1. Cheryl July 5, 2014 at 10:09 pm

   Letting go of our food identity… What an awesome and mystifying concept! Who AM I apart from food? I’ve never thought about it. Never even attempted to separate myself from food to discover that person. I loved what you said about there is so much more going on with you in your life apart from food issues. Isn’t that the way it always is? We never focus on the positive stuff, it’s always the negative. Are we just hard-wired that way? I bet I can count on one hand the people I know who are the opposite…

   Be that as it may, your question left me with a NEW question: What is NORMAL for me? If I concede that I am, indeed, normal, then what the blazes does that even look like? I’ve NEVER thought of myself as a normal anything. What a challenge!

   I’ve also been thinking a lot about what I said regarding being with friends and eating while having a good time. I realized something interesting, that food is like a drug that lowers our inhibitions. It puts us in a relaxed state so we can be open and free to enjoy each other’s company. So I’m asking myself how in the world it’s possible to get to THAT place without needing the food to do it. Going to have to talk to the girls about that topic.

   And I totally get what Mark was saying about the movies. I’m not that way with popcorn, but his lordship sure as heck is. It’s taken me forever to teach Lord Drollery (his lordship – grin – says a lot about his sense of humor) that you don’t have to do BOTH dinner and a movie for it to be a good date night. But I have my little quirks, too. Like when we go to dinner, I need a mint afterwards. It’s kind of like the period at the end of the sentence. Our lives are full of those kinds of sticking points. At least mine seems to be.

   And I’ve a confession to make! I accidentally discovered something horrendous this weekend. If I have a bowl of popcorn beside me while I’m writing, my thoughts flow so much faster I can hardly type fast enough to keep up with them. I thought, oh Lordy! I’m in trouble now! I told his lordship he can’t bring bags of popcorn home from the store any more!

   Now I’m going to go have a glass of white zin and ponder what the heck is NORMAL for me… Little frightening!

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   1. Laurie@CompulsiveOvereatingDiary Post authorJuly 7, 2014 at 4:34 pm

      I’ve also been thinking a lot about what I said regarding being with friends and eating while having a good time. I realized something interesting, that food is like a drug that lowers our inhibitions. It puts us in a relaxed state so we can be open and free to enjoy each other’s company. So I’m asking myself how in the world it’s possible to get to THAT place without needing the food to do it. Going to have to talk to the girls about that topic.

      Hmm, so food, like booze can be the social lubricant. That makes a lot of sense about why we feel so PISSED when dieting. Not only are we feeling like we lose out on the tasty goodies, but we also don’t know who we are without a bite on our plate. Very interesting, and I think true for me.

      Popcorn and writing? Maybe it IS like the movies. Are you watching your stories in your head as you write?

      BTW, I like a peppermint every night before bed. It’s a habit and it just makes me feel happy.

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2. Sue July 7, 2014 at 2:29 pm

   I heard what you were letting go of in this podcast and thought “Yes, Yes, Yes”. You are far more than the food label implies. This goes for all Brave Companions and anyone else who struggle with eating challenges. Our self esteem takes enough bashing and we need to focus on the positive characteristics and skills we have. It often does us good to think about how our friends would describe us.

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   1. Laurie@CompulsiveOvereatingDiary Post authorJuly 7, 2014 at 4:41 pm

      Thanks Sue, I agree that all of us Brave Companions can benefit by finding out who we are under the food compulsions and issues. One place to start is by finding out what we like to do. I think it can be intimidating for example to say, “I’m an artist”, but easy to say, I find I like to draw. To like to draw doesn’t imply talent or success. Now, both may occur, but it isn’t necessary. It also helps to take the sting out of perfectionism if our aim is purely to see if we like something. It helps focus on the process vs. the result. This is a lesson I’m learning now.

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