Anatomy of a Food Addiction by Anne Katherine, M.A.
Has anyone read this? What are your thoughts on it? Have you successfully become sugar abstinent?
I tried to be binge free this week. I didn't succeed. While I was buying my binge food, I was saying over and over in my head, "You don't want to do this. You don't have to do this". While I was eating, I was thinking, "Stop! Just stop!" I didn't stop.
I have done this so many times. People tell me if I want to be fit and healthy bad enough, I will make it happen. I want it so bad, I could cry. I do cry. I don't know how to make myself do it.
In Anatomy of a Food Addiction, the author explains how sugar addiction is similar to alchohol addiction and that there is no cure, there is only abstinence. What she wrote makes sense to me, but it actually scares me to think of living the rest of my life with no sugar. And she means absolutely no sugar. I couldn't even take the vit C supplement I take becsue it has 2 grams of sucrose.
I have to consider it though because what I have been doing for years isn't working. What's that saying? A sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time.
I haven't actually read the book, I was able to review the first few pages but already know it's nothing new. Of course, this is exactly what OA (overeaters anonymous) is founded on. And yes, one of the first things they may tell you is, if you think you are an addict, you probably are. I remember going to AA meetings with my ex and Ala-non meetings as well. I loved them, but I never found the level of committment among the "general population" of OA (in my region) that was exhibited by AA members. The exception was with the self-named "food addicts". Theirs was the "do or die" attitude. No slippery slopes for them.
I was a member for about 5 years (long time ago) and many, many people followed this plan. Some are more "liberal" with their plans, the idea is to find what abstinence is right for you. I personally could never grasp the concept at the time, but the funny thing is, after all these years with no one standing over me and no one to "report" to, I have found the same lifestyle on my own. It's just plain healthier.
I eat 5-6 small meals a day with much less calories and much better balance in my diet. I don't "do" salt, sugar, flour, or caffine, yes, that means I take my own food with me. Unlike many in OA, I don't believe I have to be hungry. It just sets me up to eat things I shouldn't. I'm currently in a phase of adding back carbs after an "elimination diet" to see which ones may be a problem for me. I currently include a couple forms of whole sprouted grain breads with no flour, sugar or salt and will eventually including whole and sprouted grains as those pose no threat to me. I just find no need for any processed foods and haven't had a craving since about the second week I started this latest journey.
Just a bit of my insight, learned over many years.
i agree with the previous poster. this is an OA philosophy. I personally am not convinced on the addiction model. the addiction model says you are incurable so you have to abstain. it's simply not true. i was a sugar "addict" for most of my life but when my emotional life is in balance i can eat in moderation and can manage my cravings. to me that is the key to success
the same is true for alcohol. i was told that i was an alcoholic (by my doc, my psychiatrist and several psychologists) . for years i battled but then i got my sh*t together and was able to cut back. at first i couldn't even go a day without alcohol and i still have times that i crave it. but i can put that craving aside and it will not consume me the way it used to. i can acknowledge the craving and say it's not good for me and stop myself.
i am not trying to suggest this is easy. it's not. it's incredibly challenging but it can be done
it can't hurt to visit an OA chapter near you and check it out for yourself to see whether this will work for you. you might also consider seeing a counsellor (not a dietitian) if you have some crap in your life that needs sorting out and is holding you back
Many people do a complete overhaul (with lots of sweat, time and determination) to get rid of sugar in their diet. I personally don't want to eliminate anything. I have noticed over many months that my sugar need is much less than it was when I started. I think the more I eat the healthier stuff and enjoy eating 5-6 meals a day, the more I am satisfied and haven't felt the urge to have a candy bar.
I still love to snack on sugar cereal (no milk). I think people would be suprised that sometimes the "healthy" brands have far more sugar than the "sugar" brands. It's crazy. Today I bought a whole wheat or multi grain (not sure which..I'd have to move out of my chair to check) Cinnamon Toast Crunch that has 75% less sugar. I'll have to see if I like it.
Anyways..this wasn't supposed to be a long story about cereals as much as it was about I still have foods that satisfy this urge, but it has been a few months (even in TOM) that I have felt the urge to buy a candy bar, brownies, etc and I am totally amazed by that because I am definately a sugar addict. I do also still buy 40 cal fudgecicles. I used to eat them every night. Now I find myself going a week or more without one.
I totally understand you!!! Being a recovered alcoholic I can tell you that there are not so much differences between alcoholism and food addiction.
I donīt know the book, but I read "Potatoes not Prozac" and several other books from Kathleen DesMaisons. I basically bought them because I was interested in the connection between the addiction on high sugary food and alcoholism. Itīs spooky how much paralles there are!
Kathleen DesMaisons expierences are based on her work with recovered alcoholics. She actually provides a quite good plan for sugar detox (going cold turkey isnīt her plan).
I have to admitt that I am not 100% sugar free....But there are high sugar trigger foods I donīt eat anymore. And in the last two days I made the expierence that I canīt handle a lower sugar substitute as well. My main trigger food are cereals (with or without milk). On bad days, I ate a few packages of them. Believe me or not, this combination of sugar, whilte flour or whatever definetely makes me somehow high.
A few weeks ago, I thought I could try that sugar reduced cereals- and slowly I was eating them for breakfast, in the evening....
I would highly recommend you the books from Kathleen DesMaisons. And she has a great website with a forum and stuff as well. If you are interested Iīll send you the link.
And donīt frighten yourself too much with that "for the rest of my life!"- thoughts: itīs always just today, just this hour, the next ten minutes.
hehe you too kate!!! there's definitely a set of people that are "pleasure seekers" and alcohol and sugar tend to be similar. same point is made in susan powter's book, sober and how to stay that way. another common one is coffee altho somehow i escaped that. only stimulant i don't go for
yes kate i have read that potatoes not prozac too. i like the way she takes you thru changes one step at a time but i don't want to completely eliminate any food - agree with deafinlysmart on that one.
i can now have alcohol in moderation. occasionally i have bad periods where i finish one bottle and open another but 99% of the time i am good. aiming to be that way with sugar but not quite there yet
sweat_pea: Itīs great that you are able to deal with alcohol that way! I canīt, so I live abstinent from alcohol.
Like a lot of people here on the thread I read several books about that sugar problem. But I am really asking myself if eliminating all sugar is the only way to go- or if itīs even a way you are practically able to go. There is sugar in nearly EVERY piece of food (I read the labels).
I think itīs right to cut down your sugar intake and aviod the obvious sugary foods. But for me it would be impossible to avoid sugar at all. I would have to live in a few vegetables (I am vegetarian and donīt like diary products that much).
being a vegetarian is very limiting esp if you don't like dairy. i've had periods where i've been vegetarian. not because i wanted to be vegetarian, just because i forgot to eat meat. i was really unbalanced and it wasn't good for my energy levels. do you take b12 supplements?
as for the sugar. sometimes i think if you cut it for a while then reintroduce it that can work but mainly i believe it's about being emotionally balanced. if you're out of balance you will binge, plain and simple. in which case it's best to avoid trigger foods or only buy things in small single packs.
i am much better with alcohol than sugar but that's because the alcoholism was so severe i simply had to deal with it and once i made that choice (after mths of struggling) and knew it was the right choice it became easier. the consequences of alcohol are more far reaching than sugar so the incentive to change was greater
i'm not saying sugar isn't severe - it is - however the damage is not as great.
i do think it's about deciding in your head and heart that's what you're going to do and committing to it. usually our motivation for cutting sugar or alcohol is because we know we "should" rather than because we're committed to changing our lives. hence we fall over and fail because your head told you to do it but your heart isn't in it.
even with sugar i am prediabetic but to me that's not enough of a problem to force me to change. it should be! i could become diabetic any day and that is a serious health problem
i have periods when i can moderate sugar and this is one of them. but they only happen when i'm balanced and trust me that's not many days in the year but i'm working on it. for me you have to fix emotional issues first
if you pm me or go to my blog you can contact me
that susan powter book is an interesting read so long as you don't take everything as gospel and read it just for other points of view
i sometimes find fictional books are as helpful as non fiction e.g. marian keyes' "rachel's holiday" if you haven't read it you might like it. i also liked "dark eye" by william bernhardt
I was a member of OA for many years. Working the 12 Steps helped me clear away a lot of emotional wreckage and be able to recognize the difference between "sane" and "insane" thinking and to admit when I needed help. While I followed "gray sheet" I eliminated sugar, ALL flour, rice, potatoes, corn, and any other whole grains. I reached my lowest adult weight and maintained it for a short time. Then I got married and started cooking for a new husband, and any long-term abstinence went out the window and the weight gain started. I continued going to meetings for several years but never again had the same success with my weight.
A book that has helped me tremendously in my struggle to deal with my weight is Marilu Henner's The 30 Day Total Health Makeover. Another book of hers, Twelve Steps to a Total Health Makeover, is also very good. The books talk about becoming the B.E.S.T. (Balance, Energy, Stamina, Toxin-Free) version of ourselves. It's not just about our weight, it's about our whole life picture. Because everything is connected to everything.
Here is part of what Ms. Henner has to say about sugar: "Americans consume somewhere in the neighborhood of 136 pounds of sugar per person per year. Over half the sugar consumed today is added directly from the sugar bowl while eating ... the the food manufacturers add the other half, either as sugar or as high fructose corn syrup ... in recent years, refined white sugar has been blamed for diseases such as hyperactivity, diabetes, hypoglycemia, bad moods, yeast infections, obesity and tooth decay. Refined white sugar depletes your body of all of the B vitamins. It leaches calcium from your hair, blood, bones, and teeth. It interferes with the absorption of calcium, protein, and other minerals in your body, and ******s the growth of valuable intestinal bacteria."
All the weight loss reflected in my ticker below has come about as a result of these books and the changes I am making in the way I think. JUST FOR TODAY I choose to be sugar and sugar substitute free and to consume foods that actively nourish and bless my body. I've found I can eat reasonable amounts of whole grains but I pay attention to what my body is telling me. If I start having a lot of cravings for a certain food I eliminate it from my diet for a while, and consume it cautiously after that. I agree with your definition of insantiy and know I spent enough years engaging in insane thinking!
I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that you will find your way to making healthier choices for yourself.
Karen:Yes, she mentions OA in the book. I've never been fond of the 12-step program because it requires you to surrender your addiction to a higher power and I am too much of a control freak to do that.
Sweet Pea: You wrote, "i can acknowledge the craving and say it's not good for me and stop myself. " I've been trying to do this in my head. It hasn't been working. My next step is to enlist the help of my dh. He will gently tell me if something isn't good for me and help me stop. I just have to work up the courage to admit to him that I need help. I've been thinking of posting signs around the house and kitchen to remind me of what I want and that bingeing won't get me there.
"i do think it's about deciding in your head and heart that's what you're going to do and committing to it. usually our motivation for cutting sugar or alcohol is because we know we "should" rather than because we're committed to changing our lives. hence we fall over and fail because your head told you to do it but your heart isn't in it."
This is exactly where I am stuck. I have been thinking about this for days. What is it finally going to take for my heart to get the message?
Kate:I love cereal, too! Apple Cinnamon Cheerios.
Sugar detox sounds intriguing.
I will definitely check out Kathleen DesMaisons' books. And please, send me the URL.
"itīs always just today, just this hour, the next ten minutes." Thank you for that. That is going to be the first sign I post on my fridge.
Ladynredd You wrote: "JUST FOR TODAY I choose to be sugar and sugar substitute free and to consume foods that actively nourish and bless my body."
That is fabulous! I am going to put that on a sign next to my bed, so it is the first thing I see every morning.
Purple Pansy I experienced the same thing when I did the South Beach diet. But, just one slip-up and that was it for me.
Thank you all for your support and hugs. You have given me a lot to think about and some good info.
Ok. Fine. I admit, I'm addicted to sugar! I'm addicted to all things with that carby-goodness. I've had days where I've eaten nothing but carbs. In fact, I'm sitting here still overdosed on it now from my binge this past week. I have a permanent headache and feel like moving is just not an option.
I have no problem admitting that I'm addicted to food, but I've always hated the idea of admitting to a sugar addiction. To me, admitting to it means I have to give it up and that was scary. The way I feel right now, I feel like sugar has betrayed me! So I don't care at the moment about admitting it. I need to be abstinent from this stuff for awhile as much as that sucks. I'm totally addicted to that sugar buzz and love the good feeling I get from eating those foods. What I have sure doesn't feel any different from drugs or alcohol.
Interesting thread! I believe that sugar addiction IS a problem for me. Fortunately, some folks don't seem to suffer with this and seem to be able to enjoy delicious, sweet, carby treats in "moderation". I envy them!
Just like some folks are not alcoholics......I can easily drink a glass of wine (maybe once a year) and not want any more. But give me a piece of chocolate cake and WATCH OUT! I'm coming back for the rest.........
Sometimes, by sheer willpower, I can resist sugar. But the strong, terrible desire is burning deeply in my mind. It is a constant craving that consumes my thoughts, making me less joyful and less productive. I waste a LOT of time trying to fight these cravings! When I consume sweets or high carb foods, I also feel "hungry" even when my belly is literally STUFFED full of food and my calorie intake is MORE than sufficient!
It is FAR easier, for me, to say NO to the first bite of sugary treats. Once I give in, it is a real struggle, which I often lose.
After 3 days of Atkins I can honestly say that I am not craving ANYTHING sweet!!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO................................ ...
This is VERY monumental for me!!!!! I hope this freedom from food torture lasts! If it means eating only used tires, I'm starting to think that, for me, it is worth it!
Sometimes, by sheer willpower, I can resist sugar. But the strong, terrible desire is burning deeply in my mind. It is a constant craving that consumes my thoughts, making me less joyful and less productive. I waste a LOT of time trying to fight these cravings! When I consume sweets or high carb foods, I also feel "hungry" even when my belly is literally STUFFED full of food and my calorie intake is MORE than sufficient!
It is FAR easier, for me, to say NO to the first bite of sugary treats. Once I give in, it is a real struggle, which I often lose.
It is FAR easier, for me, to say NO to the first bite of sugary treats. Once I give in, it is a real struggle, which I often lose.
Reminds me of the AA- slogans:
- One glas of alcohol is too much- fifty glasses of alcohol are not enough
- Donīt take the first drink!! (At this point, a lot of people are saying: Ok, i start with the second....)
Anatomy of a Food Addiction by Anne Katherine, M.A.
Unlike many in OA, I don't believe I have to be hungry. It just sets me up to eat things I shouldn't. I'm currently in a phase of adding back carbs after an "elimination diet" to see which ones may be a problem for me. I currently include a couple forms of whole sprouted grain breads with no flour, sugar or salt and will eventually including whole and sprouted grains as those pose no threat to me. I just find no need for any processed foods and haven't had a craving since about the second week I started this latest journey. 
. for years i battled but then i got my sh*t together and was able to cut back. at first i couldn't even go a day without alcohol and i still have times that i crave it. but i can put that craving aside and it will not consume me the way it used to. i can acknowledge the craving and say it's not good for me and stop myself. 
Food Mentioned!
but i'm working on it. for me you have to fix emotional issues first
Apple Cinnamon Cheerios.
these cravings! When I consume sweets or high carb foods, I also feel "hungry" even when my belly is literally STUFFED full of food and my calorie intake is MORE than sufficient! 