It seems to me that the only way I can really stay committed is to completely avoid my triggers. One bite and it's a lost cause! The REALLY bad thing is, I'm still not even sure what all of my triggers are! Live and learn, I guess?
It seems to me that the only way I can really stay committed is to completely avoid my triggers. One bite and it's a lost cause! The REALLY bad thing is, I'm still not even sure what all of my triggers are! Live and learn, I guess?
Same here! Do we really need 'treats' to enjoy our food? i'm beginning to realize that maybe I don't, and yet can be happy with food that doesn't make me lose my mind, to borrow luckymommy's term. My list of triggers is growing but I am hopeful that if I eliminate refined sugar & flour, the others will quiet down. Yes live & learn!
A book suggestion that may help you understand your triggers, or at least how they operate, is the End of Overeating by David Kessler. the first part of the book goes in to some detail about reward systems in the brain, and how some foods stimulate and excite parts of the brain that make us want more as we eat certain foods, instead of feeling satisfied. It's very readable. He goes on to cite the studies conducted by the food industry that further elaborate how our minds and sensory apparatus respond to cues and sensations.
It's empowering and validating to realize these tendencies are real and well known in the scientific literature. And it helps to understand what we are actually up against--so much more than simply "will power."
I am stir crazy without a knitting project! I didn't realize how much my knitting had replaced food. Luckily the yarn should arrive in the mail today and I can start on my next project.
I hate that I need something to relax myself. Does everyone need something or are we just broken?
BamagalRN, I can understand that another thing to add to the list of things to do can be overwhelming. OA does take up some of my time, but if I'm being completely honest, my food addiction was taking up a lot of my time (and money) as well. Also, if you find the right Sponsor, you can make it work from home. If you're interested, I'm now able to Sponsor and I'd be glad to do that for you...we could try it out for a week or two and see how it goes, or I can just tell you a few things that I've learned from OA.
First, of course is to admit that we're powerless over food. Then, we need to come to the realization that we are not God. I know that might sound silly, but we get into a lot of trouble when we try to control the results of things in our lives. I focus on whatever steps I need to take and then I leave results and the expectations to a Higher Power (H.P.)...For some a H.P. can be God, for others, it can be anything that is greater than themselves.
Btw, if you don't think there's a H.P., try to stand in front of an ocean with a baseball bat and see what you can do about those waves. We only have so much control over others and the world and I believe that if we can live in a state of acceptance, we are able to lead a life with more sanity.
That is just some of it. It is very important to come up with a list of Red Light, Yellow Light and Green Light foods. Red are the ones you can't manage at all. Yellow you can manage if you measure out portions and Green are the ones you can eat without any problem. This takes a great deal of honesty.
I eat 3 meals a day with one snack. I send my Sponsor my homework every night as well as my Food Plan for the following day.
There is more but I do believe just about anyone can make the time for this program. The great part of it is that you can do telephone meetings and you can listen to podcasts if you would like. I have phone numbers of other OA members and I can call any of them if I feel myself slipping into my addiction.
Anyway, I could go on and on, but I don't want to preach. I hope I didn't give too much info. If anyone else has questions for me, I'm happy to respond and give you any support that I can offer.
CoolMom75, I can't speak for how others are, but I think having a healthy hobby that helps you with your addiction is a good thing. Ideally, you could come to a place where you don't need it but there are lots of things that would be nice in an ideal world. I would love to be able to eat sugar and flour in moderation, but I simply cannot. Does that mean I'm broken? Perhaps, but does that even matter? What matters is that I find a way every day to maintain my sanity.
Luckymommy, I would LOOOOOVE if you could be my sponsor! I'm actually a Christian and have a very strong belief in God as well as a relationship, so no need to worry about sounding hokey to me. Can you PM me what we need to do to get the ball rolling? I'm all for it!!
BamaGalRn, I tried to PM you but it wasn't an option. Maybe you need to have more posts? Not sure. Maybe you can send me a PM? If not, we'll just wait until we can do it.
I'm really sorry! I just don't feel comfortable posting my info in public, which I'm sure you understand. I'll bet that it's probably the same for PM's as it is for the ticker. What a bummer. How many days do you have so far?
Hahah Like 3? It's Ok. I wouldn't want all of my info public either. I do have Facebook if you have one we could contact that way. But, it's up to you as you know more about this stuff than I.
I am still figuring out binge,addictive foods.
whole food groups are not a problem. for example I could have a toast in the morning and not crave more. I had originally taken out wheat,flour but am realizing it is not a problem in itself. I don't have much of a sweet tooth at all. However if it;s sweet and savoury like chinese food it leads to wanting more.
the main pattern i notice is high fat/high sodium combination foods...anything cheesy and creamy, fast high fat foods like burgers,french fries...its not always so easy to spot though..even if I have a beef burger alone, no condiments with side salad and veggies i could be affected with the fat in the beef...so i lean more towards ground turkey and chicken for majority of food.....in other words a bland, diabetic style diet ..
. I drink diet pepsi but am going to cut that out now because I have been binging like crazy lately and want to eat as clean as possible to avoid any possible craving inducing substances
BamaGalRn, I don't have a Facebook account. I closed it because it made me sad a few times when I caught people lying to me on it...long story, but I just decided to close my account. We'll just wait. Perhaps you can start by writing a list of red light , yellow light and green light foods.
Davina, I think it's great that you've been able to pinpoint which foods are giving you issues. Giving up soda would definitely be a step towards better health. For me, sugar and flour are a major problem, but we're all so different. I hope you find a way to cease the binging.
I think PMing here requires 20 days. Just more 2 weeks, BamaGalRN!
coolmom Hope you received the yarn. You can still work toward freeing yourself of the need for it, but meanwhile it sure sounds like a great alternative.
Thanks for the OA info luckymommy. I think i'll start the red, yellow, green light list.
I am realizing that it's more than just sugar and flour, though those are the biggies. I ate some rosemary walnuts that I bought on a whim at the Farmer's Market. I have never liked walnuts much & lately have been trying to get omega 3s in my diet. The walnuts were so good I kept eating more than I had planned and then used that as an excuse to eat crazy the rest of the day. A combo of unacknowledged stress & a yellow light food that became a trigger. Just found an OA meeting starting up in 2 weeks that very nearby that I am planning to attend.
davina Figuring which foods fit which list is complicated isn't it Foods that are apparently green or yellow can still be triggering under some circumstances. I agree that clean, blandish eating that is the way to go. It's still possible to enjoy food this way, imho, using good quality, fresh ingredients. Based on my experience yesterday, an additional challenge is to tolerate/find an alternative to the tension that forms when food is no longer the go-to for emotional comfort and pleasure.
mars735, I'm so excited for you that you're making your list and going to a meeting! People say that we go to OA to lose weight, but we stay for the sanity. I've been very surprised at how much the program has bettered my life. I still have a long way to go, but I don't have the excuse of saying that I don't know what to do, because I do. Honestly, no to sound like a crazy person, but I think anyone could benefit from the basic principles of the program.
Also, if you go to a meeting and you don't like it, don't give up because every meeting has its own ambiance. I have 2 meetings that I attend regularly (one of which I love the most and consider my "home" meeting) and once a week I'll do a phone meeting.
Same thing goes with Sponsors. Just because someone is nice, doesn't mean they're a good Sponsor for you. There are a lot of people out there making newcomers feel like they have to become religious in order to do the program and that is simply not true. Anyone can do it. Anyway, if you ever want to talk to me about this on the phone, feel free to send me a PM, but I have no problem sharing the info in this format, since that might also help others. I just have so much to say and I don't want to type too much.
You made an important distinction with the walnuts. Foods can go from green and yellow to red, but once you put them on the red list, please don't try to have them again. It's just not worth it. I know that really does seem so harsh, but I believe that it gives me freedom.
One day, I was about to take my dog for a walk and I took out his leash and he got very excited. I thought, poor doggy , he has to wear a leash and that is still ok with him, but then I realized that without the leash, he could go outside, but he would eventually get hurt. He could get hit by a car or he could be stolen and abused, etc. OA is kind of a leash for me. There are some guidelines and restrictions but I don't have to fear for my life anymore. It has saved my life.
Finally, this is just a tiny tidbit, but you can get Omega 3's from other sources, as I'm sure you know. You can buy flax seed oil, chia seeds (I believe), wild salmon (I think Costco has it frozen year round but am not sure), fish oil from Nordic Naturals is great. I do know that walnuts are fantastic for health in general but just not worth it for you.
We only have so much control over others and the world and I believe that if we can live in a state of acceptance, we are able to lead a life with more sanity. 
Foods that are apparently green or yellow can still be triggering under some circumstances. I agree that clean, blandish eating that is the way to go. It's still possible to enjoy food this way, imho, using good quality, fresh ingredients. Based on my experience yesterday, an additional challenge is to tolerate/find an alternative to the tension that forms when food is no longer the go-to for emotional comfort and pleasure.
