Thread: How are you dealing with your addiction?

Originally Posted by clairelesley

The worst part is when I do eat I *DO* feel better.

I'm sure you do. I did too.

Sugars and carbohydrates raises the endorphins level, which gives you a high. Do too much of it, and the brain's endorphin level slows down, so you have to eat more of it to get the same feeling.

On top of that, no doubt there were times when you were younger that eating the high processed food (or sweet, high fat/carby foods) during a period of being happy. Birthdays, celebrations. No doubt the mind puts the two together and even though you can eat when you are low, the chemicals remember the connection and it subconsciously brings back those happy times and feelings. Subconsciously remember...you may not realise it's happening...you just get the good feelings again.


Not sure that makes sense, but I know what I mean

Originally Posted by KD

I'm sure you do. I did too.

Sugars and carbohydrates raises the endorphins level, which gives you a high. Do too much of it, and the brain's endorphin level slows down, so you have to eat more of it to get the same feeling.

On top of that, no doubt there were times when you were younger that eating the high processed food (or sweet, high fat/carby foods) during a period of being happy. Birthdays, celebrations. No doubt the mind puts the two together and even though you can eat when you are low, the chemicals remember the connection and it subconsciously brings back those happy times and feelings. Subconsciously remember...you may not realise it's happening...you just get the good feelings again.


Not sure that makes sense, but I know what I mean

Ohhh, this makes TOTAL sense to me KD!!! Especially the bit about birthdays etc and remembering the feelings/endorphins etc. Bit like any addiction really....mmmmm....more to mull over

Been far too scared to answer this post for a long time now, but here goes:

How am i dealing with my addiction? I'm not.

Just wanted to drop back in and say....

YAY!!!

The wisdom on this thread reminded my of the Paul McKenna stuff I read a few years ago (i.e. bought, read, ignored then forgot about) and while I know 'intuitive eating' is a bit of a no-no on Mini's these days coz of not being an actual diet, I've found it really useful as a focus for helping me honestly think about what I eat, when I eat it and why (which yes, you can do for yourself without spending money on books & CDs etc but since I had it anyway.....)
Anyhoo, the point is that I really feel like I'm putting myself back in control again, less obsessed about food and less (dis)stressed about what I am and amn't eating. It's early days yet, but definitely worth persevering.
So just to re-iterate: it CAN be done!
Good Luck to All!

wow this thread it ace. i hope i can take what i have learn and actually put it in to practise cos it all sounds great while im sat here at work but maybe when im at home with my fingers twitching and the juices forming in my mouth at the thought of some 'naughty' food it may not be so easy.

wish me luck, i need it

i realised this myself over the last couple of days and did a search for something on it and here it is i wanted to know if others were feeling the same as this morning i am on day 4 of cd. i am in ketosis. and i am jittering and tapping my foot and grumpy. and it's because i want to eat. not because i want something in particular.but i have never stopped eating. other things have been easier because even though you change what you eat, you are still eating. now i'm not and i'm going mad. i'm not giving in to it, but even a juicy salad right now would give me my fix. i'm addicted to actually eating. not just the food, but eating itself. i came to this decision over the last couple of days and it has never been more apparent than this morning when i can't keep still!!

abz xx

This post makes so much sense!

I quit smoking in June, because I decided to face up to my addicion and realised that not having a cigarette wouldn't kill me, but having one might, I had no problem not smoking. I had no problem with people smoking around me.

I quit biting my nails in July, I had bitten my nails for as long as I can remember having fingers lol, and 'avoiding' my hands wasn't exactly an option. So again, I decided that biting my nails didn't help me deal with stress, it made me self conscious about my hands, it made me over use my pockets but I certainly wasn't going to lose my life if I didn't stick my finger in my mouth! I now have lovely long nails.

But food, food is killing me. I'm 5ft 4 and 16st! I have a number of weight related ailments, I'm almost 31 and heading for peri-menopause. Is any burger worth that??? I think not!

But..(because there's always a but), I am an emotional eater, that is what I need to change now, I need to teach myself that not eating won't harm me, it won't make my life more difficult, it's not the end of the world if the bar of chocolate in the fridge isn't eaten on first sight!

So thank you for this post, it has reminded me that I CAN do this, I've done it before, it just wasn't food last time

Hello there Tubs,

"but I certainly wasn't going to lose my life if I didn't stick my finger in my mouth! I now have lovely long nails"

Sigh, I should really get myself together and stop biting my nails too. For exactly the same reasons you did.

I am an emotional eater, that is what I need to change now, I need to teach myself that not eating won't harm me, it won't make my life more difficult, it's not the end of the world if the bar of chocolate in the fridge isn't eaten on first sight!

Yes, it is that 'stepping out of our comfort zone' moment that separates success from failure. It is having the courage to face the feelings that flood in when we step out and deny ourselves the food we want, which numbs us and takes us away from stress for a while.

Good luck with your weight loss journey, Tubs.

AJ

Thanks AJ I needed the reminder though, I caved today when there really was no need!

BTW, if you want to give up biting your nails, I recommend Sally Hensen Miracle grow(little gold bottle), it's almost impossible to bite them without losing a tooth when you're tempted lol

Originally Posted by Tubs

Thanks AJ I needed the reminder though, I caved today when there really was no need!

BTW, if you want to give up biting your nails, I recommend Sally Hensen Miracle grow(little gold bottle), it's almost impossible to bite them without losing a tooth when you're tempted lol

Right you are, Tubs!
AJ

I've had issues in the past with food so just hope I can at least maintain.

I'm also 5ft 4

This thread makes so much sense to me, I've only just read it.

Before LL I actually maintained my weight for ages, I do exercise to keep my energy levels up and only eat when I'm hungry. Generally it works pretty well.
Having said that, I still have the ability to eat foods that I don't physiologically need.. For example I lost about 2 stone-ish by doing the above, but I put most of it back on because I went into 'addict mode' and ate because I felt that I could eat more now, and that somehow because I had lost weight I could afford to put some on again.. I realise now I was stupid at the time, and completely self sabotaging! But LL is going to make me face up to the addict within me which is what I like about it.
And KD what you said about trigger foods is also hugely reassuring! To know that you can identify and work through those foods that set you off just hugely relieves me. Maybe there's hope for the future yet!

It's also reassuring to know that others' fight the same battles!

Ooh I know what I was going to say before;

I always feel that the chocolate, or crisps, or cheese, or whatever trigger food you have is not going to suddenly vanish tomorrow. Thinking that somehow enabled me to kick my chocolate addiction. I don't have to stuff that chocolate bar *now*, it's always going to be there and so there's no rush to eat it. That was the reason I was overweight as a child I think, my chocolate addiction. Now I rarely eat chocolate, except for TOTM when I have a bit.

Now I guess I have to apply that logic to food in general!
It might not seem a big revelation but I thought I'd post it cos it might help someone else out there too.

Oh yes Purple Butterfly,
We are all fighting the same battles otherwise we wouldn't be here.Of course some are fighting more successfully than others.
Keep fighting!

Thanks Purple Butterfly for finding this thread and reviving it... WOW. So much here to take in, so much I identify with and so much great advice. Thanks KD as ever for the insights, and to everyone else who has posted... makes me feel less alone and less powerless. I am in the middle of the process but seeing that others can successfully beat the addiction is really motivating.
Gonna bookmark this and keep re-reading when I feel wobbly... thanks, thanks, thanks.
xxx