Listening to my tummy

The journey continues.

I'm waiting until my stomach growls before I eat, but even as I type this, I'm wavering on the issue.

I remember when I did the "Weigh Down Workshop" for weight loss--an approach which teaches that you should wait until your stomach growls before eating (or hunger pangs--whatever your body signals would be).

They taught that many of the various methods of weight loss and rules of what you should or should not eat are simply ways of making the food less damaging weight-wise, allowing you to eat more. The desire to eat more is at the heart of the problem, and needs to be addressed, rather than altering the food.

So, while I could eat 900 calories of raw veggies vs. 900 calories of cookies, the food amount would vary greatly, and it would seem more virtuous to eat the veggies. But it isn't the type of food that is the problem; rather, it is the fact that I'm not listening to my tummy, and living within the restraints that my body gives me. It is the fact that I'm eating for reasons other than living, and that those reasons are an indicator of other issues in my life needing attention--and that I'm using food as a coping method (followed by starving, laxing, exercising, etc. to correct the resulting weight gain, and the whole ED cycle as it takes over.), and trying to be happy in ways that are ultimately harmful.

I want to fix this. I want to address the thoughts and feelings that are bothering me. I want to live free of it all.

Today is another chance to practice doing it the right way.