Not all of us....

... are self-defined food addicts. But enough of us have admitted to the problem that I feel compelled to share some of this book that I'm reading with you. I can't tell you the insight - and relief - it is providing me and I'm only on page 61! Here's an excerpt - what is your kneejerk response to this? Talk to me:

We food addicts have a love/hate relationship with control. Many of us have a secret longing for something to come along and control our eating. Time was when we entered a new diet joyfully, not only because our dream of weight loss seemed close to coming true, but because we hoped it would rescue us from the circular agony of hating our bodies, wanting the weight off, and eating anyway. The trouble is that control efforts (diets and rules) never got us off that unmerry-go-round. Food was providing too great a service for us. Food was supplying the nurturing, comfort, escape, and reward that nothing else had.
Being controlled by food thoughts, drives to eat, obsessions about the size of your body and wanting to lose weight, and hating yourself, is hell. It can be all-consuming, taking your time, energy, and peace.
How in the world can one lose weight? If you are addicted to sugar and starches, no food program will be successful so long as you are eating sugar and refined starch. Even a little bit of sugar will trigger your obsession with food and your urge to eat.
Achieving abstinence from sugar is like withdrawing from any other psychoactive drug. Initial withdrawal is extremely uncomfortable and takes a lot of support. Staying abstinent from sugar is another great challenge. We need to make it through both the withdrawal and the dire cravings that accompany it as well as long-term withdrawal. To stay abstinent, we need a very strong, very accessible support system.

I'll keep sharing as I read if it will benefit anyone. Maureen

i have always said that food is an addiction. doctors say you need willpower or atleast they use to. they've come up with pills and surgery but we all still have these addictions.
years ago i went to i can' tremember the name of it but it was like AA meetings for food addicts,. it didn't help me. it wsn't what i was looking for.
i do know its helped others i just wans't successful with it.
all of the different things we can go to tops, weigh****chers they willhelp if they are the right thing for an individual.
we need the support just like what we get from our marchers.
well its day 3 for me of no atkins. today i felt like i was having flash backs or DT's without them. I have to say that god was looking out for me. i had to have a new employee ride with me so of course i'm not going to stop to buy atkinsl then on the way home when i ws thinking about stopping at walmart my car broke down and i had to call AAA!!!! can you imagine??? I was happy to have the car break??? that is just sick.
but it kept me away from atkins.
now i'm house bound until i get my car back hopefully tomorrow. ANd hopefully its a small expense please dear god let it be small.....
i found it really odd when thinking about it tonight that i would go through withdrawals from atkins bars! they really are good for you but for me not so mucvh because i over eat on them.
i've counted my calorie intake without them and its so much better. still alot more than i'd liek to have so i'm trying to cut that too. its all so hard.
but i' mom the right road.
we'll get there all of us together!