"Normal" Eating

Diet and Your Mood

An article in the January 2010 issue of the Tufts University Health and Nutrition Newsletter (http://www.tuftshealthletter.com/), FOOD AND YOUR MOOD, contains fascinating information about how what we eat affects our emotions. Most likely, those people who have depression or anxiety problems and turn to food, had mood difficulties before their food issues. But, the fact is, we can also depress or elevate our mood, not only with exercise, but with what we choose to eat.

Don't miss this opportunity...

As a way of participating in launching Eating Disorders Awareness Week, the Food and Feelings message board will begin to work through my FOOD AND FEELINGS WORKBOOK on February 28, 2010. There is no particular structure to this work except a commitment to read the book and to try to do the exercises. The last time this was done, the process was chapter by chapter. Some people just read the WORKBOOK because doing the exercises was too painful at that time; others did the exercises as well. I will, of course, be on the board with you answering questions, giving advice, and guiding you along.

If you've tried to read the WORKBOOK and found it scary or intimidating, this is a perfect time to work through it with like-minded folks to help and support you. Overeaters and undereaters all are welcome!  To join the board, go to the link above or to the links page of my websites Karen R. Koenig or Nice Girls Finish Fat. To order the WORKBOOK, go to Gurze Books.

Best,

Karen

http://www.eatingnormal.com/

http://www.nicegirlsfinishfat.com/

Normal Eating talks and media events

PLEASE NOTE: I encourage you to comment on my blogs and will do my best to address topics/questions you raise in future blogs. I cannot provide individual responses, but encourage you to post your questions and comments at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/foodandfeelings or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nicegirlsfinishfat.

Abandonment-

When a message board member (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/foodandfeelings) asked me to blog about abandonment, I had to comb through my archives, not believing I hadn’t already written about it. I hadn’t, so here are some of my thoughts on the subject. Boy, if ever there were ever a trigger for emotional eating, abandonment is it.

Give Yourself Permission

It’s fascinating how our minds work. First of all, half the time we don’t even realize what we’re saying to ourselves; the thoughts just slip by us. Second, when we use harsh words and are hard on ourselves, we generally don’t get the results we want. In fact, often, with eating and other activities, we get the exact opposite of what we intend.

Thoughts Not Truth

How many of you sometimes believe your thoughts are truth? Thoughts, truth—it’s easy to understand how you came to conclude that they are one and the same, but the fact is they most certainly are not. Truth is objective and evidence-based, whereas thoughts are fleeting neurobiochemiocal impulses which travel through the brain and work hard to make us believe they’re the gospel. Differentiating between truth and thoughts can make all the difference in recovering from an eating disorder.

Food and Relationships

Many disregulated eaters developed dysfunctional eating styles when they were children. Instead of being able to turn to people when they were in distress, they ended up running to the refrigerator. Maybe the whole family stuffed their emotions this way rather than share them. Or obsessed about calories, exercise and appearance to bind their anxiety rather than depend on each other. Or used food to cope with stress because they lacked effective life skills.

Blog Ideas Welcome

Wish I would blog on a question you have? Want to be more proactive about getting your food recovery needs met? Have a particular food issue you don't know how to handle? I'm looking for topics to blog on that will help YOU. If you would like me to blog on a subject, please email me at Karen R. Koenig. Note that I can't provide individual responses to questions or comments and that I generally write my blogs about a month before they are actually posted. And, don't worry, I won't mention your name. Thanks in advance for your great ideas!

Best,

Karen R. Koenig

My Work

Many of you know me only through this blog and may be unaware that I also operate two message boards. Although I don’t do as much teaching and public speaking as I used to, my events are listed at Koenig Events. I have published four books: THE RULES OF “NORMAL” EATING, THE FOOD AND FEELINGS WORKBOOK, NICE GIRLS FINISH FAT, and a book for therapists, WHAT EVERY THERAPIST NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT TREATING EATING AND WEIGHT ISSUES. For more information, visit my websites at Nice Girls website and Eating "Normal" website .

Eating Confusion

I’ve had many conversations with clients (with friends and acquaintances too) who aren’t really sure what behaviors are appropriate around food. Small wonder. Fearing it smacks of dieting, they don’t know if any restriction of food is kosher or wonder if overeating due to stress means they’re abusing food. Even in the realm of exercise, they’re unsure of how much is enough. Although there are no hard and fast answers to these questions, there are ways to think these issues through effectively.

Avoidance as an Operating System

I was reading a funky advice column a while back in which the columnist advised the question writer that he was using avoidance as an operating system and I immediately fell in love with the phrase. We all use avoidance as a psychological/emotional deterrent to emotional discomfort or pain occasionally. That’s natural and normal. However, if avoidance is a hallmark of how you negotiate life, you will have to change your modus operandi if you intend to overcome your eating problems.