Obsessing again

My thoughts surround food today.  Comparing food with alcohol.  I'm so frustrated with myself.  This isn't about weight or even health.  It's about my sanity.  I am eating against my will, the same way I drank. 

I think that maybe sugar and white flour really are addictive for me.  Maybe it is impossible for me to have one bite of anything containing sugar or flour without it leading to cravings and more carb eating.  I can't seem to stop. 

Denial.  How can food possibly be addictive???  Is it my metabolism and how my body processes the food?  Is it an allergy to sugar/flour similar to the one I have to alcohol?  Can't be, I tell myself.  If I'm working a good program, then I shouldn't be overeating!  Must be something wrong with my program.

Alcohol.  Could I have a drink even if I was working a perfect program?  Answer:  No.  The program doesn't keep me from craving, it helps me stay abstinent.  I'm not allergic to ALL beverages, only alcoholic ones.

Food.  The program can help me stay abstinent, but I've got to put the GET abstinent first.  I have to not pick up that first piece of bread or sugary food.  Stop buying that stupid bagel on my way to work. 

I'm driving myself insane.  I can't seem to get to that first step of just putting it down! 

Staying abstinent from food is a challenge since you need to eat to live.  The only advice I can give is to find low carb substitutes such as Carb Crunchers Bagels and so forth.  I found them on lowcarbu.com

 

It takes some google searching and creative kitchen ideas to feed the demon.

Jill, I know this doesn't work for ALL situations but someone on one of these forums recently shared the following tip: To keep herself from going through drive thrus on the way to/from work she places her purse in the trunk of her car. This makes it more difficult for her to just absently make poor choices. Worth a try, don't you think?

Do you enjoy fresh fruit? Maybe if you keep a basket of healthy foods in your car to munch on you'll be able to avoid buying the bagels.

Take care,

it does sound funny but i agree with tricking ourselves and or making it difficult for ourselves.  DON'T BUY IT.  Hide the money so you won't go through the drive through.  Now lucky for me.. bread tends to be an issue so when I crave it.. I think of that BAD feeling I can get if I eat it. 

good luck in your journey.. remember each day we have a choice... one choice at a time!!!

I know how hard it can be to just be abstinent because as Nan said we need food to live. I think using the little tricks and tips will be useful to help with the immediate gratification and impulse eating. Also have you thought about looking into Overeaters Anonymous -- http://www.oa.org/   they are like a 12 step for food addicts. I've gone on the website and found really helpful things at times. That may e something worth looking into. And remeber to just keep coming here too for support! ((((HUGS)))

Jill,

If you haven't read Anatomy of a Food Addiction (at all, or recently), pick it up and read it.  TONIGHT.  It directly addresses what you're going through, how to assess the addictive nature of your relationship with certain foods, helps you understand the neurochemical reasons behind your inability to "control" certain foods, and has some good tools for getting ahead of the curve in your behavior. 

All I can say is that I completely empathize with you and your struggles.  Sugar is the one that I feel I've been successful in dealing with.  Fats and Flour are the two demons that I still struggle with on a daily basis, and that frequently propel me into behaviors that are non-productive - dis-ordered eating, eating against my will, cravings, etc.  All I can say is that I am down to taking it one day at a time and some days it's more like one hour at a time.  When I fall, i am trying to see that as not failing, just falling... and that means I can and will get back up and keep going. 

I wish you strength and peace.  Most of all I wish you balance.

Karen

Thanks, all, for understanding and responding.  I do have the book "Anatomy of a Food Addiction," and have tried to get through it, but found the exercises to be difficult and, therefore, end up putting the book down before really getting very far.  Perhaps I'll try again.  I've kind of "re-booted" today, starting the day off with a protein shake.  I have no idea how long this will last, but I'm detemined to give it a try.

No sugar
No pasta or bread
No "snack-type" foods.