Sharon was fed up with thinking about food all the time. She had been overweight her entire life-and painfully recalls being beaten up once by kids after school because she was fat.
Sharon is honest about her situation: “I knew I was an emotional eater. I was constantly thinking about food-I even woke up thinking about food!” Diets hadn’t helped her with this problem. “Weight Watchers was a good diet but I had to focus on food constantly still,” Sharon says.
A Desire for Lasting Change
Sharon says she has spent thousands and thousands of dollars on diets and has tried everything. She decided that lap band surgery was her only option. She knew that people sometimes gained their weight back-her friend had-but she didn’t see any other options.
She made an appointment with her trusted family physician, Jennifer Morse, to discuss it. Sharon expressed her frustration and desire for lasting change. “I knew if I did not get my thoughts about food and the reasons I overeat in check, I would regain all of the weight; therefore, it was very important to change my mind before changing my body.”
Dr. Morse was empathetic as she has lost over 100 pounds herself. She wanted to share what she had learned with her patients so she became an Am I Hungry?® Facilitator. Sharon signed up for Dr. Morse’s first classes but confides that she was too busy to focus on what she was learning. She signed up again the next time the workshops were offered and that was the turning point.
Eating to Live, Not Living to Eat
“It just clicked! I eat like a thin person now!” She has effortlessly lost 32 pounds so far but says, “It’s not about the weight anymore. My fantasies about food are gone. Though I never believed it was possible, I am now eating to live, not living to eat.”
When asked about the changes she’s made as a result of participating in Dr. Morse’s Am I Hungry? workshops, she says, “everything!” Here are just a few:
- In the past, I would eat something just because it was in front of me-even a stale donut. Now I don’t bother with food I don’t love.
- I want fruits and vegetables now. Before this, I never would have eaten an apple instead of cookies.
- I can eat what I really want. If I’m hungry for Reese’s® Peanut Cups, I eat them.
- When we go out to dinner, I am more focused on relationship and conversation, not just the food.
- I notice that when I feel full I just stop eating. During one of the workshops, Dr. Morse used a balloon to help us get the concept of fullness. I realized that my stomach just wasn’t as big as I thought.
- I’ve learned to pamper myself with something besides food. I bought new clothes for the first time in 15 years. I had forgotten what that feels like. I’m even treating myself to pedicures.
What About Exercise?
S
haron says she enjoys being active, walking her dogs, and using a Treadclimber regularly at home. Now she’s thinking about joining Curves with a friend she met in the Am I Hungry? workshop.
Sharon says she really benefitted from sharing her experiences with her classmates. “They have had similar issues so that was a big help.” The fact that her facilitator shared her insights from her own journey was another bonus. Michelle May, M.D., the founder of the Am I Hungry? Workshops and Facilitator Training Program, said, “Many of our facilitators have struggled with overeating or restrictive eating in the past and are passionate about this approach.
Forward Thinking
“I am so grateful for my doctor and these workshops. The book and workbook are fantastic! I recently shared Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with my niece who was tired of constantly thinking about food too.”
A doctor at the office where she works began offering a medical weight loss program (which Sharon describes as “shakes and bars”). “Everyone else jumped on board but I wasn’t the least bit interested because I’ve been down that path before. Of course, no one is doing it anymore. Quick fixes just don’t work.”
Instead Sharon says she plans to retake Dr. Morse’s eight week workshop once a year “as a refresher” to remind herself of all the major changes she’s made in the way she thinks about food…or rather, doesn’t think about food.