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Old 01-19-2009, 06:34 PM   #1  
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Default trading one addiction for another

I always seem to swap one addiction for another.
last time i lost weight i did it by eating low calories, but downing ~6 diet colas or more per day.
i gave up coffee for a while, but in the meantime i was binging on candy.

now i've done good at eliminating sugar, but i've been having one latte per day the past week!!!!!

So, will i ever really be over my addiction to sugar if there is still another addiction in it's place?

I don't go to OA meetings, but do they ever say anything about this phenomenon? is this considered a solution to overeating, or another obstacle to get past?
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Old 01-19-2009, 08:07 PM   #2  
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thats a really good question. i tend to do that too..

sorry i dont have an awnser but let me know if you get one!
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Old 01-20-2009, 09:42 AM   #3  
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Kaebea, I'm looking at this pattern in my own self. Does your "exchange" only deal with the area of food? I find that, in general, I'm obsessive. One month I'm single minded about researching gemstones, next month I'm devouring info on skincare, the following it's tracing the family tree...

My thought is that they're all tied together, and dealing with compulsive eating will filter down to everything. But I'm a baby on this journey, so I'm open to any info you learn!
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Old 01-20-2009, 03:14 PM   #4  
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yes, i have certain obsessive qualities.
alot of times i find myself in the cycle of feeling helpless because i fear not being able to do something perfectly, thence i never even take the first step.

but in terms of trying to give up a food obsession i normally replace it with another ingestable substance.

i seem to have an easier time not OVER indulging on the coffees. i have drawn the line at one per day. i know if i drink more than that i will suffer the consequences of over stimulation. i don't like the feeling of being jittery or hyper.
but it becomes something now that i look forward to every day, and feel like i will be happier afterward. and it's not always bad.
today for instance, on my day off, i went for a 45 min swim, then relaxed at the bookstore with a latte and read for a while. so it was sort of a reward and rejuvination.

but with food, i will always eat and eat and eat. So in a way this addiction of lattes is an improvement.

It just makes me wonder if i am really free?

thanks for your understanding though.

it's a struggle, but i want to improve and move past it.
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Old 01-21-2009, 01:24 PM   #5  
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I am an obsessive person as well. Not all of mine by a long stretch are food related, but I'd have to say those are the ones that gave me lots of trouble. The other issue I saw addressed by kaebea is Perfectionism. Not knowing how to do something and therefore never trying since you don't know how falls under Perfectionism. I am a Perfectionist and am working through defeating this mental chain. I have also been an Observer rather than an Experiencer which is all tied in with the Perfectionism. My New Revelation on this is --- I do not expect anyone in my life to be Perfect, I know they don't expect me to be Perfect either. Why do I put that expectation on Myself?
This really helps me to not worry about mistakes and learning new things so very much. I have always been the Queen of What If, I am learning the joy of knowing very few of those What If's ever really come to fruition.
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Old 01-21-2009, 08:00 PM   #6  
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toni,
you're probably right about the perfectionism. I don't think of myself as one anymore because when i do attempt something, i try not to obsess about every little imperfection anymore.
But you have opened my eyes a little more that since i'm still doing the behavior of NOT attempting certain ambitions, I still am ruled alot by perfectionism in the sense of 'fear of failure'.
I just don't think the word

and it's probably the reason for me restarting my diet every time i don't do it perfectly the first time. Which has been going on since, oh i don't know...2004?

thanks for the insight.

Last edited by kaebea; 01-21-2009 at 08:01 PM.
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Old 01-26-2009, 07:40 PM   #7  
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*Raises hand*

I'm certainly obsessive, and not just about food. When I get interested in something, I suck up information about it until I know everything- an insatiable desire to be informed, I guess. In terms of food, I am a swapper, but in a different way. If I go healthy, I eradicate everything unhealthy from my diet. So, it is swapping one extreme for another. If I want to be healthy, I want to be perfect at it. And that leads to the downward spiral, because I give no room to mess up.
To be honest, I think your swapping is a good weight loss strategy, because you aren't depriving yourself of everything. It's just a fine line because the swapping could lead into a collapse- as always, it's about balance. You say this:
"but with food, i will always eat and eat and eat. So in a way this addiction of lattes is an improvement.

It just makes me wonder if i am really free?"

It's a slow process. You can't go and get everything out of your system at once- I think that subbing in lattes for large amounts of food is a fine thing to do. You may not ever really be "free"- we all have our vices. The real freedom comes from accepting them.
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Old 01-26-2009, 07:59 PM   #8  
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Given the choice I would always opt for a "healthier" addiction. I hesitate on the word addiction when applied to the diet sodas, or lattes, or even exercise. I know the term is used loosely, but if you truly have a food addiction you know that the obsession is completely out of your control. One minute you are not going to touch the cookies and 10 minutes later you have stuffed 6 of them down your gullet almost in a fog. There is a disconnect between rational thought and your actions. The described substitutes can be seen more as tools in the process of change. Many alcoholics drink gallons of coffee and eat sweets early in the recovery process; smokers chew gum like crazy, etc. Over time, and with more self awareness those tend to drop off.
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Old 01-26-2009, 07:59 PM   #9  
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My goodness, can I ever relate to the "sucking up information". I do exactly the same thing. Then I get bored with a particular subject...and that's the end of that. Capishe l'Italiano? - one of the recent ones. I certainly know most of what there is to know about dieting and cooking healthy foods. I like to think that I am a good researcher, but mostly I am a good time-waster.

I think we are talking OCD here!
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Old 01-28-2009, 11:32 AM   #10  
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Ok when I read the title of this thread, I thought of myself.....I have always had an addictive personality, but mostly could back out of it when it became dangerous....let's just say "college" ....then after college I had a back and forth with binge DRINKING......and I am way too old and married to do that, and I would find myself stepping back and saying why do I have to have 12 beers when we have people over? Why do I do 5 shots with friends during a nite at the bar? I had a scare not too long ago with my liver and vowed to cut it OUT.....so while sometimes I catch myself getting carried away, I can usually put the drink down.....but I have noticed I do the same thing with FOOD......I want to diet, I do good for a while then I go on a downward spiral and go nuts and overeat, EVERYTHING, healthy, not healthy, feeling hungry all the time, etc......I want to be addicted to exercise! LOL ...I am hoping being at a place like this and getting to share this with others will keep me on track. thanks for listening. :-)
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Old 01-28-2009, 12:02 PM   #11  
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Too bad the addiction isn't something good like exercise. I could use a little more of that. I stopped eating sugar this week, but haven't found myself going too much overboard with any other food. I'm using any artificial sweeteners, tho. Maybe you're still finding yourself wanting sweets because of the sweeteners. If you gave up sweeteners and sugar, maybe the addiction to food will wane.

Also, have you ever listened to the podcast insideoutweightloss by Renee Stephens. You don't have to have an ipod to listen. You can listen on your computer or other mp3 or burn to disk. It's free to download on itunes and I think she might have a website.

I really believe that you can change the way your brain works. I've had tremendous changes in the way that I think about myself and food since listening to the podcast. I haven't had a big weight loss, but I believe that's coming now that I've quit sugar.
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Old 01-30-2009, 04:50 PM   #12  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gailr42 View Post
My goodness, can I ever relate to the "sucking up information". I do exactly the same thing. Then I get bored with a particular subject...and that's the end of that. Capishe l'Italiano? - one of the recent ones. I certainly know most of what there is to know about dieting and cooking healthy foods. I like to think that I am a good researcher, but mostly I am a good time-waster.

I think we are talking OCD here!
Yep, same boredom here. Then maybe months later I'll get back into a subject and it just cycles. And boy do I know about dieting/foods! Now, if only I could implement them better for myself...I'm good at giving others advice, now I just have to follow it!

And Wendy- I wholeheartedly agree that one can completely change their mindset, and it isn't as hard as we all think it will be. You've just got to take that leap of faith.
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