Food Addiction, Discipline, and Diet

I was talking to a friend of mine about food addiction vs. smoking addiction and he said he cold turkey'd his way through quitting smoking by not being around them and not having them in the house.  But it was different with food because you have to eat and are constantly exposed to food and that discipline for food addiction was harder to maintain. So, I'm thinking about this discipline thing.  While you are trying to lose weight, there are foods that you can't have...period.  And if you have them, then no weight loss, correct?  Not to have them takes discipline.   And yet, some say it's better to plan on having a treat periodically so that you won't get tired of dieting and give up on it completely because you feel "deprived".   Now, I know everyone has a different opinion on the subject, but isn't depriving ourselves of what got us fat in the first place, how we get unfat?  With my weight loss, I know Pepsi was something that got me fat, so to say I could have it as a treat occassionally was insane, no?  I ain't got no business with a Pepsi in my hand!   So, for me, "being in control" was to stay on a plan.  And discipline kept me in control.  And control meant planning a rare meal off if we had a special occassion, but on the plan before and after the 'off' meal. So, what has worked better for you?  Staunch discipline, not to feed your addiction, or playing it by ear and including something 'not so good' in your diet plan?  I know they work both ways, but where does self discipline fit in? Mary

That is a harder question than it may first appear. I've been every way on that:  food nazi, laize fairre (sic), and middle road. Food Nazi works, of COURSE....or else....LOL. But it ain't me.  I agree that some amount of "suffering" is required to lose. I have yet to lose weight ever where I was 100% comfortable every minute of every day. (NOTE: suffering is a rather dramatic term, just used for effect...insert uncomfortable or against my religion here if desired) Yes, yes, somebody will jump in this thread and say, "why suffer, just accept what you have to do and change your head " ....and they are not wrong about that.  I did change my head I HOPE.  I HOPE that I really get that I cannot eat like I used to:  all foods/drinks  in (pretty much) any amount.  I will do trade offs: eating for fuel, not pleasure most of my day. (and yes, I have changed what I think it good food because of that) bypassing sweets so i can suck me up sum booze. exercise most days and try to amp it up at least 1-3x weekly But I must agree....like you I do have to be on plan. I do lots of things on auto pilot, mainly the right things. I have said many times here and other boards about the phrases such as "being on a diet"  and how "diets don't work "  "Way Of Eating" is playing word games.  To lose, I feel it is a diet, basically for the rest of my life except for the moments when i don't plan my food.. You say potaaaato I say potawtoe.

Great thinking Neecee.  Now when I say discipline...food Nazi doesn't come close to what I meant.  I'd end up telling that ***** where to get off!  I was thinking more in terms of talking yourself down from a bad situation.  You know, so you can save it for booze! Mary

No one certain food or even type of food got me fat.  It's a combination of things that got me fat.  My thyroid,  sedentary lifestyle, upbringing, society, overeating, unhealthy choices, sweets, carbs, and many other things are the root causes.   Therefore, I don't feel that taking a complete abstinent approach to certain types of food is the best approach. There's no doubt that it works for many, but I feel like that approach isn't conducive to mental health. Depriving yourself of a particular food is often perceived as punishment. "You fatass, you're out of control! You can't have that food because you can't be trusted with it.You're just being greedy! It'll make you blow up!" While that's a bit exaggerated it is close inline with how many of us talk to ourselves.  There will always be certain foods that I avoid because I don't crave those as much. Soda, rice and potatoes are good examples. However, avoiding doesn't mean that I won't ever eat them. I've had rice on a couple occasions in the last 2 months or so. I still drink carbonated lo-carb energy drinks from time to time. Yet, I still lose weight...I'm in control of it. I take a more broad approach.  I'm addressing each of the issues that have caused my obesity. I address the food with low carb and more healthy choices. I address the mental with positive self-talk (which is the hardest of all for me.). I also address the mental with my occasional sweet treat. Like it or not those foods affect us mentally. Drug-like. So I allow myself some pleasure now and then. Makes me feel good and I still feel in control.  I also have started taking 5-HTP for the mental side. We'll see how that goes.  I address the sedentary lifestyle with moderate exercise a few days a week but never enough that I get burnt out. Slowlyl I am started to build stronger desire for exercising. I'm entertaining the idea of a gym membership. Imagine that...me thinking about a gym and routine exercise!?? GASP!  I can't do a whole lot to change society but I can change my outlook on it and how I choose to use the information that has been delivered to me.  T4 supplementation is helping my thyroid, which in turn is helping my metabolism, sedentary lifestyle and mental state. I'm not perfect in any area but I feel strongly that my accumulative efforts in each category has contributed to my success and will get me to my goal, regardless of surgery. This is where self-discipline fits in my situation. I've always been a jack of all trades and master of none. It only makes sense to apply that 'discipline' to my weight-loss efforts. :)

Wow Chris, you really do talk mean to yourself.  I must say that discipline to not eat junk came when I became important to myself.  When I started feeling like I was worth my time and energy to put the effort in to ME.  I was no longer mean to me, I became a project worthy of time to prepare meals especially just for me and to take out the time to workout to do something just for me.  It felt selfish at first, but now I actually have more time and energy for others. None of us are perfect at this, but a little kindness to ourselves goes a long way.  Gently talking to myself and persuading myself that eating  a Snicker bar makes no sense if I'm going to reach my goal, that's my idea of discipline...when you care enough to talk yourself out of a big mistake. Mary

I have gone there, still do with that caliber of self talk, Kriz! It's wrong of course on so many levels, not least of which is that it sets up the stage for a "screw it" type of rebellious thinking pattern too.  I like that you realize that the good food bad food discussion is liekwise a dangerous situation. Better to teach ourselves to manage those slippery areas rather than act like it's not going to come up.  For me, it's pizza, beer, chips, cheeses, pasta. I KNOW those are foods that ones I am most likely to overindulge in.  But I will not pretend that I will actually not consume them. I will manage those triggers that cause me to over eat. Usually:  have not had enough to eat, tired, angry, lonely, even too much party vibe is a trigger.  That those are my favorite foods are not the real problem!

I've done good with the self talk. I really don't speak to myself like that anymore. I dunno.. It's weird honestly..  What I am doing now is almost effortless.  I used to beat myself up for partaking of something labeled as  forbidden. A lot of the triggers are gone now though. Hunger used to be a big trigger. Not anymore.  Hard to explain... I don't feel deprived so I don't indulge much...so i don't beat myself up.. know what I mean?  When I do indulge..it's planned and I don't feel guilty for doing it. Social influences are my biggest trigger. Being out with friends, a party, a special event.. all of those cause me to eat the foods that I don't eat on a day to day basis. Mostly it's because selection at these events doesn't include in plan foods. It's also because somehow I feel it's a special occasion and it's okay to have them.  Sometimes I put forth effort to fight and not partake but other times I just plan for it. I usually know when I'm going out so I say, "Okay, you're gonna have this, this and this and no more."  Seems to work well for me... I eat, enjoy and move on.

Dude!  That's discipline.  Control over when you are going to go off the plan.  When you maintain control over what goes in your mouth...when and if...that's discipline! You've come a long way, Baby. Mary

:) Yeah I suppose I have. :P  It all started and gas station taquitos. :P

I'm a believer in taking it one meal at a time.  Try to stay on track during each meal, not during the whole day.  If you use less will power to make it through one meal then you do to make it through one day, and if you can make it through three meals, you magically made it through one day. HA!

I think that having treats here and there is what makes the world go 'round.  Keep yourself completely against treats will cause you to rebel, and then you'll go crazy (like I did yesterday with McD's).