Addiction to certain types of food will be with us for life.

Mr Creosote

Full Member
I keep telling people food addiction is just as powerful and in some ways harmful as any other addiction.

When I was craving for that French Bread it was as powerful, if not more so, than anything I ever experienced with alcohol [I have been abstinent from alcohol for over 10 years so I know what I'm talking about]

If you said the side effects of a certain drug was massive weight gain, cardiac problems, diabetes, low self esteem, joint pain, Cancer of the colon etc etc,[ the list is endless] the government would make it a Class A drug.

Obviously you cannot abstain from food long term. But interestingly enough A.A don't say you cannot drink, they just say you CAN'T DRINK ALCOHOL.

I would argue certain foods for food addicts like us are addictive, some are not.
UNREFINED CARBOHYDRATES are addictive. i.e Sugar, pastries, white bread, white pasta. How often did you ever crave salad or vegetables or even lean meat ?

My argument is that when we return to food we should avoid certain foods for good. If we do not it is likely we will put all the weight back on. Most of us can never moderate our intake of unrefined carbs. We should treat sugar etc as an alcoholic does alcohol. If we do not I feel we may never totally recover form this addiction.

An alcoholic can never go back to controlled drinking [I work as a nurse on an Alcohol detox unit]. We can never go back to eating unrefined carbohydrates safely without it going out of control. The physical reason for this is the mood altering effects of an insulin rush [which you get when you eat unrefined carbohydrates].

It is people denying this or not believing it that results in 90% plus of people who lose weight putting it all back on again. Try to be one of the 10% that don't.

MORE PEOPLE DIE OF OBESITY [AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF IT] THAN ANY OTHER DRUG INCLUDING CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL.
 
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Brilliant post and certainly something to think about. x
 
I can see where you are going with that thread but I do hope to be able to maintain a balanced diet with a little bit of what I fancy at times which may include sugar and bread etc but only in small amounts. Once I have acheived this I intend to set myself a weight allowance of 7 pounds that I refuse to go over and use portion control and the healthy balance plate priniciple. I also plan to start dancing and running to maintain my weight. This weight I am losing is never EVER going back on again.
 
All very true....i will not be allowing these bad foods anywhere near my home again,cos one nibble would definatly turn into a gorge for me! & also whilst my food cupboards are healthy it can only keep my family healthy....& thats got to be a good thing!!
 
Ooh, what kind of dancing Angie? I'd love to take up dancing again but my shift doesn't allow for it (2pm - 10pm) :(
 
Good luck Angie but I honestly think it is like an alcoholic saying that they would like to control their drinking one day. Trust me they never can. The ones that survive alcoholism are the ones that never drink again.
Please consider the statistics. 90 +% of people who lose weight put it all back on again. There has to be a reason for that. I would imagine all of those 90% believe they can eat certain "treats" occasionally.

Good luck though, I just can't ignore the statistics .
 
There is a dance school round the corner from me they do salsa,merengue, ballroom and latin every night for 2 hours. I want to do it as I have never been to a ball before and have put it on my list of things to do next year:D
 
rainbow am also doing it alone as my mates that live close by don't want to do it. But there is a seperate salsa class in the city centre one of my mates will go with me to once a week as well.
 
Jealous! Sounds like it would be great fun! And fab exercise too :)
 
For me by restricting any food type i.e. not having bread anymore etc I would still be on a diet, hence I have whatever I fancy now and there is nothing I avoid, I just make sure it is an appropriate amount of it and within a balanced diet.

If I was still avoiding any type of food then in my eyes I would still be living in fear of being big again and that would be a problem (for me).

Mike
 
That is something I've said to Medea before now. As of 01/01/2009 I don't want to be on a diet anymore. I just want to be being sensible. I'm aware that it's going to be hard and will be a real test of my will-power to 'just have a little' but I hope I can do it.
 
I am not ready to consider life without chocolate or diet coke at the moment - I admit I am an addict, but I like being an addict and its the only thing that keeps me going. Alcoholics need to drink every day, I never have chocolate every day but I would hate to give it up permanantely. Caffeine is a massive addiction to millions, but people do learn to moderate their intake and dont have to switch to 100% de-caf. I know what you mean but I think in general people put their weight back on because they consider that when they are dieting it is just that and that they can return to life as it was before as soon as they stop. I know that unlike most diets this is a 'diet' and not a permanent lifestyle change (as in we are not going to stay on LT for life) but 90% of people dieting are not doing this extreme way of dieting, they go on WW/low cal etc and instead of seeing that this is what they have to now do forever, they see it simply as a diet and not how life has to stay forever ...... I am rambling.... but hopefully you get what I mean
 
Basically, I never want to have to consider such an extreme method of weight loss again after completing my next stint of LT. I won't mind watching my cal intake for a few weeks to drop a few lbs if I gain a bit once I finish but to need to do TFR again?! I hope I don't have to resort to this, as fabulous as it is, again.
 
I can see where you are going with that thread but I do hope to be able to maintain a balanced diet with a little bit of what I fancy at times which may include sugar and bread etc but only in small amounts. Once I have acheived this I intend to set myself a weight allowance of 7 pounds that I refuse to go over and use portion control and the healthy balance plate priniciple. I also plan to start dancing and running to maintain my weight. This weight I am losing is never EVER going back on again.

hi i totally agree.balance is everything.im planning on doing the same,i did lipotrim for 9 weeks 3 months ago and maintained my weight loss from doing a balanced eating program,which did include drinking.but it is everything in moderation..i did stay away from chrisps as there a downfall for me..so am back on lt now to loose the rest.wish you all luck xjx
 
I keep telling people food addiction is just as powerful and in some ways harmful as any other addiction.

I agree. My 'addiction' was serious stuff, but I do believe that we still have a choice get it under control (so to speak).

You might like to look at this article from Psychology Today. Very interesting stuff
Psychology Today: The Surprising Truth About Addiction

My argument is that when we return to food we should avoid certain foods for good.
I prefered to learn how to moderate them. By making them off limits, I would continue to abuse them. They are just too available and convenient. I didn't want them hidden in cupboard so to speak, but put in their rightful place.
Most of us can never moderate our intake of unrefined carbs.
I believe people can, though it does take effort.

For me by restricting any food type i.e. not having bread anymore etc I would still be on a diet, hence I have whatever I fancy now and there is nothing I avoid, I just make sure it is an appropriate amount of it and within a balanced diet.

We agree again Mike. Mustn't keep meeting like this :D
 
KD can I pinch your August Wilson quote for my blog I love that:D
 
I think this is a fascinating thread. I am aware of what my 'trigger' foods are and I am not convinced that I will be able to moderate them longer term so I am thinking about this as part of my plans for life after LT.

I know that lots of people can and do so successfully so I may try to, I am quite undecided at the moment but I have a way to go yet, so don't feel it is anything to worry about just yet. Thanks for all your contributions x
 
Yes i agree you don't have to give up anythingreally as long as you're sensible. I have a friend who lost alot of weight on LT and she is VERY slim now. She still has a blow out every now and again but she always has LT maintenance shakes/bars in the cupboard for the next day or so just to re balance it. She has kept off her weight now for over 3 months and she looks really good.
 
thank you xx
 
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