REPOST! New thread about Food Addiction? whaddya thnk

I pasted this post from below to start more conversation here:

Post Date: 8/3/08 9:37 am
HI Sandra

I so agree with all you say and have found much the same thing. When I tend to eat more meats/dairy/fats/greens, my hunger feels more in control. ETA: I will add here that with the same mouth, I will tell you that I also find it ludricrus to think I will really *never* eat bread/sweets/booze, etc again.  I am trying hard to be able to eat in small amounts on occasion. Is this playing with fire?  or is it reasonable as i am trying to achieve?

I have been listening to podcasts about addiction and the brain. One thing I find fascinating is the notion that we get addicted to bad feelings just like we get addicted to good feelings.

So, this guilt/self abuse cycle of when we overeat, then kick ourselves, then kiss/makeup, that is a cycle we can get past once we recognize it. We have to realize we are at times exactly like mice in a treadmill, looking for food rewards - and to some extent, looking for that unhealthy cycle!

What do you think????

Yea I agree, there is no way in hell I will say I will "never" eat so and so again.  It's just not me and not the way I want to live!  Addicting..yes by all means.  LOL, it's sort of trying to teach an alcoholic how to drink in moderation and only on occasion. Very difficult, but lots have proven it can be done.  I know we've had this discussion before, and makes me wonder once again...where really is the balance.  Eating occasionally and in moderation or if that is even doable for all of us or some of us.  Or the cold turkey method, which I know works...of course....but how fun is that!ha  Naw, I really wonder how many people who do the cold turkey method go on living like that for decades and decades.  I bet ya theres not that many.  There has to be a happy medium.

As for your podcasts you've been listening too.  Sabotage!!!  Do I need to say more??!! hehe

What is this "never eat" business?

I'm on Atkins...and as you go up the ladder, things aren't off limits forever, just moderated.

If I want bread...I make a non-flour bread or buy flax bread...I could even do regular...just not big amounts.

If I want a sweet, well I choose to make Atkins-friendly ones instead.  In fact, I regularly eat sugar free cheesecake.

So why think it's all or nothing?

JG--not a food addict in the least.  I enjoy food--food's not bad. 

mmm cheescake.ha  I don't know what's wrong with me, last night and this morning I have munchies galore.  EVERYTHING sounds good.  Must be the stress of job huntin'!  

Yea ...never.lol  Well I won't say never, but yea..lol   Moderation is key I know.  Some of us like Kim just mentioned eat certain foods and it just makes you crave more and more.  I know I'm like that on lots of foods. 

Foods not bad, but when you eat ten servings uncontrollably it is. (just an example)

I do like  your idea tho Jerz...making it Atkins way on just about everything so you can enjoy it.  One question I'm curious on though....Don't you ever have the urge to eat something that isn't totally Atkins and don't want to wait until you make a mock one??  

BTW..I'm ready for my first day!!woohoo!!! hehe   

Sure!  I'm NOT perfect.  I still struggle, I just don't struggle in the way that it overwhelms me and ruins everything.

I have learned I have to be prepared, so I make those mistakes (impatience) less frequently. 

I make a s/f cheesecake and keep it, plus fresh berries and s/f jello in the fridge for when I need a sweet.

I keep nuts at work for a nosh.

I know where to buy low carb convenience foods (and what they are).

I also know my triggers--stress and lack of sleep will head me right over to the admin's desk for chocolate.

And sometimes I succumb.  Most days I am strong.  I am learning to be stronger more days than not.  I am learning about myself...like how certain foods and/or carb levels trigger overeating in me.  So I avoid getting myself to that point.

There are no foods that are off limits for me however some of those foods trigger addictive behavior so I try to stay away from them as much as possible.  If I indulge in them, I do it outside of my house so I don't have the food available after the meal. (sweets and chips and salsa)

There are also foods that are just not worth the calories to me so I never eat them. (bagels)

I notice that when I tend to eat too many carbs, I want more and more of them - can't seem to ever feel "full" of them.

I think it is true that we can become addicted to bad feelings - you know that woe is me, my life sucks, victim mentality.  I don't claim to never go there but I go there much less often than I used to.  You know, sometimes I just tell myself, "fake it 'til you make it"....just pretend you're happy and eventually it will be so.

Let me start by saying that...My name is Mary and I'm addicted to complex carbohydrates.  However, I don't think that everyone who is overweight is addicted to food.  Just like every one who drinks alcohol is not an alcoholic.  We are all wired differently.  I think the biggest difference in whether or not you are a food addict has to do with insulin resistance.  Once you have reached the point of insulin resistance, then you have no choice but to go low carb.  You're not diabetic...yet, but it's the only way that you aren't going to be diabetic.  So it's not a matter of do you want to give up carbs to lose weight, it becomes a matter of preserving your health.  Now if you can't give up carbs to keep your health...then yuze an addict!

And I know the triggers that are going to make me crave more complex carbs.  Pepsi and white bread.  So if I want to feel good and have enough energy to do my workouts, no Pepsi or white bread for me.  And to my way of thinking cold turkey is essential to putting a big ol giant RED FLAG on something that is bad for you.  An alcoholic who is drinking occassionally is "Off the Wagon".  Sorry, but I believe in facing the truth head on and dealing with it.  But you have to love yourself enough to be brutally honest with yourself without abusing yourself.  Now that's what I call a balancing act!

Mary   

Kim, your plan of action sounds just like mine. Nothing is off limits but complex carbs are totally controlled because they trigger BAD cravings and if I give into them, all bets are off and believe me I know this all too well especially lately with my daughter making brownies 2 times in one week.

As far as addiction goes, I do believe in food addiction whole heartedly. I am addicted and I see my 13 year with the same dangerous habits I have. Just like an alcoholic, one brownie leads to 2 brownies leads to 3 and so on. I did it twice this week. Also, does food or going out to eat register as one of the first thoughts in your head when you go shoping or on a trip? It does with me. Certain habits and behaviors trigger thoughts of food just like a smoker does say with their cup of coffee or getting up in the morning.

Food is totally addictive in some people. I believe myself to have an addictive personality so I stay away from known addiction substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, pills, etc but how do you stay away from food. You can't BUT you can control the types of food you allow yourself to be around. I mean what is on your shelves? cookies? chips? celery? apples? I think this is the only way you can begin to control this addiction.

Hi. My name is Beth and I'm a food addict.

What an interesting conversation!! I am SO glad you posted it, Neecee!! I hope you don't mind if I use it as a springboard to introduce myself and explain why I've chosen to become healthy the way I have. It’s controversial, but it works for me!

A little about my medical history: I’ve been a diabetic since childhood, but was not diagnosed until college (around 1987) after a midnight raid of the vending machines (to get energy for an all-night study marathon) sent me to the infirmary.

Fast forward to May 2003. I’m a 3^rd-4^th grade teacher. On field day, I get blisters on my toes that get infected. My blood decides to get infected, too, and I become septic. I also become an amputee and a kidney dialysis patient. Two for one!! (Don’t go to that 2-for-1 sale!!)

I have diabetic neuropathy that has left me pretty much wheelchair bound since January 2006. I am currently in physical therapy and occupational therapy twice a week. I was able to walk in (from the parking lot-approx. 600 feet) using my walker to PT on Wednesday of last week. So, my PT is letting me learn to use forearm crutches. I’ve gotten around on flat ground OK, but inclines really whack me out--with no feeling in my feet, legs or arms!!) Say a little prayer for me, please!!

Some of you may know me from the North Carolina Forum. I was participating there after being referred to the program at Duke by two of my nephrologists (kidney doctors). I have decided not to have weight loss surgery @ Duke because after submitting my 6 months of weight loss attempts including the diet my doctor put me on, DETAILED (3 page) monthly lab reports, weekly evaluations from a doctor and monthly evaluations from a RENAL dietician, treatment reports for each treatment (3 times a week) whi*****luded blood sugars, blood pressures, weights, and temps plus more, the people at Duke had the audacity to tell me it had to be a program like Weigh****chers or Jenny Craig. Well, F*** them. I don't think for one minute that the insurance would require another 6 months of weight loss failure, especially from someone like me who has diabetic AND renal diet restrictions that Weigh****chers (WW) and Jenny Craig can't address. It's completely retarded for me to go from having a diet planned specifically for me to WW just because the Duke people don't want it to be "in-house." (their words) It also tells me that the Duke people are going to be uncooperative with my selected nephrology team which is unacceptable.

The one good thing I did get from Duke was their patient info packet which outlines (in very specific detail) each stage of the post-op diet. At first, I followed stage one (liquids) of the diet to a T. Then, I found some protein bars that gave me twice the protein with 9 less carbs than the supplement I was drinking, so I switched to them. As you can see by my ticker, I’ve lost almost 60 pounds this way. I’ve not eaten anything other than these bars since 6/26 and I’ve lost a little over 20 pounds in that time period.

After all that, I get to your topic….

I am totally and completely addicted to carbohydrates. Pasta, bread, rice, fruits and fruit juices in particular. I’ve never been into sweets. When I crave something, it’s usually spaghetti and meatballs or vegetable lasagna. Once, a week or so ago, it was a cheeseburger. I haven’t figured that one out yet!!

I’m so thankful for the regimen these bars give me. I don’t have to fight with myself over what I’ll be eating and how much of it I can have. I know when I get up in the am, I’ll have a bar and the meds I have to take with it (3 phosphorus binders). Repeat twice for lunch and dinner. If I get hungry, tough luck. Sometimes, I chew on some ice. But, even that is limited because on the renal diet you are limited to 32 ounces of fluids between treatments. (Treatments are three times a week Tues-Thurs-Sat for 5 hours a pop for me.)

My dietician asked me the inevitable question the other day….”What in the world are you going to do when you have to start eating real food again??” She couldn’t admonish me because my docs had approved the diet and my labs were the best they have EVER been. I told her I was in my “personal zone” where I really felt good about what I was doing and that I was going to keep it up until all the weight was off.

She suggested that I look into getting some Lean Cuisine’s to learn portion control. I went to my local Super Wal-mart to check them out and was completely astonished at the number of carbs in each meal. Almost every one of them had either pasta, rice or potatoes as a side dish. I did go on the Lean Cuisine site and found some other options. Thank goodness!! Now, if I can just find some that don’t have a boat load of sodium and potassium in them!! (That knocks out potatoes, tomatoes, and spinach!!)

Now, if you’re still with me…I said all of that to say “Yes, I’m addicted and until I am personally ready to venture out and try things that I’ve researched completely, I am happy with my protein bar only lifestyle.”

Hope I didn’t bore you to tears,

A very COSMIC Kelly :)

I agree with Mary.....I truly believe I am addicted to comples carbs.  I did FA (Food Addicts in Recovery) for 5 months and lost 70lb.....very restrictive...no sugar or white flour at all ever again in their program.  My arthritis virtually went away....no joint pains at all.  When I allowed this back into my system, the arthritis pains came right back too.  I wasn't able to maintain that lifestyle, but it was great while it lasted. 

If I get the sugar out of my system, my cravings disappear....very quickly....within 48-72 hours.  I believe I am very carb sensitive and perhaps insulin resistant (although no doctor has ever confirmed this).

I also agree with Neecee that guilt/self abuse cycle can become at least a habit, if not an addiction.  I have specifically found that this week....stuck to plan 100% and still found myself having some of those thoughts that would sabotage me in the past.  Takes some concentrated effort to sort out those feelings and find new ways to deal with besides food.