LIFE BEYOND CHOCOLATE

A Recent Discovery

2011-05-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

The principles of Beyond Chocolate work, without a doubt. However, I've recently been focused on a more "primal" way of eating (google it!)... and notice that my cravings are greatly decreased when I am eating mostly meat, veggies, and a bit of fruit and yogurt. The effect is so dramatic, that I am beginning to think I MAY never have HAD any kind of emotionally-disturbed eating disorder.

How about you?

Wow, my first follower!...and notes about "exercise"!

2010-08-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

Hello again all,

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to Dorothy, my first follower! If you happen to read this, Dorothy, I am curious - are you following Beyond Chocolate, too? How is it going for you?

On another note, I am looking for some FUN exercise....in fact, let's not even CALL it that! I've been checking out Zumba - anyone tried it? Also reading about the benefits of HIIT lately (high-intensity interval training) - it seems to be very beneficial. Trying to tap that keg that existed long ago when we were young and ran around, danced, biked, or climbed trees - all for the sheer thrill of it! I LOVE dancing on my own, now, though, too. Just freestyle - especially when no one is home! Okay, and sometimes when my husband needs some cheap entertainment! HA!

I'd love to hear from the rest of you - are you BC'ing? Dancing? Having FUN? Loving your BOD? Here's to YOU!

It's Working .... I Think!

2010-07-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

After some fits and starts, I am beginning to feel like this way of eating is really becoming part of my subconsciousness. I find myself “tuning in” more naturally throughout the day. I EVEN find myself putting down the fork, (or spoon, or hamburger ;) and instinctively stopping when I am just SATISFIED, not STUFFED! It’s a good feeling. I eat what I am craving, and am beginning to feel really free when it comes to food. HOWEVER, I am gaining weight! I honestly feel I am eating less than I used to, and I have been taking even longer walks (an hour or more), and dancing my posterior off a couple times a week, but I weigh more today than I have in years! This is very disconcerting! Maybe it’s muscle-weight? Yeah – that’s it!

How is "Beyond Chocolate" Different?

2010-07-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

The short answer: It's simple. I have read many books related to compulsive/emotional/whateveryouwannacallit eating, and they always seemed to require some intensive self-analysis. It all seemed so overwhelming. Yes, developing a normal relationship with food does take time and effort, but (like most of us!) I am a busy person, so having the 10 principles to refer to and just focusing on them makes it 'easy', in a sense.

And, when it comes right down to it, it is just a matter of re-learning old habits. Sometimes I think I have been eating a certain way for SO long, that it has just become a custom of sorts. It is a struggle usually to figure out WHY I want food at moments when I am not physically hungry. But it took years to develop this habitual dysfunction, so we cannot expect to un-learn it overnight! If I end up needing intensive psychotherapy, so be it! It would be nice, in a sense, to just sit there and blab your life story to someone, and not feel one bit bad about it, 'cause you're paying them for it! ;)

So how are you doing today?

"Beyond Chocolate" - What's THAT?

2010-06-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Beyond Chocolate is the title of a book, the name of a website, and most importantly a set of 10 principles used to help those who suffer from overeating to DITCH the DIETS and ANY diet mentality and TRULY GET TO THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM.

Now, it’s true that there are a few of us who are overweight (more correctly overfat) for some other reason – perhaps we are limited in what we can do physically, have a thyroid problem (here!), or are experiencing some other hormonal difficulties that make losing weight difficult. However, my experience (and I think many of yours!) has really been that, in one way or another (or many!), we just can’t say NO to food WHEN WE ARE NOT hungry.

So if the PROBLEM is our compulsion with food, what makes us think that (enter your latest diet here: Atkins, HCG, South Beach, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem………….yada yada yada!!!!!!!) is going to be the diet that FINALLY does it for us? No set of rules about how or what or when to eat this or that carb or protein, or rules regarding caloric intake, or points, or any OTHER such insanity is going to solve the problem.

Did someone say insanity??? Albert Einstein once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Do you REALLY want to spend ONE MORE Monday battening down the hatches because THIS diet is going to be the one??? Because THIS time you'll do it "right"?! Because this time you will find the "willpower"?!

It is amazing to me how so many folks, including many of you ladies (and gents!) out there, are learning to be more and more determined to get to the root of the problem when it comes to a medical issues, but that this mentality has not carried over in relation to our problem with food. I truly believe it IS one of the most basic causes of the level of obesity in the U.S. that we see today (and don’t get me started about estrogenic hormones in our environment – that’s a whole other blog! =)

More to follow! =)

A Continuing Story...

2010-06-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog, and my first blog post, but only one small part in what has been a life-long attempt to develop a normal relationship with FOOD. Please forgive my initial hiccups! If you struggle with the similar difficulties, I hope this blog will bring you a bit of comfort, camaraderie, and enlightening! Please share your story with me, also, and we can divide and conquer - little by little - together!