Food addiction, honesty, and abstinence

I freely state that I am addicted to refined white flour and sugar.  I'm also a junk food junkie.  Let me explain the latter:  I can eat corn but I can't eat corn chips without an addicting effect.  There is a similar effect with potatoes and potato chips.  Obviously, there are many other "foods" that make up junk food. 

If I am going to be successful losing weight, I must not have addicting foods.  That is, I must abstain from having them.  I know that, if I eat addicting food, I don't know when I will be able to stop eating it or other addicting food.  I've known this for over 30 years and I still struggle with this problem.  I know, I know, I know...take it a day at a time.

But, I also know that there is a physiological component of food addiction.  It really plays on my mind to know that I can sometimes eat a very small amount of my addictive food without it making me crazy.  But, I don't know what that amount is on any given day.  Why take the chance with blowing my absinence?  Or, how do I eliminate all addictive foods.  I know what they are.  It's just a matter of not having them today.

I've been abstinent from my addicting foods in the past and I know that the temptation to eat addicting foods almost disappears once I've been off of them for a few days.  It's getting to that point that's the problem.  I can't say that I've tried it every day, but I haven't been able to go even one day being abstinent from my addictive foods since last May.  Prior to that I was abstinent from 01-08-09 thourh about 05-20-09 and then I blew it.  I told myself I could go back but I haven't.

I'm recommitting to abstinence on Mon, 02-15-10.  I know I'm not ready to do it today and that I'll be at  a party of Sun.  It's just a good time to prepare myself and my home environment.  My wife will cooperate as long as she knows that I am trying.  She won't stop baking cookies for friends and family, but it's easy enough for me to avoid them.  I've done that in the past.

My name is Scott and I am a food addict.  Yep, just like AA.  For some it is alcohol, others drugs, for us it is junk food and sweets.  It is an addiction that is hard to overcome.  I was tempted at Christmas and had my first sweet post-op. Guess what. Didn't dump.   Now, I am finding justifications to have a small piece instead of walking away cause it is against the program.  It will never end.  These are the demons in our lives that we must daily overcome.  Making a committment every day upon waking to make good choices, avoid temptations, and not beat ourselves up if we do make a mistake. 

Hello Bob, Scot,  My name is Brian and I to am a junk food addict.  Everyday I fight the battle- some days better then others.  The other day I wanted junk food- or at least something sweet- and I had 5 (FIVE) s/f Weathers (sp?) at one time- well.. that was fun- I was dumping for a few hours afterwords.

My even bigger addiction is carbs- I need to cut it out totally- easier said then done.

My bid day is next Wednesday- the first day of Lent.  I am going to try to do without junk food and carbs for 40 days- and 40 nights- well- at least greatly reduce the amount I am eating... If I can do the 40 days/nights.. well... then what's wrong with 60days, 80 days.. etc...

Guys, we can support each other because we have a shared addiction.  I went to Overeaters Anonymous for 20 years prior to WLS and gained 300 lbs.  It wasn't that program.  Rather, I had mental problems that needed to be resolved.  Now that I have had WLS, I sometimes think of going back to OA but I'm not a fan of the 12 Step programs.  Their primary claim to fame is that they are there and deal with issues other than food.  Considering that they are a monastic rule, I personally think they probably make sense in a monastery.  But, hey, If they help people, so much the better.

All I can say is that I am powerless if I indulge in my addicting foods.  I'm cutting this short because my wife just called me to dinner.  That kind of broke my thought patterns.

I avoided having to deal with the food addition crap, I had the DS, lost 300 lbs, can eat what I want, when I want, and have not regained weight.

Behavioral modification for weight loss has not been shown to be effective in any way, so if a person has a long term issue with food addiction, they should go for a surgery that has more restriction and more malabsorbtion...such as the DS with a short common channel and a small stomach.

Scott

I must disagree.  I have modified my behavior and have been successful.  I am pretty sure that others have too.

Perhaps some are able to make some long term behavioral changes, but when I was talking about behavior modification not being effective, I was talking in general for the obese population, most specificially those that have food addictions or use food to medicate some emotional need.

Besides, if behavioral modficiation was a successful treatment for obesity, then it would make WLS obsolete.

Scott

I must disagree.  I have modified my behavior and have been successful.  I am pretty sure that others have too.

One of the main reasons I don't go on the main board anymore is because of the constant preaching and the "I'm better than you are" attitude of the ds'ers.  I hope that I am not seeing it's reincarnation here on the Men's board.  We are all in this together, and what may be right for one person may not be right for the next guy.   It would be a shame if this board went down the tubes also.

my name is Joe and im a food addict,i had the RNY and sugar scares me to this day over 1 year out...have i cheated ? yes i have.

Ive lost 154 lbs since Jan 20 2009 have a fully followed the program ? no i havent i havent stayed away from some of the carbs that i can eat without dumping which is very little refuse to eat sugar sweets because its instant dumping,refuse to eat pasta or rice because i dump.

But at the end of the day i am a slave to food.I have changed my life so drastic its made me 90% happier today then when i was 456lbs but yet im still a slave to the food monster and it keeps calling me,so blindly i dont stop it or dont know how

another part of my falling off the wagon is ive stopped exercising,which needs to begin again the last 70lbs i need to lose wont magically fall off it self,

so i hover between 297-302lbs where do i find the strenght to break this monster that has plagued me and others for so many years the cycle must be broken