This exercise makes an interesting point about binges as a route to oblivion. I believe this is entirely true. Food can act as a drug to distract us from responsibilities and problems or to change mood. I personally don't think this is a bad thing in moderation. I believe it is one of the legitimate uses of food and that nature designed it that way. It becomes a bad thing (like alcohol or drugs) when abused.
This exercise also, to me, is related to Sprite's post in the last thread that she believes sometimes a binge is the only way to gain satiety because it fulfills a physical need. I agree with this and have always worked what I call "controlled splurges" into my plan. I think they serve a purpose that is both emotional and physical. Many popular "diet" plans such as Body For Life advocate a cheat day and these are useful in allowing release and ensuring adherence the rest of the time.
But my "splurges" become a problem when they continue past the stage where they are supposed to stop, and that is where I think I may be seeking oblivion. I know for the past two weeks I've been trying to escape the completion of an assignment I'm having problems with (writer's block!). In fact, here I am typing away on 3FC when I need to finish said assignment in an hour or so!
I'm also eating donuts! So ...
The 15-Minute Plunge Into Oblivion: The easy answer is I can take an extra 15-minute jog/walk each day. Exercise always takes me to a place far, far away from wherever I am and literally makes me a new person for awhile. So I think that's my answer for the whole seven days.
Other ideas are 15 extra minutes of reading my current novel; an extra 15 minutes of sitting on the floor hugging my animals and telling them how great they are; 15 extra minutes of sitting in the car just thinking before I come into the house (I do this a lot already); 15 extra minutes of internet surfing; 15 extra minutes of looking through my extensive tatting book collection for ideas on what I might like to tat; 15 extra minutes working on increasing my fiction writing output as opposed to the joyless and endless magazine articles that I don't really relate to.
Lots more! I could fill two lifetimes with non-food oblivion behaviors, but in the end, I think, I'd binge anyway.