January 2004, Issue #14
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In This Issue: Getting A Good Start In The New Year!
1. Start a Food/Feelings Notebook
2. The Hunger Scale
3. Self Talk Will Make You or Break You
4. Inspiring Quote
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This newsletter is under no circumstances meant to override the instructions of your physician regarding specific food restrictions.
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1. Start A Food/Feelings Notebook

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A Sample page of the Food/Feelings Notebook can be found on page 44 of Compulsive
Eater's Workbook, A Guide For Women Recovering From Bulimia and Compulsive Eating.
To order a book go to www.conquercompulsiveeating.com now and fill in the order form.  You
can work in your notebook throughout the day or just once per day.  Do whatever works best
for you.  The first column on the page is labeled "Feelings." Jot down what emotion you were
having before you ate.  By working in the notebook every night you will become very honest
with yourself about your eating.  You will also become more aware of what is most important
to you.  Plan to write in the notebook for the next 90 days.

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2. The Hunger Scale

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Here is the hunger scale.  Zero to three is true stomach hunger.  Three and one-half to five is
somewhat full to comfortably full.  Anything above a five is too full.  Think back to the first
time you ate today.  Ask yourself "What was my hunger number before I began eating?"  Put that
number in the column labeled "Hunger #."  Good. See how easy that is.  The goal is to get
very skilled at eating only in the zero to three range. The next column is "Food Item." 

Just jot down abbreviations of what you actually did eat. This is for your eyes only.
The next column is "Did I Stop When Sensations of Fullness began?" The answer is yes
or no. The goal is to master the art of stopping as soon as the sensation of fullness begins.
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3. Self Talk Will Make You Or Break You
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The last column "Helpful Thoughts" is a place to practice positive, healthy, empowering, and
nurturing self-talk.  This is a very important piece of your recovery.  We will be working on
this together in coaching sessions. Writing in the "Helpful Thoughts" column can help you
to become a very nurturing parent to yourself. Continued practice in this column will eventually change your self talk and you will be naturally supportive of yourself some day.
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Inspiring Quote!
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"There is the risk you cannot afford to take, and
there is the risk you cannot afford not to take."
 -Peter Drucker

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Now is the time to sum up your courage and eat only when you have true stomach hunger and
stop as soon as sensations of fullness begin. Take a leap of faith now at the beginning of
this new year and live without numbing out with food.  You may find your new lifestyle exhilarating!

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If you are obsessing with food and body image issues, the best way to get started on your
recovery is with Compulsive Eater's Workbook, A Guide For Women Recovering From Bulimia
and Compulsive Eating.  My book is a book of solutions, a practical, easy to understand,
"how to" approach.  My book will guide you step by step in overcoming your obsessions and
compulsions with food and body image.

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