Dilia from Somewhere traveling in Planet Earth

Hi Laura:

I typically call my one-on-one appointments to a private number where they are not going to be disturbed. You can send me that UK landline number, or if that is not a viable option for you then let's use my conference line.

Warmly,

Dilia Suriel
Author, The Thin Woman's Brain

Dilia from Traveling around the planet

Scheduling treats are essential to the rewiring process!

Rachel, it's not only important to have the ice cream that you are craving, it's essential to the rewiring process. Yes, when we are full our physical bodies do not need additional nourishment. We need to cognitively acknowledge that fact. However, we want a treat and 1 single serving of a treat, eaten in a mindful manner, it's part of the rewiring.

The critical distinction is that it is planned, it is eaten mindfully, it is enjoyed and we feel fully satisfied after eating it! The alternative of deny this natural human desire and attempting to just say NO! NO! NO! only leads to an overeating episode later on. So effectively by believing that we can suppress this normal desire we are setting yourself up for overeating.

LAURA from United Kingdom

This is very helpful to know, thanks

Dilia from Somewhere traveling around the planet

I typically use the assessments to comprehensively understand the person who is participant in one of our TWB programs. While everyone is different, and a dialogue is always helpful, here are my insights into these assessments:

The Yale Food Addiction Score (YFAS) ranges from 0 to 8, an 8 revealing SEVERE food addiction. It has been my experience is that on average it takes 3 weeks per every YFAS point, which means that at the highest level of addiction the person should plan a 24 weeks of a focused rewiring investment. Obviously persistence, determination, and commitment do influence the actual duration, but it's best to plan for a longer duration than to set unrealistic expectations.

The Daily Experiences assessment provides a meaningful measure of the intensity that the person feels when they experience brain hunger. During the group's coaching sessions we dialogue about the techniques that rewire these compulsive reactions, which we then tune to meet an individual's triggers.

The Life Skills assessment is measuring the person's strengths and vulnerabilities in the nine critical life skills. Any deficiency in any of these skills provides insight of that individual's personal triggers. With that information we can then tailor a process to respond in a nurturing manner to what otherwise would be recurrent overeating episodes.

Because the rewiring process is typically an endeavor ranging several weeks, the Life Orientation assessment provides critical insight as the likelihood a person will complete the rewiring process. It measures the person's level of resilience, which is a necessary to effectively process triggers and overeating episodes during the rewiring process.

For the sake of thoroughly we also include the Insulin Resistance assessment in case a person is pre-diabetic as this is critical information needs to inform into any effective rewiring process.

Let me know if this highly summarized response is helpful.

Warmly,

Dilia Suriel
Author, The Thin Woman's Brain

Dilia from Somewhere traveling around the planet

A 3 on the Perfectionism score indicates that there is a strong likelihood of perfectionist tendencies. We have found that it is critical to identify Perfectionist tendencies as perfectionists have a difficult time experiencing progress, they feel that any day when they don't execute the rewiring steps perfectly, it doesn't count. Like all of their life, the perfectionist rates the rewiring execution for each day as either black or white, it was executed perfectly or it doesn't count. Most perfectionists give up any endeavor after they have three days of non-perfect execution. So this inability to experience progress is critical to identify early.

So, Ashley, 0 on the Perfectionism score is a good indicator that you'll be able to experience and celebrate the small daily progress that is necessary to achieve comprehensive rewiring.

Warmly,

Dilia Suriel

Dilia from Somewhere traveling around the planet

The book compiled a comprehensive, scientific understanding of the compulsive reactions to food, and more importantly, why the Cognitive Behavioral protocols have been found effective in rewiring these neurological reactions.

I personally designed the TWB program, and I actually took most of the concepts in the book and transformed them into a step by step set of daily actions and responses to achieve, not just conditional, but comprehensive rewiring. The program starts with our 5 assessments, which are the metrics that we use to gauge the person's starting point, their strengths, challenges, level of compulsion, power of their brain hunger and likelihood of success.

The TWB app is your rewiring coach on a device, it contains all of the steps, the interrupt tools and the repository of your experiences as you journey through your own personal rewiring process.

The TWB program also includes my personal coaching as we need to process the setbacks, triggers and anything that contributes to recurrent overeating episodes. Interaction with other human beings actually generates oxytocin, which is critical to rewiring. That is why people who participate in support groups, or work with a coach or support professionals, are 88% more likely to rewire than those who work by themselves.

Overall, I feel that my TWB is the most comprehensive, cost-effective program in the market. As it is based on scientific evidence, it has metrics to identify issues, it measure progress, it has an app to use daily and it provides multiple opportunities for coaching and support.

If you have any additional questions, you can always email me at dilia@thinwomanbrain.com.

Warmly,

Dilia Suriel
Author, The Thin Woman's Brain

Amanda from Aberdeen, United Kingdom

My 4 day goal is to identify the difference between real and brain hunger and engage in mindfulness. I am meditating twice a day.

Kathy from United States

I just changed my 4 day goal to the of simply being MINDFUL... each and every moment. So much is happening in my life in a very short period. Mindfulness is KEY.

Jackie from Ottawa

When I first paid attention, after reading the book, I noticed how agitated I felt as I ate. I certainly wasn't eating mindfully. In fact, I avoided paying attention by always having a book playing, the television on, etc. I started yesterday at supper paying attention to what I was eating, putting down my utensils between bites, paying attention to the taste. I left food on my plate. My stomach still wanted food, but not what was in my plate. I had a piece of fruit for dessert and left the table. I said to myself - yes, you still want more, but you aren't getting any - get over it. Without actually realizing it, a few minutes later the hunger was gone. I did not crave any other food the rest of the evening. I woke up without feeling starved. I'm now onto Day 2 of the 4 day goal to eat mindfully.

Jackie from Ottawa

I have gone from always having something else going on while eating to absolute quiet. My husband eats his meals with me. He is naturally skinny but is supporting me on my journey 100%. I went 4 days mindfully eating, slowing down, finally tasting the food. I never want to go back, but I must be vigilant.

Kate from CT

Why is it so difficult for me?

My 4 day goal is not to eat anything while standing in the kitchen. Sounds easy but it's difficult for me!

Dilia from Somewhere traveling around the planet

Hi Katherine: Obviously food is your primary source of dopamine right now and you need to learn how to meet the real need with nurturing dopamine sources. That is part of what we do jointly in the program, learn how to identify your dopamine sources and what dopamine sources meet what need. Regarding dealing with stress, please take the "Life Skill assessment" and let's dialogue about what life skill might need to be bolster to build the ability to deal with challenging situations. Warmly, Dilia Suriel

Katherine from USA

Thank you for the kind and fast response, Dilia! I took the life skill assessment a few days ago for the second time and have a few questions about interpreting the results. Are we supposed to be aiming for 3/3 on all the skills? Thank you again, Dilia.

Mackenzie from Mn

Katherine I hear you! I have tried other means of soothing myself after a long day and I am REALLY struggling with that. For the most part I have cut down on my portions at meals being mindful and for the MOST part I'm not eating all day long at work (today I raided my friends' candy drawer for a handful... ugh) but the EVENING I just have nothing left. I make dinner and I have a glass of wine and then after the kitchen is cleaned up I'm up and back raiding the cabinets! I recognize the progress I've made in other parts of my day but the evening is a KILLER for me. I've got to figure out some kind of intensive calm down. I think I am going to try by doing my meditation right after I put my son to bed. I play with him for my post meal dopamine but once he goes to bed I need a very very extreme intervention to keep my mits off the chips and cookies and crackers... and and and... (ugh!)

Kathy from United States

I am struggling to figure out WHAT I need! I lost 20 pounds on this program without even thinking about it. It happened at a time when I was extrememly busy with work. Now that's over, and I feel lost.

Katherine from USA

This is awesome improvement, Mackenzie! Thanks for sharing!

Roberta from Florida

Good for you!

GraceAnna from SC

I appreciate your words, "has been on a diet since she was 5 and moving from one stolen, shameful binge to the next has more or less made up the fabric of my eating." This statement rings true for me too. I am excited to get to a place of peace around a piece of cake. Today will be my initial chat with Dilia to get this underway (or underweigh to be witty)-yippee!

Dilia from Somewhere traveling around the planet

Self-sabotaging

There are scores of university studies correlating adverse childhood experiences with addictive behavior. We now understand that the left prefrontal cortex is formed by the age of 18 months, the left one by 6 years. The implication of this early brain development is that our internal sense of self is negatibly influenced by these early adverse experiences. These often lead to a sense of "There is something wrong with me." When one of our core beliefs is that "I'm basically flawed." it must be re-enforced by recurrent experiences. In the case of a food addict, the recurrent experience is overeating, a return to the cycle of shame and to the re-enforcement of the core belief of inadequacy.

The comprehensive solution is to commit to eradicate this pattern of self-admonishment, the very belief that returns us to the cycle of shame, we must develop a healthy acceptance of our humanity. Being human means accepting that we are not perfect, but we are also not inherently flawed! When we develop a nurturing, accepting inner dialogue we don't need to continue feeding the cycle of shame. The self-sabotaging behaviors then stops.

Mackenzie from Mn

Self-sabotaging

Debby works for me! It's really hard to quit looking at those labels. I guess the right answer is to try and reach for the stuff without the labels. :)