Comments on: Feed a cold, starve a fever

By: Sophie

Sophie — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:32:27 +0000

I stumbled on this blog by a total accident (on a whim I googled ‘why don’t fat people get wrinkles’ haha) and I have to share up front that I’m not fat. I’ve been reading this for the past three hours because it’s so interesting and I think Kate writes well, entertainingly, and explains things the way I like things explained. And I guess I have felt that something, something didn’t add up re: obesity, dieting, and common beliefs, so this adds a new side to the issue to which I will now compare all of my first-hand observations, you know, see what adds up.

Actually, I want to comment because I think I actually belong in this thread. I think that society’s thin-prejudice has even managed to get ME down. I was in college from ’02-’07 and a total mess about food, and most aspects of being an organized adult. I ate so, so erraticallly, alternately stuffing and starving myself, eating unhealthy foods. I starved during mornings and stuffed myself at dinner, rounding it out with a 2 am run to Whataburger. It had to do with anxiety about grocery stores/cooking and a lack of planning and self-control. School suffered in the same way.

The relevant part: All the mornings I was starving (honestly, as a result of terrible self-management, not body image) I was way sluggish to fix the situation because I always thought, “Oh well, can’t ever be too thin!” I didn’t even want to be thinner, but I think that the “thin” positive spin instead of the “unhealthy” negative spin was enough to keep me in my cycle. Now I think about my health more, and I’ve figured out the grocery stores somehow! I thought that since I had a positive body image then I must not have an eating disorder, and therefore didn’t need to worry about it. I still don’t believe I had/have an eating disorder, but physically I may as well have had something of one for those years. Mentally and emotionally it was much easier for me to begin a new chapter (than I imagine for someone with an emotionally-based eating disorder), but my body is still paying the price.

Many of these issues that you guys are talking about with eating, I have. Mainly trying to figure out triggers for my continual, post-meal bloating, burping, reflux, and gas. Also trying to eat intuitively, because if I tell myself I HAVE to eat the leftovers, but I’m not feeling the leftovers, theeenn I’ll just starve. One thing that helped amazingly (my version of tanglethis’ farmers’ market): I now live around the block from a Trader Joe’s and I can go there EVERY DAY if I want and pick out what I want to eat right then. Amazing. No anxiety. No trying to shop for the week and then throwing most of it away and feeling guilty. I used to stress so much that the act of cooking would make my stomach all tightened and jumpy and unreceptive of food, but I’d eat it anyway, and feel sick.

Ok I have no idea if this post is appropriate. My feelings won’t be hurt at all if you delete it. I read a thread earlier about the responsibility of the non-marginalized group to pay attention to issues that they aren’t affected by because they have a unique power to help so I figured it would be ok to join the discussion.

This site helps me understand my overweight friend who doesn’t let it get her down! She was always a mystery to me. Next time she tells me her mom wants her on Weight Watchers, I will be like “Do not listen to that bitch!”

By: Peg

Peg — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:18:01 +0000

This discussion has been helpful to me because as I’ve been moving toward demand feeding, I’ve been searching for useful metaphors or ways of thinking about the issue. Trying to distinguish between physiological hunger and emotional hunger is one way to think about it it, but it feels confusing because in me the two are so intwined. So lately, I’ve been thinking that the distinction may be more between internally-driven hunger and externally-driven hunger. By externally-driven I don’t mean environmental cues (e.g., the sight or smell of food), but rather all of the cultural messages that have messed up my head and my approach to food. Internal hunger refers to the core desires underlying all of that external brainwashing. It’s what I as a whole organism need. That’s my theory anyway.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 01:54:04 +0000

Pregnancy did it for me. My body basically screamed, “Eat what I want when I want it or you will be punished!” Though it’s never been as clear since, some remnant of that remained.

By: Medea

Medea — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:29:38 +0000

I’ve had pretty good luck with a sort of “trial-and-error” translation. Apart from actual meal ingredients or whatever, I try to keep a variety of small stuff around that only takes five minutes or so to prepare. Then, if I’m hungry, but not sure for what, I can grab a piece of cheese or an apple or microwave (I know this sounds silly) three ravioli or half a chicken breast and just kind of try it. If it’s TEH BEST THING EVAR, I can always make more, and if it’s not, I don’t have to deal with having wasted time, energy, or food.

Also, there’s usually some pattern in my cravings. I seem to grave things in groups, although externally it makes no sense. For example, if I feel like cucumbers, any combination of bagel, bell pepper, vinegar, mild cheese, hummos, OR cucumber will usually be tasty and satisfying. So yeah, I think my body has a limited vocabulary and uses “cucumber” to mean all those things. ^.^

By: Allura

Allura — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:11:56 +0000

I had a bad case of ick a few weeks ago that led me to really start paying attention to what I want to eat. I’ve been trying to maintain that thought process since then, but it’s hard bc I often want something that’s simply not here (and I don’t have a car during the day). Kinda frustrating.

I’ve noticed I tend to want texture more than a specific food, though. Crunchy or salty tend to be the big ones.

By: Meowser

Meowser — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:08:32 +0000

I think I do a lot of "how will this make me feel and function after I eat it?" also. For instance, my coworker eats a donut for breakfast, but if I eat a donut and sit at my desk afterwards and try to concentrate I will fall asleep. Also, I'll be hungry again in two hours. So, no donuts unless I am going to be in motion afterwards and plan on early lunch (or unless I want to go sleepy-bye at 9 AM for whatever reason). But it still needs fine-tuning. Last night I had pizza and beer for dinner, and that was great...for putting me in a coma. Whatever I had hoped to do after dinner did not get done; it was a struggle just to get up and run myself a bath. Now, if a postprandial spaceout was what I had actually planned, tee-riffic. And sometimes it is exactly what's called for. Just not at that moment.

By: The Rotund

The Rotund — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:07:42 +0000

SarahR, I ask myself some of the same questions – for me the trick is to remember that eating is necessary every so often. *laugh*

Another thing that works for me, decoder-ring style, is smell. Sometimes I drive around the parts of down that are thick with restaurants and just sort of smell the air. Whatever smells good is generally what I eat whether I buy it or make it. This only backfires when I can’t identify a smell.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:06:17 +0000

My comment was totally tongue-in-cheek.

Also, I’m just really tired and not braining well today.

Whereas, my brain is on overdrive and I miss humor completely. duhr. :D

By: kateharding

kateharding — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:59:48 +0000

I agree with you completely, Kimberly. My comment was totally tongue-in-cheek.

Also, I’m just really tired and not braining well today.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:56:57 +0000

Well it doesn’t necessarily have to be hard, we can just change the question. Instead of asking, “What does my body want?” ask, “What do I want?” and then pick something. I’m not saying the choice is easy, just that we don’t have to talk of our choices as separate from us.