Freedom from Dieting? What does it mean?
Hello folks
I have had an eating disorder since early childhood. I am now 64 and I think I may be finally at peace with eating. What I am doing is simple. I stop eating before I am full. I have done too many 'diets to mention by name, read too many diet psychology books also to mention by name and I have followed several philosophic approaches ie Intuitive Eating; the Zen of Eating etc. All of this has lead to being a much more obese person.
Cronometer was wonderful in the beginning. I could measure everything but this meant so much focus on eating that my eating disorder was triggered, not so much the physical side of it but the mental stuff.
So now I am using Cronometer only as a record of weight loss , and only when I feel like entering the information.
I would like to explore with forum readers their experiences with freeing themselves form the diet treadmill, as much or as little as anyone would like to share.
Comments
-
Hi Dragon8,
Such a great discussion topic! For me, it is all about finding a pattern of eating that doesn't seem like a chore - so I can stick to it. I build a routine that gives me good quality nutrition each day and I am not rushed to come up with something on the fly - that's my weak spot, when I am already hungry I want to reach for those quick convenience foods. I find cooking relaxing, and the more time I can spend preparing meals from fresh ingredients the more mindful I am about what I am eating.
Best,
Karen Stark
cronometer.com
As always, any and all postings here are covered by our T&Cs:
https://forums.cronometer.com/discussion/27/governing-terms-and-disclaimer -
One of the areas I focus my practice on is eating disorder recovery and "anti-dieting".
Tracking can sometimes be tricky, since eating disorders love numbers. A few things I would focus on while you track:
- Turn calories off (can be done in your profile) and focus on tracking FOOD instead
- Look for balance at your meals: protein, carb, veg, fat
- Avoid going longer than 3-4 hours without eating since hunger can be a state of anxiety
- Track your hunger and fullness levels at meals and snacks (see this scale for reference: http://www.sensiblefoodie.ca/blog/the-hunger-scale-and-why-its-important)
- Track your mood by using notes or Biometrics (milligiggles)
- Track eating disorder symptoms and thoughts
Best of luck to you on your journey!
Susan Macfarlane, MScA, RD
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
cronometer.com
As always, any and all postings here are covered by our T&Cs:
https://forums.cronometer.com/discussion/27/governing-terms-and-disclaimer - Turn calories off (can be done in your profile) and focus on tracking FOOD instead
-
Wonderful discussion. Hi Dragon. I have never believed in calorie restriction and most of my life I've been whole plant based and vegan. I loved my own food so much and became a gourmet raw "cook"...with lots of nuts, seeds, avo, coconut. And with that came the weight. So now I'm switching gears to low fat plant based - no oil, no salt, no sugar. I have a hard time losing weight unless I fast (intermittent, OMAD, or 40 day juice fasting). I'm now following a more Chef AJ/John McDougall/High Carb Hannah lifestyle and I'm using cronometer so I can be more aware of what I'm ingesting. I'm hoping this awareness will result in weight loss. If not I'll go back to incorporating fasting strategies (healthy ones) into my lifestyle. Best wishes for healthy lives and appropriate weight!
