originally Posted by Bess

Yeah, but what about the puppy?? Enough of the head stuff just for today, lets play with the puppy!! x

We haven't got her yet! 2 more weeks until she is coming home. We just went to choose her today and it was so hard! They were all adorable and one little girl in particular was my secret favourite. She was a petit little girl and sat so nicely watching us and then came up and said hello once her brothers and sisters had worn themselves out. Still - I let OH choose as he fell in love with the chunky monkey of the litter . She is lovely though so I'm very happy even though she is not as "pretty" as my first choice. Roll on February when she comes home!!

hello Alli..
Good to see you hon.. Im just popping by to say hello and will hopefully catch up on diaries later ...
Nice to see you xxxx

Hi Alli

I hope you’re well and you had a good weekend. Wishing you a magical mini Monday!

Lots of love,
Jess xx