Your Cure. Have You Tried To Discover Why You are Overweight or Obese?

[TaDa!]

About a year ago, when my great weightloss was threatened by my inability to make it work like it had in my first year and I turned to binge eating, I turned to books and tried to get an understanding on how I became obese in the first place. Why it happened. Why I continued my behavior into adulthood. Only through hard work in my journal and in my mind was I able to turn around what might have risked my entire weightloss attempt.

I have been really touched by many of the responses to "my story" thread and want to share some of the resources that have helped me, because I think many who are struggling or have gained back a few can turn it around for themselves, but it's going to take hard work and honesty with yourself ...

Following is a list of books that I have read which have helped me in various ways. I cannot think of a single one of them that I can name as "the perfect book for you to read," because they each had major faults in my eyes, but that said, each book had a chapter or two that threw out a new idea that just blew me away - a new way of thinking and understanding that has been essential to me and my ability to help myself ..

Books:

The Solution: 6 Winning Ways to Permaneant Weight Loss by Lauren Mellin, M.A., R.D.

See some of the exercises from her book that I summarize here and how I did the exercise for myself too:

(1) Your Body Image: An Essential Key to Weightloss and to Keeping It Off Once You Lose
YOUR BODY IMAGE: An Essential Key to Weightloss and to Keeping It Off Once You Lose

(2) Why We Stay Heavy: What Being Heavy is Doing or Saying for You
Topic #2 Why We Stay Heavy: What Being Heavy is Doing or Saying for You

The Taming of the Chew : A Holistic Guide to Stopping Compulsive Eating, by Denise Lamothe

See Post: Topic For Thought: Setting Boundaries In Your Life From Those Who Would Violate Them. Here:
Topic For Thought: Setting Boundaries In Your Life From Those Who Would Violate Them

Life is Hard, Food Is Easy by Linda Spangle, RN, MA

Why Weight? A Guide To Compulsive Eating by Geneen Roth

Feeding the Hungry Heart: The Experience of Compulsive Eating by Geneen Roth

Free Articles:

"Just Say No" By Geneen Roth (an article in Prevention Magazine). Here:
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,...5559-1,00.html

"Why You Really Eat" by Geneen Roth (an article in Prevention Magazine). Here:
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,...-3633-1,00.htm

Satisfying Mind Hunger: How to stop when you've had enough by Geneen Roth (an article in Prevention Magazine). Here:
http://www.prevention.com/article/0...-3633-1,00.html?

"Helping Your 'Not-Thin' Kids: What parents should (and shouldn't) do" by Elaine Magee, MPH, RD. here: http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/117/112687.htm
(This article illustrates how I became a binge eater and was very helpful for me to read even though the topic seems not related .. it is.)

p.s. money is tight for us with me as a SAHM and so I get most of my books from the library. I can look up online whether they have a book, use my library card to "order" it and they email me when it is ready to pick up at the library. .

Also the articles above by Geneen Roth are available at the Prevention Magazine website for free. I have a subscription to Prevention Magazine and I think it is very inexpensive and always has a number of articles and exercise tips that I cut out to save!

[dusk]

What a beautiful thread! I sure wish someone would make this one a "sticky!"

Thanks so much for sharing this.

[LowCarbRachel]

This is a fantastic list.

I also like "When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair," also by Geneen Roth.

And I'm currently reading a book called "It's Not About Food" by Carol Normandi (I think that's spelled correctly.)

I think it's important to understand the physical and emotional causes of weight gain to successfully be able to find a program that works for life.

Rachel

[AllieCat0817]

Pauline, THANK YOU for being here girlfriend.

[TaDa!]

Thank you all ladies!

Dusk! thanks so much for fixing my links for me .... oopsie! I guess I have not visited those articles in a while, lol!!

Rachel Thanks for adding your suggestions!! Please everyone add away! I like to have a good pile of books on my nightstand

Alliecat I wouldn't be here if it were not for all of you too ... what comes around goes around!!! You are too sweet!!!! Thanks!

OK, two more articles:

"Doomed To Be Fat Forever?" By Dr. Matthew Anderson (Exclusive for eDiets)
http://www.ediets.com/news/article.c...1864884/cid_7/

"[Fitness Fixes] Your Body, Reframed," Article from LIFETIME FITNESS Magazine By Clara Beacon
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/sh...66#post6864666

[sandooch140]

This is suc a great and informative thread. Thank you, Pauline!!!

[dusk]

Is this thread open for discussion? I hope so because the article on Boundary setting fascinated me. I've been trying to work on this myself, but I've been calling it, "Being more Assertive."

Like your # 1 epiphany in the discussion thread, I too have been fearful of being disrespectful and mean. I came to the conclusion that it's because I'm a people pleaser, an enabler (I enable or empower people to walk all over me).

This has been MOST difficult for me, but I'm making progress. I'm finding that it becomes easier to be more assertive if I focus, not on how I am going to approach the person, but on the feeling I get when the action the person is doing upsets me or makes me feel uncomfortable.

[dusk]

In my compulsive overeaters group we are starting to go through the workbook Geneen Roth has out called, "Why Weight? -- A Guide to Ending Compulsive Eating."

[Dabbadooey]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post this information. I have just read the Geneeen Roth articles, and they "speak" to me.

[nina_2021]

two thumbs up for life is hard, food is easy!!!! helped me immensely. three months into LC and no cheats and no real threats.

[Joycelyn]

This is a great listing of books and articles. Thank you so much.

[catkin]

bump

[gotogirl]

I love this post.
A book I'm reading now that has helped me control portions is by Dr. Will Clower: The French Don't Diet Plan."
It's a lot like Why French women don't get Fat" but it has step by step exercises to control your eating. (No, I don't love the French. I just love their way of eating. lol)
The foods he recommends are not very low carb so I don't recommend his diet although it may work for some. It's his excellent way of helping us control portions, etc. that I find helpful. It's easy to say eat little bites and take a long time to eat but he breaks it down on how to do it. And he has many more good suggestions.

[mom2zeke]

Bump! Thanks Pauline for being such a great inspiration and resource on these boards!

[chakwaina37]

This really needs to be a sticky along with many others of yours for all us new folks or starting over folks to read and understand alot of things. Im so glad I found these and alot of your other posts connected to this one. Ty for writing all this stuff for us all to read.

[Shantony]

I learned that my eating was in place of nurturing. I was looking for unconditional love and I ate food. It gave me satisfaciton, comfort and pleasure. So I would turn to it whenever I had discomfort or pain. Food to me was like a surrogate mother, lover and dear friend. However much I loved food. Food didn't love me back. Food treated me sadistically. It offered me a small ounce of pleasure and then started choking the life from me.

[Maid of Erin]

Thank you for bumping this thread ladies. I missed it the first time!

I am trying to figure out why I feel the need to medicate with food. I will definitely be reading these articles.

Tada, thanks for sharing your journey. I can relate to most of the posts you make. Just wanted to say I am so proud of you and want to follow in your footsteps!! You are gorgeous inside and out!

[Tater Head]

For me it is real simple why I'm fat, I got re-married 16 years ago and stopped working and started gaining more and more weight every year as I got older. It wasn't because I needed to medicate myself or that I needed nurturing for some underline issue. I have found that when we age, almost 54 now, we don't lose as easy when we do go on a diet. I wish we did because I'd be at goal by now.

Life also gets in my way, I say I need to plan better so I have the right food on hand and then something always happens and I get caught without what I need. Take yesterday for example, I'm sitting at my desk, making out bills and then I was going to take a dip in the pool and get and early start on this weekend chores. The phone rings, It's my Canasta girls, they are desparate for a sub and the host is only 10 minutes away, so i say yes I'll play. There was no time to make lunch, I had 10 minutes to get my butt in gear and get out the door. Yes I could have said no, butt these are my buddies, plus they brow beat me into it lol. Of course the lunch served was pasta and rolls. You might think why didn't you just grab a a couple of boiled eggs? I didn't have any made up because I restock my stash on weekends too so I was out. I know this sounds like excuses, but it's life and even though we try and plan all we won't sometimes life still can get in the way.

I mostly blame my weight on getting old,my complete hysterectomy 5 years ago and now insulin resistance. I say this because I can eat very good and still lose at a snails pace and my friend of the same age can eat like crap and when she decides "Oh I think I'll lowcarb a while and lose a few pounds" she'll drop 20 like that! I am with her almost everyday and see what she eats, she doesn't even lowcarb right and she'll lose. It's very frustrating to say the least. I'd give anything to be in my 20's/30's again.

[romecat]

I am so glad this got bumped since I hadn't seen it.

TaDa! are you kissing up to the good karma fairy? If so, I think it will work. This is some fabulous information!

I also constantly request books and movies from the library. I can't believe how many people fail to use this fantastic resource.

I, too, vote sticky.

[ArmyWife04]

Bump....I am glad I found this as well and plan to take the list to my library, next trip. There has to be an answer as to why I did real good on my WOE when hubby was overseas ( the intensley most stressful time in my life) and then he comes home and I undo all my hard work in a matter of a couple of months.....I need to read these books!

Thanks for posting!

[ixtapacheryl]

Originally Posted by Shantony

I learned that my eating was in place of nurturing. I was looking for unconditional love and I ate food. It gave me satisfaciton, comfort and pleasure. So I would turn to it whenever I had discomfort or pain. Food to me was like a surrogate mother, lover and dear friend. However much I loved food. Food didn't love me back. Food treated me sadistically. It offered me a small ounce of pleasure and then started choking the life from me.

I couldn't have said it better - wow you hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned. Thank you!

[justinsgrl22]

First of all....great post and IMHO one of the most important aspects that need to be addressed as a person loses weight.

I dealt with my "why I abuse food" issues in actual therapy. I worked through a lot of things and as we systematically dealt with a variety of issues and got them resovled my need to comfort myself or medicate myself with food has really decreased. For me it was about taking charge of my thoughts and actions,but I couldn't do that until I knew what was behind my compulsive eating.

What also was essential for me was learning to love and respect myself even though I weighed 302 pounds. In the past I would have DESPISED and LOATHED myself for allowing that to happen. But as I began to heal and realize that I was worthy of love, respect and dignity, I laid that mindset down and forged ahead. Once the thought processes were in place....now the weight loss is falling into place. It's a long road and there will be struggles...but now I know I have what it takes to win.

Thanks for sharing the great info!

[Creaky]

My weight loss turned around when I realized I was addicted to food, not just for emotional reasons but because of the fat, sugar, salt and processing. I found the foods I craved (chips, hotdogs, fast food, etc) were full of salt, sugar and were highly processed.

Once I took my diet down to non processed foods and focused on fruit, grains, vegetables and lean meats - this is when I was eating low calorie/hi carb, I found I could lose weight without much craving. I found I control my cravings so I could have a treat once a week. But it was getting out of control again.

I gained 9 pounds in one week and I knew it was water weight so I decided to go low carb to get the water out. Guess what - my recently broken ankle which I had just started to walk on stopped the daily pain. So I kept low carbing as the pain kept away and that was great. Now the carb cravings are gone! I eat meat, meat, fat and more meat and fat. I'm one of those carnivores and am so happy that I am.

[nonstickpam107]

I didn't 'figure it out' until about seven years ago and a book also helped ME to find out just WHAT was causing my weight.

The book was 'The Thyroid Solution' by Dr. Ridha Arem. After being scoffed and laughed at for years about my autoimmune thyroid disease affecting my weight (and all of my hormones!). Although I did lose 50 lbs. before being medicated for Hashimoto's and having my hormones balanced/replaced, it was the same 50 lbs. I'd lost over and over again.

TaDa thank you for sharing your story and also being here for so very many who need to figure out WHY they are overweight.

Pam

[BFL Chick]

This is a great thread! Thank you very much for posting these links! Very informative and helpful! I've been trying the one about "saying NO" for the past two days and it's been very helpful and eye-opening!

Can we make this into a sticky?

[AllieCat0817]

My question is, where the HECK is Pauline?