Eating healthy is not easy. (Not when you have been eating whatever you want for so long.) I love food. It gets me excited! I LOVE going out to eat...I love to cook and bake. (To make matters worse, I am good at it.) I love to eat when I am sad, happy, excited, celebrating, depressed, bored...rarely when I am hungry..I never let my body get to that! Name an emotion...Let's eat!
I was watching the show, Ruby. I only get to watch it once in a while when Life and Style has a "free" week. I like the show. On one episode, she was talking about food addiction and AA meetings. At first she did not think she had a problem, but soon realized she was not much different then someone who is addicted to drugs and a alcohol. Ruby explained that she’s working through the 12 steps of addiction and that she understood more about why she would compulsively overeat. According to Ruby, “You have this addiction because you’re feeding something else. What are you really hungry for?” (Hmmm...a donut! Just kidding!) I have heard this statement before...Dr. Phil uses it all of the time. I don't know if I buy into it. Is it just an excuse for being...lazy? I am not sure. There are plenty of people who have had to deal with life that do not have an addiction of any sort. What do you think?
But I must say, after watching her show, I need to be open. Regardless of how I got here, or what could be "behind" the weight, I do have a problem.
I am going to say it, "I am addicted to food."
Now what?
Unlike a person with a drug or alcohol problem, who can stop and (ideally) go on with life, I have to eat in order to live. It just might be the worst kind of addiction...I feel trapped in a corner. For all of my life, when it comes to weight, it has been all or nothing. I am either on a diet or off a diet. I am either eating good or bad. I either feel in total control or totally out of control. Winner or failure. WHAT is wrong with ME? How do I deal with this?
I did look up the 12 Steps. These are the original Twelve Steps as published by Alcoholics Anonymous. Take a look (click on to make larger):
Love the name of your blog! You are not alone, I live to eat instead of eating to live. Keeping food diaries is a real eye opener, I have to start again. Ever check out spark people? They have a food diary that keeps track of your food and the calories that go with it. Really great tool!
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you on your weight loss goals!
Because of you and your goal to lose weight, I've been reading your blog from day one, and I too need to lose 60lbs, I started doing Weight Watchers again. I'm a lifeling member, and I know for myself this is the only thing that works for me due to my portion control being out of hand. I wish you lots of luck.
ReplyDeleteSigned Viola at
http://alongandwidowedroad.blogspot.com
Tizzy- Thanks! I am going to take a look at Spark People! I find that writing it down, even the "bad" stuff, helps. It keeps things in control!
ReplyDeleteViola-That is wonderful! I am so excited for you! WW is a great program (journal!) I lost 50 lbs. five years ago. You CAN do this! Better yet, WE can do this!!!!! :-)
Spark People is wonderful for realizing how much you are eating. The first days really open your eyes.
ReplyDeleteI realized awhile ago that I was addicted to fast food. If I drive past it, it takes every once of willpower to not pull in. If I eat it just once, I am sucked back into it and plan ways to get more. I know that thinking of food as an addiction is odd to a lot of people, but I completely believe it.
Stacy