ladyzherra wrote: »

I agree. The amount of weight is not as important for us emotional eaters as conquering the emotional tie we have with food. The journey should be about understanding why we eat like we do, and implementing some strategies that actually work ( which I discover through trial and error) in order to gain a healthy lifestyle. What are your plans for this?

ladyzherra wrote: »

@Paz922 Thanks for your reply! I also went to OA but it does resonnate with me personally because it felt very rigid and almost religious in a sense, and it did not appeal to me, although I really loved connecting with many of the people who attended the meetings.

I am happy to hear that you engaged a therapist. I also worked with one for a while and I gained some really useful tools. I find a lot of support in reading books about my issue, and recently discovered an overeater's workbook, which I hope to begin soon.

The best tool that I have found is to be present during a binge -- mentally and emotionally. Often, I can stop a binge by just acknowledging that I am actually binging and being really present in the moment, like asking myself questions about why I am doing it, etc. That has been really functional for me!

You can stay on this journey. You can do this.

ladyzherra wrote: »

ladyzherra wrote: »

@nyponbell Yes, I have some books that I really have found super helpful. One is When Food is Comfort by Julie Simon. I have read many books on overeating and food addiction, but this one is at the top of my list because it is REALLY useful. It provides actual steps that are achievable to accomplish day by day. It also provides understandable explanation about the mental and emotional component of this problem. I highly recommend this book.

Another is the Food Addiction Recovery Workbook by Carolyn Coker Ross. This is a hands-on workbook that you can fill in; it also offers a lot of information about the disease/obsession. I like it a lot because it helps me to dig deeper into understanding my own unique relationship to sabotage and food.

I liked Food: The Good Girl's Drug by Sunny Sea Gold, which reads more like an autobiography. What I liked about this book was that her story made seeing MY OWN story easier. She is a great writer, and really made me feel hopeful about reaching my goals.

Finally, I really like Shades of Hope: How to Treat your Addiction to Food by Tennie McCarty. It includes stories from other addicts, and I just feel like I am supported in a community when I learn that I am not alone.

Those are my "best of" books.

I would warn, I read one book that I really did not like. I fact, this book seemed quite harmful for me. It is called Never Binge Again by Glenn Livingston. As I read this book, I felt quite terrible about myself and found that the strategy was actually harmful and self-destructive. I would warn most people against investing much in this text. It should be taken off the shelves, in my humble opinion.

@paz922 This is what I just replied in the "Satotage" thread in this forum earlier today when someone else asked me this same question. I hope it helps!