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New Thinking for Food Addicts

Jan5

One of the best ways to get past an over-dependency on food is to start thinking about it in a new way. There is a process to achieving any goal.

First, you think it. Then you learn it. And finally, you do it.

Inner speech is very important in the “Think it” stage. What we tell ourselves inside is more than likely to occur in our outside life, since we tend to attract that which we focus on.

For someone who is trying to lose weight and fighting a food addiction at the same time, there is a war of words going on inside your head. That makes it pretty hard to get the right message to your heart.

Without that message of self-love and support, you’re pretty much doomed to failure. You may not want to hear it, but that’s the way it usually works out.

So, here’s my two cents about how you think of yourself when you have some weight to lose and you’re struggling with a food addiction or if you tend to use food as a coping mechanism when you get stressed out emotionally as I do.

I don’t want to feel good about being fat. I know all about self-esteem. I teach workshops on it. Most people look at me and have no earthly idea of how my extra 30 pounds affect my life.

What I want is to be healthy and fit, because when I am, I feel good about everything. And I don’t have to lose all the weight I need to in order to get into the size I want to feel that way.

I’ve already started feeling like it now that I’ve  resumed my daily walks. I walk at a comfortable pace, breathing in for four steps and out for two steps. Sometimes I use the treadmill–same breathing pattern though.

That easy walking has already burned off 6 of  the 10 pounds of fat  I gained over the holidays. Boy that food was good, and I really enjoyed it. I’m not sorry I ate it, but now it’s time to get back on track.

In my opinion, it’s okay to eat holiday foods that you don’t eat all year round, as long as you don’t bring them home with you. I especially love the cookies and fudge.

I eat junk food more carefully when I eat out. But it would be unwise for me to keep addictive foods in my house because when I experience panic stress, I’d devour them.

At home, I prefer to eat healthier foods. They just make me feel better than foods that make me bloated and uncomfortable.  I have to admit that  I like the lighter feeling better.

I have come to realize that I may never lose all 30 of the pounds I’d like to shed, or maybe I will. What I do know for certain is that I can keep within 20 pounds of my ideal weight while I’m moving in that direction. And for me, for now, that’s acceptable.

In my next blog, I’ll talk about the “Learn it” phase.

Can a Food Addict Cheat in Moderation?

Nov19

Everybody knows about eating in moderation, but have you ever heard of cheating in moderation? (I’m talking only about food now.)

I had never even thought about cheating on eating until today. Last night I decided to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I was hungry for something sweet, usually the kiss of death for this food addict.

So I made a batch of Toll House cookies. I wasn’t feeling panicky or anything. I just wanted a couple of cookies. Now, it’s all well and good to say to yourself, “I’ll just eat a couple of cookies”, but someone with an addiction of any kind knows that’s not usually how it goes.

And because that’s not usually how it goes, I had never considered being able to do that, eat just a few cookies and then stop.

I had gotten into the habit of abstaining from occasional sweets in order to avoid the addictive behavior that always seemed to follow.

In the past, the avoidance behavior would work for a while but eventually the cravings would be so bad that the stress alone would cause me to eat everything in sight.

Well, I made the cookies and baked just a few. Then I covered the rest of the batter and put it in the refrigerator. I surprised myself by not getting up in the middle of the night with the desire to stuff down the rest of the batch. I felt content, not stressed.

Today, I baked the rest of the cookies, ate two, then carefully packaged the rest and took them to work with me. I put them in our break room with a little note inviting my coworkers to try them.

My friends at work kept coming over to my counter to tell me how delicious the cookies were and to thank me for bringing them in.

The pleasure I got from that experience far outweighed any satisfaction I would have gotten from stuffing my feelings down with food. I got to enjoy the cookies and the feelings.

I cheated on my food addiction and it felt great!

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry–Regardless

Nov17

Believe it or not, this is actually good advice, especially for food addicts. When someone has a food addiction, they are always on guard.

It’s hard to enjoy yourself when you’re always on the watch for something you don’t want to have happen. That’s a lot to ask of someone who’s just trying to get through the day without feeling powerless around food.

Holiday foods like turkey, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce are all very healthy foods. And then there is Resveratol in red wine, so if you drink wine with your meal, that can be healthy too.

Food needn’t get in the way of fun. It can be part of the fun, and should be. Sondra Ray wrote a book a few years back titled The Only Diet There Is.

That book taught me how to stop feeling guilty about what I ate.  One of my favorite chapters was Pleasure Yourself To Thinness.

Check it out. Let me know what you think.

How Much Food Does a Food Addict Need?

Nov16

Not only is it important to eat on time, but it is also important to consider the amount of each food in your meal. There is more to a meal than a hamburger and fries.

So how do you know how much food should go into a meal? And how is it all supposed to fit together? What do you eat that makes you feel like actually doing something afterward instead of just sitting in front of the TV or computer like a blob?

For instance, how much salad do you eat with how much chicken? And how much rice or potato should you eat with a meal? When do you eat fruit? Do you combine the same foods for a meal as you do for a snack?

There is a way to combine foods so they will work for you in terms of energy and fat-burning potential. When you get it right, you won’t need pills and you won’t have to cut calories or go on diets, or binge and purge, or skip meals. And no more food addiction feelings and cravings.

Finding that formula can be challenging but it is worth it. For me, I think that Michael Thurmond’s program is the best program for real life eating, or should I say, real living.

It is customized for men and women, definitely not a one-size-fits-all-doomed-to-fail diet. In my case, a meal might be 2 ounces of turkey breast, 1-2 cups of a vegetable and half a baked potato. A snack might consist of 2 ounces of  chicken and a piece of fruit.

If I am really hungry at a meal, I might want an extra ounce of protein. In that case,  I have to add enough extra starch and vegetables to keep the formula intact so it will still be effective.

This is where it’s really easy to mess up. If you change the proportions, you won’t get the result you want. Your body will know something is missing and the cravings and anxiety will set in. So, when you eat, remember that foods have to work together to make a meal.

It’s up to you to figure out the rest. If you’re really serious about getting fit, I recommend that you check out Michael Thurmond’s program. It will take you by surprise–in the best way.