Slide Week 4: Are You Self Medicating with Food?
Please note: This week there is a "Keeping It Real" message for you to play at the end of the meeting, so be sure to allow at least 5 minutes for that.

Past week review (no longer than 10 - 15 minutes).
Last week's lesson talked about will power being a myth and introduced the idea of behavior chains and intervening in them early on to bring about change in our actions. How did these ideas impact your actions or experiences this past week? Discuss.
Now, before we go on to the lesson, does anyone have any other insights or interesting experiences that they think would be valuable to share with the group? What about any questions?
Wait for any response/discussion. (Be sure not to let this run too long or get too far off topic.)


Then, play the lesson. (Next Slide )
 Slide After Audio Check-In:
What did you think of the lesson you just heard?
Anyone have any thoughts they'd like to share?
Questions? "Ah Ha Moments"? Give people a bit of time to flush out initial reactions before moving on to the next discussion point.
If there are no responses, simply move forward.
 Slide Discussion Point 1:
Today's lesson about self-medicating with food is very important. It is the basis for you to come to understand the underlying issues behind why you are overweight.
So, let's start by talking about some ways in which people use food to alter their moods. Let's think of some examples. Who'd like to start us off? Pause for discussion.
Now, what does self-medicating with food look like for you? Think about ways you've used food to alter your mood. In what situations do you find yourself reaching for food when you are not truly physiologically hungry? Who can give us an example? 

Pause for discussion.
Then, read this:

If you didn't have any examples to share, please just think about this: If you are overweight, then you are eating more than you need to in order to meet your body's physiological needs. Why is that? Slide Discussion Point 2:
Please think about the review that you did just before this meeting of the entries that you made in your Urge Journal this week.
Now, look at your entries through this new lens of using food for altering your mood. We will take a little time to for you to reflect on your own entries and experiences this week and then we will open it up for discussion to share a situation from your own life in which you now realize your entry was really all about altering your mood. Give people a little time to think about their entries and then say:
Who would like to share their experience?
 Slide Discussion Point 3:
After hearing the lesson and thinking about the idea of self-medicating with food, how do you now feel about the statement "I eat because I like to eat." Do you recognize it as a diversion now? Pause for discussion.
Can you think of some other diversions that people use – or that you've used – when it comes to dealing with food issues? Slide Wrap-Up:
During the week, think about this: if you reject the idea that you are self-medicating with food, recognize that you are kidding yourself. We can't sugarcoat this. If you are overweight and need to be in this program, then you are using food for self care in some way.


Now, before we go, there is a Keeping it Real message from Doctors Answer Lite. Go to Next Slide for "Keeping it Real" Audio Message.
(Use the "screen share" option like you do with lessons)
 Keeping It Real Slide Wrap-Up:

If you have someone in the group who is starting to dominate the group discussions or who is focusing too much on a personal issue or who is not participating in the discussions, you can read this after you play the KIR message:
During the week, think about your participation in group so far. Have you been focused too much on your own thoughts and opinions? Remember, you can learn a lot by hearing what others have to say. And, if you haven’t had much to say so far, keep in mind that it will be to your benefit to contribute to the group. You’ll find that there is a power in the group.
Read this to end meeting: OK, that's it for today. Remember to review the entries in your Urge Journal before the meeting starts next week.


Hope you have a great week! Track Your Progress:
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