|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear Reader,
Once again, the June workshop at Lake Austin Resort was a great experience. From year to year, we forget how powerful it is to live in a changed cultural environment--even for a week. For starters, there are no food rules and no fat phobia in this new environment. Add to the picture, lots of food available on demand, no need to shop or cook. Then go on to the details: hikes, swimming, movement classes, and as much discussion as you could possibly want about bad body feelings, fatness, thinness, food, and eating. Add in the reassuring presence of 13 returnees, great weather, and a splendid group of 35 women to create a superb week.
At our final workshop session of the week, we brainstormed about how to make this experience available for less money. We talked about places that might be able to provide food on demand--a large resort, a cruise--but as one woman pointed out, it is doubtful that we'd have such a place to ourselves. Being able to participate in all kinds of activities without worry about size prejudices is a lifetime first for many participants. What freedom! So, we've set the dates for next year: June 8-13, 1996. A little shorter, a little less expensive. Register by January 1st and the spa will give you an extra night at no charge (see box on page 8). But we are going to heed your requests for shorter, less expensive workshops in different parts of the country. As the California subscribers know, there was an advanced, 2-day workshop in Cambria in September.
Thinking back on the week at the Spa, here are some highlights:
The annual fashion show, coordinated by Freda Rosenberg, was held at the end of the week when our models were nothing short of radiant. This year, Freda talked with us all about the state of our closets [see her column in this newsletter] and what we can learn about ourselves from what's in there.
For the first time, our annual evening workshop in the pool was held outdoors. With candles and flowers everywhere, it was quite magical. As one woman said, watching her co-participants descend into the water, "It's like a painting of magnificent nymphs or goddesses descending into the bath."
This year, by popular request, we finally had those discussions about sex that we never seem to have time for. Sex and fat; and just sex. So far, we've heard from several participants that their significant others were impressed by the liberating results of our discussions.
We had asked this year's group to bring pictures of different generations of their families so that we could do some work tracing our genetic herstories vis-a-vis body type. A good look at the photos helps place your body in an herstorical context. Several women realized that some of their bad body feelings stem from the fact that they look a lot like their mothers; they've displaced negative feelings about the relationship between them onto their mother's body and their own.
Of course, for the two of us, the most exciting aspect of a weeklong workshop is having the time to deepen the work. We spend the first part of the week helping the beginners catch up and pinpointing where more advanced participants feel stuck. Then we can all go further. With so many participants getting good at handling their bad body thoughts and mouth hunger, this year we were able to move into a discussion about handling the feelings that continue to fuel body hatred and/or propel us toward food. That discussion in brief:
By working to cure our compulsive eating, we have all had a most unusual experience: we have actually changed something we thought would never change. How did we do it? By offering ourselves unconditional acceptance about our bodies and our eating and by feeding ourselves on demand, i.e., by becoming reliable caretakers of ourselves in this area, responding to ourselves in an attuned, loving way. (Just think about all those food bags you've packed, all that shopping you've done, all that patience you've had. In fact, if you're so inclined, make a list of everything you've done that's contributed to your current sense of well-being around food and eating.)
As you know, legalizing makes it possible to relax around food. The more relaxed you are, the easier it is to distinguish stomach from mouth hunger. As you respond more consistently to stomach hunger, your mouth hunger starts to fade. However, for most people, at a certain point, an end to mouth hunger requires taking a look at those issues that continue to trigger it. At that point, it helps to remember that you are a person who has now had a rewarding experience solving an extremely difficult problem.
We asked people to think about a particularly difficult feeling they'd felt most of their lives that continues to trigger mouth hunger. "If you were determined to get to a point where you rarely felt that way anymore, what would you need to do?" In other words, how could you take care of yourself/talk to yourself/problem solve about that feeling so that eventually, you won't feel that way?
Of course, the feelings we each find problematic vary: a sense of inadequacy, loneliness, envy, to name a few. None of these feelings fades easily. But from our discussion, it was clear that even thinking about working on an old, uncomfortable feeling is relieving and a step forward. Being able to name a problem, take it out, look at it, and begin to speak to yourself about it in a patient, gentle, and loving way makes the feeling a lot less toxic.
One woman's story was particularly moving and instructive. She told us about a shift she'd made that is probably a universal first step in establishing a caretaking, problem-solving relationship with oneself. She told us that it had taken a very long time, but that she had finally come to terms with the realization that she was the only one who could change her old and painful feelings. Although that may seem like a "what else is new" statement, it was clear to all of us that Barbara had done something very difficult. Despite a very traumatic history, she had gotten to a point where she was willing to become a good self-caretaker--without resentment for what had not been given to her when it should have been. From the dialogue with herself that she shared with us, it was clear that Barbara has learned to address the deepest, oldest, most personal and saddest part of herself in an unconditionally loving and respectful way. She reassures the old, sad part about the very deep love she has for her and reassures her that she will do everything in her power to make her feel safe and nourished.
If you can cure your compulsive eating, maybe anything is possible!
Hearty Appetites! *
 |
Carol Coven Grannick Judith Matz
Directors, Chicago Center for Overcoming Overeating |
Women come to the Overcoming Overeating approach because they want to end their preoccupation with eating and body size. Yet many have difficulty putting aside their weight loss goals. As you know, focusing on weight loss exacerbates compulsive eating and body hatred.
Although the three major components of Overcoming Overeating -- legalizing, demand feeding and self-acceptance -- all present challenges, acceptance of one's own body shape and size is often a stubborn and recurring struggle. The desire to "fit in" to the culture that idealizes ultra-thin body types is powerful. As you know through your work with Overcoming Overeating, challenging body hatred and decoding bad body thoughts help you in your personal struggle to feel better about yourself. These techniques also help create a culture in which size diversity is celebrated.
In her new book, Nothing To Lose, our colleague, Dr. Cheri Erdman, provides additional encouragement and support for moving you along on the path toward ending body hatred and dieting. She offers ways to find the necessary internal and external supports for full self-acceptance that we think you will find useful.
Erdman's research is based on her interviews with non-dieting women at least 30 years old who were fat by society's standards but accept their size and lead meaningful and well adjusted lives independent of cultural values. On the basis of her findings, she developed what she calls a "spiral of size acceptance." Erdman emphasizes that the phases she delineates are fluid rather than occurring in a linear path.
According to Erdman, if you are in the preacceptance phase, you have stopped dieting, but dislike your own body and other large bodies. You may diet again or spiral into initial acceptance in which you no longer see dieting as a viable option, although issues around food and eating still exist. This stage is also characterized by living in the present, tossing out the scale, using a support network and developing a creative body image in which you see your body as smaller than it actually is, which Erdman views as a healthy adaptation to a fat-phobic culture. As you reach midpoint acceptance, you move toward eating and exercising from the inside out, develop greater self esteem which results in more assertive behavior about your body when confronted by the culture.You also become involved in something larger than yourself, such as being a role model for others. Finally, if you are in the phase of decisive acceptance you are no longer fixated on food or eating, your body image reflects your true body size which is now seen as something positive, and you become active around the issue of size-esteem.
This spiral of acceptance is not meant to be used in a judgmental way, i.e. one phase is no better than another. Nor are the phases pure categories. Women using the Overcoming Overeating approach may find themselves anywhere on this spiral. Some women will begin their journey by focusing on body acceptance rather than on ending overeating.
Erdman recommends that women starting on the road to size acceptance stop dieting and begin "eating healthfully." Initially, we found this definition problematic because many people associate healthful eating with low-fat eating, thereby perpetuating the concepts of good and bad foods. However, Erdman eventually defines healthful eating as a process of "stabilizing your relationship with food" which implies that all foods are fine.
Throughout her book, Erdman emphasizes the need for support to move toward nondieting and size acceptance. She offers numerous concrete suggestions for creating a strong network including reading non-diet literature and research, subscribing to magazines for larger women such as Radiance and joining a group that focuses on ending dieting and promoting acceptance. However, in and of itself, Erdman's book is also a means of providing support for yourself! In terms of standing up to a culture that still sees size as a moral issue, we feel more vulnerable if we are isolated from one another and stronger when we join together. Reading Nothing To Lose makes you feel that you belong to a group of strong, confident women with whom you would be honored to identify.
While this book addresses the experiences of large women, (although we know that women of all sizes may see themselves as fat) at its core is the belief in size diversity. Erdman writes, "Appreciating the diversity and beauty in all body types -- valuing difference -- is an important key to our self-acceptance.
The concepts of Overcoming Overeating and Nothing To Lose overlap and complement each other. Starting at different points, they lead to a similar destination. No matter which door we enter, and at what size we arrive, together we can build a nondieting, size accepting community. *
Nothing to Lose: A Guide to Sane Living in a Larger Body by Dr. Cheri Erdman is published by Harper San Francisco (1995) and is available at your local bookstore.
Dear Overcoming Overeating Newsletter:
After mouth-hunger-eating-my-way through When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies, I arrived at Lake Austin Spa positive that I was exactly where I needed and wanted to be.
I just took a break for a little sweet "eating experience." Seems I'm not all that calm writing to you, dear Newsletter. What's really going on? I don't like revelation. Especially my own to you. It's more common for me to assume you don't really give a hoot what I might have to say.
Well, my new-found "wonder" woman self just pushed the pen on, and it says "who cares what THEY ...?" We care, but we want to share, says most of me!
I arrived at the spa hot and tired from the three flights I took to get there. Jane greeted me at the front desk with a dripping hug (she'd been in the pool). So as soon as I checked in, I put my suit on and headed for the pool myself. There I greeted Rita from Chicago, who didn't recognize me! What a revelation that was! She said she'd been wondering who that glamorous woman was. Amazing.
On one of my first visits to the dining room, Terry, the chef and director of the kitchen, came over to tell me he had "my cake" ordered and that it would be there the next day. (From a previous workshop at the Spa, there's a whole story about my now-famous white cake.)
I felt special and good after these responses, but they also exposed one of my deepest uncalming places. Is it going to be all right to feel good? Loved? Welcomed? And remembered, and treated like a queen with a special cake? Or not recognized, because I'm so glamorous? (NOW)
Yes, it's now all right. In fact I'm actually enjoying being special these days. What I've revealed to myself is that I've always liked being "special," it's just that my definition of that word has changed. I used to think I was the worst. At my second OO spa workshop, I remember saying that I'd probably have to attend every workshop everyplace, since I was such a wreck, I'd never get it.
Now I can allow my uniqueness to be seen and felt for its positiveness. What upsets my calm the most now is when I'm with an aggressive know-it-all who needs to put me down or make me out to be stupid in some way. Of course this is the voice of my inner yelling self who has been generally quieted after all these years. At fifty-two I feel at the beginning of a new life, and it's great.
I had an interesting experience at the doctor's recently. A new nurse greeted me with: "Okay girl -- get on up here!" (the scale). I said "No, I don't do scales." She insisted that I must not like my body since I wouldn't get weighed (so I'd know if I was going up or down). She went on to say "I've worked for lots of places - Nutri System, Diet this, and Diet that, and I've seen all kinds...." At this I interrupted her with: "Actually, I like my body very much now -- just the way it is. And I'm an activist in the National Women's Campaign to End Dieting and Body Hatred." She very aggressively said that she was entitled to her opinion and me to mine. I agreed.
I have CFIDS (chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome), and the doctor and I were very happily celebrating my total physical improvement when the nurse arrived on the scene with my B12 shot, which did not hurt me a bit. So, I learned she's really great as far as shots, blood pressure and pulse go, but I also learned I wouldn't die if I revealed myself. Assertively, I might add!
It seems the reason I mouth-ate-my-way through WWSHTB is because I was very uncalm about how I'd answer the question: After the eating problem then what?
I've been answering it. The doc told me to get a personal trainer. I did. So I am now "pumping iron." Yes, the "poor me" queen likes training and developing strength! We've moved into a villa-type condo with a private little pool. I play in the water nude, now, not someday when I am smaller, which may never be.
I left the workshop this time making the commitment to be active in the anti-diet movement. And I am. I bought three sets of Jane and Carol's books for the libraries near me, and also one for loaning to people myself.
The owner of the fitness center I go to said, "Boy, Mary, you sure came out of the closet!" I announced from the treadmill that I was not there to lose weight. The reaction was a lot like the day at the hairdresser's when I said, loud enough to be overheard, that I wanted to look older! (I look a lot younger than my age.) You can imagine the reactions of my audience.
I also left the spa thinking I might have to consider learning about computers. I'm (computer) illiterate, and have always said "Never" to learning about them. The first and only reason I'm suddenly open to the possibility is that at the spa I heard about getting "on line" and having a support group! Wow!
That remains a challenge. You may hear more from me.
Love, Mary
Dear Overcoming Overeating Newsletter:
Once again I have given up on eating what my body really wants and am in the fourth day of a diet that I have just failed. I am very unhappy with my body, but I seem unable or unwilling to fulfill my dream of eating out of hunger instead of a million other ridiculous reasons.
I still believe eating from hunger instead of my head or mouth is what makes sense. How could my body be wrong? My only question is, how do I stop this fight with my mouth and my head? I can feel free and wonderful around food for about a week at a time and then I once again go off the deep end... It seems like deprivation somehow, not to just "pig out."
Help me figure out how to stay on track! I have experienced that wonderful feeling of eating out of hunger and not being obsessed with food, but I kept losing it. I want it back to stay!
S.S., Florida
Dear S.:
It feels awful to experience mouth hunger/stomach hunger as a battle. Do not struggle against mouth hunger! If you do, it feels as if you are on a stomach hunger "diet" against which you then need to rebel (see "Notes from Chicago" in Volume 2, Number 2). Try to focus on collecting stomach hunger experiences and be gentle with yourself about mouth hunger. Gradually as you collect these experiences of feeding yourself in response to stomach hunger, your mouth hunger will begin to fade away. In the meantime, it's important not to yell for still needing to eat in response to discomfort. Instead, use the experience to learn something about what's troubling you. The transition from mouth hunger eating to demand feeding (eating from stomach hunger) is the cure for compulsive eating, but is a gradual process, with lots of ups and downs. We hope you'll keep reading the newsletter!
Dear Overcoming Overeating Newsletter:
Attending the Spa in Austin, Texas with Jane & Carol was probably the most loving thing I've ever done for myself. The people I met there and the issues we discussed were a tonic to my diet-weary soul.
For the past 40 years my food-focus led to fear, frustration & failure! Now at last, I feel I'm beginning to move toward a more satisfying level of self-acceptance. It's never too late, is it?!
J.H., Cincinnati, Ohio
|
|
When I open a woman's closet it's as if I hear the closet saying. "Hi, my name is ." Her closet is a statement about how a woman feels about herself, it's an expression of her self image.
How would your closet introduce you? What does it say about you? Does it say you are stylish, proud and confident? Or indistinct, frumpy, or cluttered? Somewhere in the middle?
Take an objective look at what's in your closet so you will better understand whether how you're feeling inside matches what is in your closet. Maybe it's time to update the image you're projecting to others.
Let me introduce you to some closets I have met:
Meet Packed Pam:
"Whew! It sure is crowded in here! There's no room to breathe. I've got everything in here from high-school jeans to last year's Halloween costume (at least that's what I think it is!) Let's not forget the never-ending shoe collection, and all the old gifts and hand-me-downs. Oh, yes, and then I've got all the bargains that were just too good to be true. Just between you and me, I have no idea what's in the paper bag hidden in the back corner...Do I have anything to wear at all?"
And Bland Blanche:
At our first encounter, Blanche was nowhere to be found. Her closet was like a storehouse with dozens of uniforms in greys, tans and dingy off-whites. The environment camouflaged Blanche's personality. Is she willing to step out of the grey twilight and make a statement about her style and characteristics?
And then...Hope:
Hope has one item in every size from 8 to 32. Her 8-12 version of herself is clear, confident and stylish. But when the size 14s and up take over, the confidence and style go right downhill. Perhaps someday she'll see that beauty and style exist in every size.
So...What Does Your Closet Say?
What do you hear about yourself as you inspect your closet? Is it filled with clothing that no longer fits? Is there clothing you hate even though it does fit? Clothing you never wear? Clothing that is stained, ripped, or missing buttons? Do you have old, treasured clothing that is just no longer wearable? Dark and dingy "fat-girl" styles? Take a good look. You may have plenty of clothes in your size that no longer reflect the "you" you would like to share with the world. Take some time and have a long talk with your closet...It's impossible to convey to the world that you are a beautiful and proud woman if you have clothes in the closet that say, "I'm too fat" or "Please don't look at me."
The goal is to have a closet that introduces you to the world as you'd like to be introduced. Find the words to describe your many different characteristics, and then try to find the clothes to match. Before you can develop a positive closet image, you may need to make room for it. This may involve a long talk with yourself...and some donations to your favorite thrift shop, charity or battered women's shelter.
Freda's Closet welcomes your questions. Write to Freda at the address below.
Freda Rosenberg has developed a psycho-educational program for women which deals with three issues: body image, self-esteem and self-acceptance, and self-presentation. She conducts public lectures and seminars titled "Myth of the Perfect Woman," "Mirror, Mirror: Learning to Love What You See" and "Dressing from the Inside Out." Freda has also compiled a directory of plus-size catalogs called "Freda's Secrets" (see below).
A 40-page guide with over 125 sources for women's plus-size clothing!
Each listing includes source name, address and phone number along with a full review of sizes, prices, styles and contents. Freda's Secrets lists each catalog by type of garment: undergarments, lingerie, bathing suits, exercise wear, evening wear, outerwear, casuals and more. Freda's Secrets includes a professional guide on how to shop mail-order.
Freda's Secrets $15.00*
Big Clothes for Men $8.00*
Plus-Size Sewing List $4.00*
* Canada - add $2 for first copy, $1 for each additional copy ($U.S. money order only)
* Foreign - add $3 for first copy, $2 for each additional copy ($U.S. money order only)
|
|
Lori, an old hand at the Overcoming Overeating approach, recounted the following bad body thought story.
"I really don't have so many bad body thoughts anymore. But recently, when I get out of bed in the morning, I immediately check out the size of my stomach and feel distressed. I tell myself what so many of us tell ourselves about our stomachs: 'I can't stand how it sticks out.' I've figured out that my upset about my stomach is my response to what's been happening for me professionally. I've just been promoted and I've received quite a bit of commendation at work. I'm thrilled, but I also know that I'm feeling unsettled by all the recognition. As soon as I remember that it's not my stomach sticking out that's really bothering me, I let go of the bad body thought, but by the next morning it's back. I guess I'm not dealing with my unsettled feeling about sticking out at work in an effective way."
Probably many of you have had similar experiences with a recurring bad body thought. You understand where the thought is coming from, you apologize to yourself, challenge the thought (Who says stomachs should be flat?), and set it aside, but the next morning or the next day, the same bad body thought returns. If simply naming the conflict beneath your bad body thought is not enough, how do you go further?
We asked Lori to tell us if she understood why sticking out at work made her so uncomfortable. She thought for a moment and told us that two things occurred to her. First, she reminded us that her father is a Holocaust survivor. Understandably, for him, sticking out has always been associated with danger, stemming from the danger of being known as a Jew in Nazi Germany. Lori added that her mother has always been a shy person, resentful of other women who are more self-confident, who relate to people easily. According to Lori, her mother has always been quick to find fault with women who speak up and draw attention to themselves. So as a child, in two major ways, Lori learned that sticking out and getting attention have negative implications.
"But I've known all of that for a long time," Lori said, "and I'm still afraid of calling attention to myself. I don't know how to move beyond my fear."
We suggested to Lori that she think through this situation in much the way she has challenged and thought through her old ideas about her body and her eating. Lori seemed most afraid of her mother's possible envy of her success. So she might ask herself, "Will modifying my behavior in accord with my mother's anxiety and shyness help me?"
First, would an inhibited, anxious Lori make her mother feel any better? Second, is it really true that Lori's mother would want her to suffer feeling insecure in the way she herself apparently has? Would she truly want Lori to hold herself back? Yes, there is such a thing as ill will, but most parents derive certain satisfactions from their children accomplishing more in life than they, themselves, have been able to do. After all, one's children are a part of oneself; it is extremely pleasurable to feel a part of their accomplishments. If a parent proves unable to enjoy a child in this way, that is clearly a problem the child cannot solve, no matter what she does or doesn't do.
"I can feel myself relax a little as we talk about this," Lori responded. "Just thinking it through rather than responding automatically with anxiety or bad body thoughts in itself is very liberating. What you say makes a lot of sense. I think you're right that when it comes to me, my mother probably experiences more pleasure and less envy than I imagine. And it's certainly true that my holding myself back won't do a thing for her insecurity."
Then Lori paused. "But what about my sister?" she asked. "My sister's certainly not happy about my accomplishments. What benefit does she derive from my success?"
Everyone in the group smiled in response to the new challenge Lori was posing; no sooner does one explanation bring us relief, than we think of some exception to the rule and start worrying again. And we could all identify with Lori's concern about the envy of other women.
One woman in the group responded, "Gee, I get pleasure when my brothers and sisters do well. I may feel envious, but I have a family connection to their successes."
"That's a good point," someone else chimed in. "As women, it would make sense for all of us to take pleasure in one another's accomplishments. But I think what gets in the way is this belief that there's only room for one. It's true that in some situations, there's only one winner, but most of the time, there's plenty of opportunity for many to succeed, albeit in different ways. The idea that if she gets something, I don't, is lethal. If Lori does well at work, it doesn't take anything away from her sister. Well, I guess once upon a time, when Lori was born, her sister did lose the limelight, but don't we all have to come to terms with never being able to have it all?"
"I used to worry a lot that other women would resent me for doing well and having a lot," someone else added, "but I decided to treat envy as a form of admiration. I think we all need to learn how to admire other women and be inspired by them without putting ourselves down in the process."
Certainly, there is no single answer to the problem of envy and competition among women. We all need to work at being able to admire and support other women's growth along with our own and to be admired by them in turn. One thing is sure. The "fairest of them all" contest will cease to control us when we are no longer dependent on men for access to money, power, and esteem.
What this discussion demonstrates, however, is that when a bad body thought is particularly tenacious, just naming the problem is not enough. Thinking through the underlying issue -- in this case envy -- helps dissipate the bad body thought and makes each of us more able to handle our real concerns.
Here's a report from Susan, a new mother, who recently adopted a healthy 8 lb. 3 oz. baby boy.
"I went for my first pediatric visit when Ken was 2 1/2 weeks old. I had interviewed many neighborhood doctors and chose this particular pediatrician because he seemed kind and sincere. "First, the doctor put my son on the scale. He weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces. The doctor said that my son wasn't gaining enough weight and that I should consider feeding him more often. My heart sank; I can't tell you how devastated I felt. I must have paled because he recalculated and discovered that he had made an error; my son's growth was perfectly normal. But I couldn't take it in; I stopped listening when I heard him tell me I wasn't feeding him well enough."
From Susan's description, when the doctor questioned the baby's weight, it did not sound as if he was alarmed that the baby was failing to thrive. He probably thought he was making an innocuous suggestion. But for Susan, it felt as if her choice to demand feed her child was under attack.
Let's look at a baby's typical growth rate. On average, babies lose 5-10% of their birth weight at birth and only regain it within 10 to 14 days. On average means that some babies regain their birth weight before that time, and some after. Not only had Kenny regained his birth weight by the time of this initial visit, but he'd gained a bit more. In fact, on average, full term babies gain approximately 7 oz. a week in the first 3 months, 5 oz. a week during the next 4-6 months, 3 oz. a week over the next 7-9 months, and 2 1/2 oz. at 10-12 months. In other words, growth slows over time. Again, some babies gain more and some less. Each child has his or her own growth rhythm. Susan's intense reaction to the doctor's initial statement speaks to the vulnerability many new mothers feel.
Susan continued her story:
"All my worst fears surfaced. Am I adequate enough to have a child of my own? Do I have enough to give? Will I be able to anticipate his needs and respond? Will he survive and grow with my care? I never imagined that my first visit to the pediatrician's office would raise so many of my issues."
Oh, the power of the scale, the feeding relationship, and our complicated feelings about doctors! It is natural for mothers to have feelings of inadequacy, particularly as it relates to feeding. After all, for most women, eating and body acceptance are crucial issues. In addition, feeding a child is part and parcel of giving sustenance and love; it is sometimes difficult to separate the two. It would be nice if doctors were sensitive to these issues. Although their training may not give them knowledge in the area of feeding and nutrition, nevertheless we look to them as authorities.
Still alarmed by the visit, Susan went home determined to feed Kenny differently. "I was not going to take any chances. At our next visit, we were going to be prepared for that scale. I began by waking him out of a peaceful sleep if I thought it was time for another feeding. Of course, he was needing sleep, not food, and he would tell me so by falling back to sleep, spitting out the bottle or turning away. I also tried to give him more at each feeding, even though his signals were quite clear. I was making myself nuts and, finally, I contacted Jane. She reassured me and said that I needed to trust myself and my son, and that he would tell me all I needed to know about feeding him if I followed his cues."
"Now we're doing just fine! We've seen the pediatrician again; he says that whatever I've been doing is working quite well. I wish my doctor had said that to me during our first visit. Next time, I'll consider speaking up about my beliefs instead of assuming that because my doctor tells me something, it must be true."
Many overweight people think if they accept their bodies, extra pounds and all, they'll only gain more weight. Not so, say researchers at the University of Vermont. After therapy for negative body image, 51 obese women felt better about themselves -- and were less apt to go on eating binges.
© Copyright 1995, The National Center for Overcoming Overeating
Contributors retain all rights to their work. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the National Center for Overcoming Overeating, P.O. Box 1257, Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10113-0920.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
