I know that many people do not consider food addiction a real problem like drug and alcohol addiction, but I think maybe the tide is turning. At least, I hope maybe it is. Because maybe then someone can come up with real treatment or some kind of system to ride out the addiction. It’s not as easy as (and believe me, I use that phrase loosely with only the utmost repect for those who battle against the following examples) nicotine or alcohol for example because you can NOT have complete withdrawl from the object of your addiction and live. You can’t just NOT eat. Just when I feel like maybe I am in control and could handle “dieting” I get an overwhelming NEED to have a hot fudge sundae from McDonald’s with extra fudge. Mmmm Fudge-fabulous! This is my latest obsession. The worst thing about this obsession is that it requires me to go to McDonald’s while I’m feeling guilty about getting the sundae in the first place so I feel like “what the heck, throw in the burger and fries while we’re here and I’ll just go turn my extra king-sized bedsheets into moo-moos (sp? is there a “proper” way to spell that?) when I get home after I throw the evidence of the McDonald’s into the garbage cans in the garage so Josh and the kids won’t know why I’m suddenly running around in a toga!” And by “running around,” I mean sluggishly hefting myself from my bedroom to the computer downstairs and back again with brief stops in the kitchen to muster more strength which inevitably lead to checking in the fridge or freezer for something to snack on for the rest of my “trip.” Ok, so it’s a bit of a dramatization, but not much. And seriously, I could take this rant into so many different directions and go off on countless tangents so I’m going to stop myself NOW. But, if any of you have helpful ideas on how to “Just Say No” to the fudge or have your own stories of overcoming addiction that may be helpful if shared, please, consider this an open forum. Just keep the language generally clean please. I never know who is reading this and apparently this blog has managed to maintain a “G” rating so far but I confess to not know anything about who is rating it or how or why.
Welcome to Blogland.
I hope you enjoy your stay. Please take advantage of our many fascinating amenities and leave us a comment before you run away.
Blogroll
Archives
- July 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
Random Quote
Riley Poole: [after Ben decides to steal the Declaration] This is... huge. Riley Poole: Prison... huge. You are gonna go to prison. You know that, right? Benjamin Franklin Gates: Yeah, probably. Riley Poole: Well... that would... bother most people.
by National Treasure
Becca,
I might be a lifelong embarrassment to you for blurting out whatever came to my mind, but I think you inherited the same gene sometimes when I read your blog. Yes, we are indeed carrying on this intimate, sensitive conversation in front of–anybody at all.
Okay, eating addiction. I “resemble” your remarks (as friend Rob/Bob would say). Fortunately, I’ve got a male body structure and maybe a faster metabolism rate or whatever than you were dealt. So, I don’t have any good ideas for you, except to say I believe you’re on the right track by keeping yourself very honest WITH YOURSELF and loved ones.
I told you about losing “quite a bit” of weight this summer. I attribute it 1) not having much else at hand besides your Mom’s healthy food choices, 2) a little will power to “just say no” on my part (but not much), 3) more exercise than I’ve had in recent years, 4) drinking lots of water. Maybe I’m giving the water too much credit, but it’s a change and a factor that has really impressed me.
I love you whatever size you’re wearing, but I am cheering for you in this addiction fight. Keep at it!
Dad
All I can say right now is UGH… AND I think I’m going to have to seek actual psychological help fighting this addiction. Inevitably there will always be someone who says, just don’t eat it! So, therein lies my pain… am I a pathetic loser who just can’t say no? I’d like to think that is not the case, but who knows!
I love you no matter what too, but I keep cheering and hoping that SOMEHOW we will figure this out!
Kate
Becca and Kate,
I know you (Becca) have tried the calorie-counting thing, but I’ve never understood what good that does when you “NEED to have a hot fudge sundae…with extra fudge.” But if it works, do it. I know some people swear by it. God bless ‘em and more power to ‘em.
Since my favorite Just Say No campaign has been against war, I compare this with classic arguments that used to be waged in front of draft boards. “How can you be a conscientious objector? Do you mean to say you won’t use force to defend your buddies, if not your own life, if the enemy is overrunning your foxhole?” The question is full of traps, such as quickly getting into violence and killing are natural and/or inevitable (I NEED to massacre some fellow creatures…with extra blood and smoke). I know only two plausible answers: 1) I’m anticipating this dilemma and acting now to avoid ever being in that foxhole, and 2) You’re right, I can’t guarantee my behavior will be 100-percent consistent with my beliefs, but I am studying alternatives to lethal force and preparing myself to respond according to the best I know whenever I might find myself in such a horrible predicament. I’d hate to act on impulse and regret the consequences ever after.
Skeptics will say, “What? Surely you don’t mean you don’t believe in any form of defense!” Which is a little like giving yourself a pass by saying your addiction is about eating. You’re right, you can’t live without eating, but you can live without junk food, and you can live without excess (and you know this, of course). Nobody says you can’t live without food, so I don’t see such a big difference from the challenge for people with various narcotic addictions. They fight addiction “one day at a time,” and they find strength in support groups.
I think addiction is as good a conceptual framework as any, but I’d look for answers from everywhere, and I’d be suspicious of anyone claiming a monopoly on the whole truth.
And I wouldn’t think of it as addiction to eating. The addiction is to eating the wrong stuff, eating the wrong quantities, and eating at the wrong times.
But as I said, these are my ideas for me. I might not have good ideas for you.
That said, keep encouraging one another, and broaden your support group to include anyone with a helpful spirit. I don’t know if psychology has more answers than any other discipline, but honesty AND goodwill TOGETHER go a long way, from whatever source.
Dad/Dan
Part of why Americans are overweight is addiction. Sadly not many people realize that this is a real addiction. Like any other addiction, food addiction is very strong and sometimes overpowering. Unlike other addictions, like you mentioned, one can not completely eliminate food and survive.
However you have the right frame of mind by knowing it exists and wanting to conquer it. I agree with your dad, water helps a lot. I was once told that one should drink as much water as you weigh. For example, 150lbs person = 150 ounces of water a day. I am not sure if you should drink that much, but at least 64 ounces a day is what is recommended for everyone.
I think you are an amazing person, no matter what any scale says. Don’t let yourself feel guilty about the past. just try to get better for the future.
Becca,
I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to your post, I have to admit. I read it and re-read it several times only to feel wholly unqualified to respond each time…
Even now I am not so sure where I am going with this comment. I guess that’s because I am just not so sure what will be helpful or relevant…
If I ramble a bit, forgive me.
You see, I believe in food addiction whole-heartedly. I believe our country has set us up unwittingly or otherwise to depend on food for our happiness in more than one way. Through marketing and advertising, through convenience, through ingredients…we have been set up to fail.
If we were to fight this battle, however, we would have to commit to the task of becoming highly educated on the topic–and sadly, there are those who are simply not up to the task (intellectually or otherwise).
For people like you, however, I believe firmly that if you had the knowledge–heck, if you even knew that there was information out there about the psychology of food and eating in this country, if you understood how various chemicals and ingredients in food interacted inside of our bodies…you would be able to make the necessary changes…all you need is the tools…
So, I am including some links in this comment:
This is a study I showed Kate a while back–it comes from Duke University
“Craving, tired and blue: do you recognize this cycle? You’re craving carbs, gaining weight, fighting fatigue and mild depression. Duke University takes a look at the root conditions within this cycle of atypical depression and finds hope in nutritional therapy”
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0675/is_1_22/ai_112408514
This is fascinating research at Cornell and if you were interested in the intellectual side of food addiction and overeating, this really would be the place to start.
http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/index.htm
This part of the website is particularly interesting…
http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/education/index.htm
Ok, also, the director of the aforementioned department wrote this book and I bought it and read several of the chapters. It is buried in my boxes somewhere and if I can get to it before you buy it, I will be happy to send it to you. The entire website here is an amazing resource. So amazing, in fact, that I think I will write my own blog post about it–hmmm….
http://mindlesseating.org/
Finally, here is an amazon.com search results for books on food addiction which is something you could do for yourself, but I wanted to highlight the fact that there is a TON of literature you can arm yourself with and I believe that understanding the biochemical reasons for some of the behaviors we exhibit and then understanding how to change our biochemistry so as to not influence our behavior or influence it as strongly as it has in the past is the first step on the road to recovery.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-2551186-6080047?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=food addiction
I, myself, struggle with my own addictions to certains behaviors and thought patterns. I have found literature a vastly
helpful and supportive tool as I continue to wage battle against them.
Ok, one last thing–I have already gone on too long…You are an absolutely beautiful woman, beautiful person, you are very fortunate to have a beautiful family and I admire you very much.
In the end, scale schmale…it is your health and how you feel about yourself….