OT - transfer addiction

I had a bout with it, as well. Soon after I lost all the wt. Shopping, BUT thrift store shopping so I was spending less than $10 per week. STILL, I recognized that I got tingles looking forward to Thursday (quarter day). And it was the thrill of the hunt.

Anyway, when I recognized that tingly feeling, I quit cold turkey. I can now sho*****t. BUt I didn't for many years.

OK, moving along.

Since about 30% of us will have one of the major addictions, I want to refer you to a resource among us.

www.nawls.com Katie Jay is about ? 5-6 yrs out? I've been in touch with her since she was a pre-op, and thus have her first book, which was written pre-op, about making the decisions which led up to her own WLS.

Ar first, I thought, "Oh great, another exploiter", as I see so many. While I do work among us, I AM one of us, as well, and usually can spot a user vs someone who is true of heart.

Ongoing time........ Katie and I have emailed for years, I put her on my fave yahoo group, she contributes occasionally, as any busy person who keeps a finger on the pulse, but doesn't comment much on the social stuff.

I've now met her many times at conferences. I referred her to a group who needed a speaker. And get this, she had a paid speaking engagement nearby, so she charged this group little or nothing, because basically, the costs were paid by the group that had already contracted with her. Not that I'm saying you can run her around the country for free, but it was totally her own heart that negated to charge, since my friends were willing to pay a fair price for speakers.

We've spent some of those totally exhausted after the conference evenings together over a glass of iced tea.

While we come from differing points of view on what causes obesity, we now agree on the combo of the two frames of mind.

Her view is that we have eating disorders. My view is that it is solely a physical disease, tho we have mental issues among our population, like any population. We've talked about this extensively and we have both now altered our point of view to a degree. My contention is that certain foods trigger strange eating pattern, the physical part. She agrees with that basic gateway, but then takes it a step further but once the trigger is pulled, it then dictates food behavior ever after. Yep, makes sense to me.

So, I'm writing a book to give her to you guys as a reference for an honest person who has lived with eating disorders and transfer addictions.

I know she has retreats now and then and I think some of you have attended and will concur that she is genuine, caring, and honest.

I was reminded of her today and realized that I had not praised her lately.

That was very generous of you, Michelle, to take so much time & effort to write all of that out.  Thank you!

I can see, that from her point of view that our obesity comes from eating disorders, she would fully believe in transfer addiction.  I can't say that they don't exist, because so many people obviously feel they experience this.

Since I am 100% certain that my SSMO did not come from an eating disorder, but a metabolic disorder, and that I have in no way an addictive personality, I can only say for me, that there has been absolutely no sign of transfer addiction --- because there was no addiction to begin with.

I do hope that those who feel so strongly that addiction has some control over their life, that they do research your referral, and take this seriously.

I also don't see myself in that light. However, mix in a little OCD and it can certainly appear that way. LOL

I tend to think that for us, some foods act as triggers that send false signals, much like pica. Pica being an iron deficiency that demands you eat ice or detergent or other things that do not deliver iron in any way. So, when we eat certain foods that are normal foods, in us, it sends us off chasing more of certain foods that chunk us up. But it's chemical + the slowed metabolism of all those diets we did in the past.

I'm still of the physical disorder thinking, but I agree that about 10% of us DO have eating disorders. Same as the general population. But without the physical disease of MO, they may not manifest the same way.

LOL.... I take lots of meds for my OCD.  Just puts a dent in it though.

The organization of my supplements are a thing of beauty!

yeppers, works for and/or against us.

one of my staff is OCD. I put her and only her on organizing tasks. It channels her perfectly.

Those tasks usta be assigned to me! LOL

I think I've had dealings with her.....uber efficient...smart move!

I think obesity comes from an array of learned and genetic behaviors.  I think we exist on a wide spectrum and the extent of our obesity tends to be a marker of how severe our addiction/illness is.  I for one think I have addiction issues to food.  I feel that compulsions put me on the path to obesity and learned behaviors from my obese family members kept me there. 

It is a complex issue and one that I doubt we'll ever fully understand despite it being the biggest risk to health and wellness in the UK and US.  I would love for some clever parsnip to suddenly discover that it is a virus or bacterium or faulty gene.  That way it would be so much easier to slap down inherent health discrimination......but I doubt that will happen.

I think each person has to think where they lay on the spectrum of behavior/addiction and be honest about how you got there. That gives you the best chance of moving away from that behavior.

 I agree with  what what Kirmy said.   That  the long hard look   at ourselves , our preferences nd habits  and especially the excuses we make  not to be compliant  ...or not follow he  recommended program .. those our our weak points .  

If  we can  change that behavio  thru  self discipline until  we  like it and develop NEW habits ....  we'll be golden.

 I know i need  support  and an unnatural level of stimulation- BOTH every single  day  not to fall off the  overeating " wagon"  .. does that make me an " addict ?"  or just a potentially extra productive  extra energetic and formerly very  FRUSTRATED  person who turned their creativity  towards recipes , cooking  , and inappropriate outles like that ... 

 all of this is facinating, thank you for writing this Michelle.