RI and Overeating

I started this post a while ago, but recently decided to overhaul my diet. I know I am not the first person to use RI to help control my eating habits, but I rarely hear anyone talk about it at a meeting, so I thought I'd share my ideas here.

When I started attending Recovery meetings, I was at least 40 pounds overweight. I overate because of depression and anxiety and also as a result of the side effects of some medication. I wasn't exactly moving my muscles, either.

After attending RI meetings for a month or so, I found myself in another program's meeting. At the break, a box of cheap cookies sat on the table next to the coffee. I eyed it. They weren't my favorite kind (oatmeal with icing), but suddenly, I felt hungry. I started to reach my hand toward the box and then I realized that I could control my muscles and not take the cookie. I could bear the discomfort of not eating the cookie. There was no danger if I did not eat that cookie, which I really didn't like in the first place.

I applied this idea to many other eating situations. It worked. I also started moving my muscles more often and began to lose weight. I changed my diet further, and that helped, too. It took several years, but I lost about 40 to 45 pounds (I stopped weighing myself at a certain point but am certain I gained more afterward).

So, if you are dieting and trying to stop eating foods that you know to be unhealthy or fattening, look at some the Recovery tools you already use for other situations. I'm not saying these will help with an eating disorder, but these tools are very effective for controlling those overeating muscles.

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 6, 2017 at 9:21 AM

    I asked a member of RI which spots she found useful in overcoming her addiction to alcohol. (I had shared with her that I had been diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder.)

    here are the ones that she shared with me:

    obligation over inclination

    every act of self control leads to increased self respect and ultimately self confidence.

    there were 2 more that i can't think of right now. i'll post them when they come to mind.

    ---RI member of 5 years. Cleveland, Ohio

    ReplyDelete

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