Other addictions that trigger overeating

[LouiseParticipant]

Hi folks

Just thought I’d share quite an interesting experiment I have done, which relates indirectly to non weight motivation and self esteem.

Earlier this year I started using Gillian’s method to cut down my visits to social media, especially Facebook. I had found myself spending too much time there and it was interfering with my work, making jobs last much longer than they should have because I kept flicking over to read Facebook posts instead of getting on with my work.

I did just the same things, for example setting Times to go on FB, and Plans in terms of how long I spent on Facebook. I gradually increased the gaps between visits and reduced the time I spent on there, and of course accepted my desire to login to FB. And guess what – it worked. I deleted my account at the beginning of June and am Facebook free now, which is great because I have freed up an embarrassing amount of time. For me, free time means more time to prepare healthy meals and to concentrate on Gillian’s materials.

The unexpected benefit that I hadn’t anticipated was that being on FB had also triggered a lot of eating, especially junk food. Once I came off, the cue to eat was no longer there, which was a big help in carrying on my work on overeating at other times.

Even more unexpectedly, I discovered that a lot of the posts on FB had made me feel inadequate or as if I was missing out, so it clearly wasn’t great for my self esteem either. It’s only really just started to dawn on me how a particular comment or remark on FB, even if not directed at me, could start a cycle of negative thoughts about myself.

So it’s been a kind of indirect way of both eating less, and raising my self esteem and is most definitely a non weight motivation that I would never have expected. Gillian, maybe you need to develop a course for people who are addicted to social media! 😃😃

[JessicaParticipant]

Wow this is wonderful and now has me thinking about my time on social Media! I love how you were able to use Times and Plans for this too. Seems so simple but something I am quite sure I would not have thought of on my own! Thank you for sharing.

[GillianModerator]

Great!

I love the idea of “accepting the desire to login”.

[Julie MannParticipant]

Louise I love this. I use Gillian’s methods with my desire to buy books, iced coffees, unneeded purchases. It’s so powerful. I allow the desire to buy and go through the red slide and let it pass.
Shopping, social media – all super addictive, so of course it really works brilliantly!!

[guadalupeParticipant]

hI ! Im using the tools also for other things like spending money buying stupid things I dont need in shops. And it works!. Also to social media, to answer whatsapp inmediately.
At work Im with the whatsappweb because I use it for work , but is my number, so if people writes me I tend to check it and answer, so that´s time that I spend there and I dont use it for work, but also I´ve realized that when Im out of work I tend to answer quickly always. Like an impulse, or a need to be there, so Im stop doing that and it comes automatically the urge to answer, and one it comes I say to my self, I dont one to do this anymore, I dont want to react always like answering at the moment. So its kind the same thing with food, when I have the urge of eat something, Im telling myself that I dont want to react always like eating…
Of couse, food is more complicated, but the impulse to react is almost the same thing.

[LouiseParticipant]

Yes I agree, it is a real insight into recognising impulse and being able to think through the urgency to act.

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