Say goodbye to emotional eating: 66 day challenge!

Funnylittlenut

One study showed that it took on average 66 days for a behavioral pattern to become automatic.

I challenge you to:
- Eat only when you are truly hungry.
- Stop when you are just satisfied, even if there is food left over.
- Eat without distractions, keeping in tune with your body and paying attention to the food throughout the meal.

I believe it is possible for intuitive eating and calorie-counting to go hand in hand without sabotaging one another. Working the two together is a good way to create healthy habits that will sustain us into the future, long past the weight loss.

I personally am currently recovering from binge eating and compulsive overeating. Together I think we can all conquer this.

Will you join me on this journey?

1ToughAssCookie

Wow I think this is amazing I just got a book about binge eating and I am super interested in doing this. It is a real struggle in my life. I think I'm guilty of the distracted eating while watching tv. Also if im tired or thirsty sometimes I eat instead I've noticed this so half the battle right there.

Funnylittlenut

Thank you for joining me! In this last year this has been a massive struggle for me too, and it's meant I've gained back all the weight I lost

Distracted eating, eating when tired and when thirsty are all definitely issues for me too.

My plan of action is:
- No watching shows until nighttime: I have to be productive during the day or else I will get bored and start eating.
- Keep water close to me throughout the day. I will drink it if it's available.
- Stop eating at least two hours before bedtime to avoid 'tired eating,' and try to get to bed on time.

Today is a new day ^^

jenniferleavitt1

I am interested in this

Funnylittlenut

How did you guys do today? Day one went very well for me!

Sometimes it can be confusing deciding when to eat when we're not used to actually listening to our hunger cues. Today I decided to do something new in order to try and make it a little easier to judge.

I came across a 'Pritikin Hunger Scale' online, which goes something like this:

10 - In a food coma
9 - Way too full - feeling very uncomfortable
8 - Too full, a little uncomfortable
7 - Comfortable, but maybe had a few bites too many
6 - Satisfied, could fit more in but stopping here would feel good
5 - Not full but not that hungry
4 - A little hungry
3 - Quite hungry
2 - Uncomfortably hungry
1 - Ravenous; possibly irritable, shaky etc.

The ideal would be to eat when one is at a 3, possibly a 2, and to stop when one is at 6. I get phantom stomach pains throughout the day due to chronic gastritis, so using this number system worked very well today to gauge wether or not I was ready to eat. I was skeptical at first but I'm glad I gave it a try.

Day 1 of 66 complete!

perfectly_imperfect77

I'll join in. I have been trying Intuitive Eating by itself for awhile now and I still continue to binge eat. I think doing this while counting calories will help keep me more mindful.

Funnylittlenut

Today I encountered an interesting mix of emotional and intuitive eating.

Lunch went well - today was Chili Thursday, which means at 12:30pm anyone who pre-requested chili heads down to the lunchroom for a feed. My plan was that if I was not yet hungry at 12:30pm, I would make myself a plate and save it for later. Fortunately I started to feel that hollow feeling in my stomach hours before, and was at about a 2.5 in hunger when it came time. I'd worked out how much I thought I should have beforehand, and I ate this mindfully and was at a 6 at the end of it. A great success.

At about 4pm there was a cake left in the kitchen that said 'Eat Me!' I tuned into my hunger level, which was at about a 5. So, I didn't need it, but it wouldn't hurt my stomach to eat a small slice. I decided that I did want to eat the cake, but I did so slowly and mindfully. I was satisfied once I had finished eating it, at a comfortable 6, although I knew I had ruined my appetite for dinner. Because I had eaten the cake mindfully, I knew that my body definitely did not want any more sugar than that. Since I haven't binged or overeaten like I often do whenever I 'cheat' on my 'rules', I am very satisfied with this outcome! I've left my dinner (a banana-peanut butter-tofu pudding) in the fridge for my lunch tomorrow. I have a workout planned when I go home tonight, which I am looking forward to

Day 2 of 66 complete!

browneyegirl210

Funnylittlenut wrote: »

One study showed that it took on average 66 days for a behavioral pattern to become automatic.

I challenge you to:
- Eat only when you are truly hungry.
- Stop when you are just satisfied, even if there is food left over.
- Eat without distractions, keeping in tune with your body and paying attention to the food throughout the meal.

I believe it is possible for intuitive eating and calorie-counting to go hand in hand without sabotaging one another. Working the two together is a good way to create healthy habits that will sustain us into the future, long past the weight loss.

I personally am currently recovering from binge eating and compulsive overeating. Together I think we can all conquer this.

Will you join me on this journey?

Funnylittlenut wrote: »

One study showed that it took on average 66 days for a behavioral pattern to become automatic.

I challenge you to:
- Eat only when you are truly hungry.
- Stop when you are just satisfied, even if there is food left over.
- Eat without distractions, keeping in tune with your body and paying attention to the food throughout the meal.

I believe it is possible for intuitive eating and calorie-counting to go hand in hand without sabotaging one another. Working the two together is a good way to create healthy habits that will sustain us into the future, long past the weight loss.

I personally am currently recovering from binge eating and compulsive overeating. Together I think we can all conquer this.

Will you join me on this journey?

Funnylittlenut wrote: »

One study showed that it took on average 66 days for a behavioral pattern to become automatic.

I challenge you to:
- Eat only when you are truly hungry.
- Stop when you are just satisfied, even if there is food left over.
- Eat without distractions, keeping in tune with your body and paying attention to the food throughout the meal.

I believe it is possible for intuitive eating and calorie-counting to go hand in hand without sabotaging one another. Working the two together is a good way to create healthy habits that will sustain us into the future, long past the weight loss.

I personally am currently recovering from binge eating and compulsive overeating. Together I think we can all conquer this.

Will you join me on this journey?

browneyegirl210

So glad to see this post. Impressed with your honesty on over eating compulsively hoping to have you inspire me on this journey browneyegirlkelly

Funnylittlenut

Today and yesterday have been a challenge for me. Yesterday I was invited to a Hanukkah barbecue, and I know from experience that this sort of 'potluck' dinner, where there's lots of food, is often a trigger for me. When I'm eating out and I haven't pre-determined how much I should eat, I would often just decide to see how much I could stuff into my gob so I wouldn't have to worry about restraint. This time, I went in with the thought of 'eating only until I was satisfied'.

Well, for some reason I was still only a little bit hungry when I sat down to eat at 8:45pm. Although I ate more than necessary - to about an 8 - I felt all right about it, and when I got home I didn't continue eating junk like I have done in the past as a punishment.

Unfortunately, the overeating yesterday plus a lack of movement today negatively affected my appetite today. I waited until 2pm to eat lunch, and even then I wasn't as hungry as I often am during lunchtime. At dinner I wasn't very hungry at all. I knew I wanted to make some food so that I would have some things prepped for the rest of the week even if I had no appetite tonight. My emotional eating got the better of me though and I decided to eat some of the hot meal I'd just cooked, just to experience it while it was fresh. I skipped the carb portion to keep it lighter but my stomach still felt tight after eating and it didn't taste as good as it usually does when I'm hungry. After having practiced eating only when hungry for the last few days, I can really tell the difference in the enjoyability of it now. Although I am disappointed in myself for eating when my body didn't want it, I am glad that I appear to becoming accustomed to the feeling I should have while eating. Remembering how much less enjoyable it was should help me to put off eating until I actually need it in the future.

Day 4 of 66 complete!

Rkbals

I’d like to join in. I’ve been reading books on Intuitive Eating lately and realize that though I have the head knowledge, I need something that makes me feel accountable!

I am trying to lose about 7 pounds that I just can’t seem to take off—mostly due to mindless eating I believe.

sun_cat

I logged in today looking for just such a group or thread. Over the last couple of months, I've tried various things recommended by other people - and they just don't work for me. The only thing that feels right is intuitive eating.

kristinak48

I'm doing this too! I highly recommend the podcast Weight Loss Made Real. She focuses on this and it's really helped me. Not to mention.. it MAKES SENSE.

New_Atti2ude

Funnylittlenut wrote: »

One study showed that it took on average 66 days for a behavioral pattern to become automatic.

I challenge you to:
- Eat only when you are truly hungry.
- Stop when you are just satisfied, even if there is food left over.
- Eat without distractions, keeping in tune with your body and paying attention to the food throughout the meal.

I believe it is possible for intuitive eating and calorie-counting to go hand in hand without sabotaging one another. Working the two together is a good way to create healthy habits that will sustain us into the future, long past the weight loss.

I personally am currently recovering from binge eating and compulsive overeating. Together I think we can all conquer this.

Will you join me on this journey?

Im totally in!!! 66 days. Im having a hard time emotionally with love and nature. Long story. Short answer. I feel like poop and my food diary is reflecting as much.

motivatedrana

I’m in too.

zandrathesweetheart

Funnylittlenut wrote: »

One study showed that it took on average 66 days for a behavioral pattern to become automatic.

I challenge you to:
- Eat only when you are truly hungry.
- Stop when you are just satisfied, even if there is food left over.
- Eat without distractions, keeping in tune with your body and paying attention to the food throughout the meal.

I believe it is possible for intuitive eating and calorie-counting to go hand in hand without sabotaging one another. Working the two together is a good way to create healthy habits that will sustain us into the future, long past the weight loss.

I personally am currently recovering from binge eating and compulsive overeating. Together I think we can all conquer this.

Will you join me on this journey?

I am already with you!