Posts
As a binge eater, being faced with a crisis situation or even a minor annoyance is enough to throw me right back into an eating frenzy. My first thought when faced with any type of stress is to run to food. It's so ingrained in me that sometimes I do it before I even realize it.
I've learned firsthand that I can't simply assume I'm going to make the right choice and beat my addiction to food. I tried that for years and it just didn't work. That's because overeating is just like any other addiction. I can't kid myself into believing I'm like other people who just eat too much and are overweight. An addict needs to take drastic measures to break the cycle of destruction!
A woman I work with brought this to my attention. Before I got to know her well, I always thought she had it all together. She is a go-getter, always full of energy and ready to attack any challenge. I was shocked one day when she shared her weight loss story and pictures with me. I never new she had a weight issue and certainly never expected her to be a food addict. She was very heavy and lost a lot of weight 8 years ago. She is an emotional eater but has kept her weight off. I knew from sitting next to her that she always ate Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit. I never once saw her raiding the break room table of sweets and treats. She literally does not touch sugar and has not since she went on her diet 8 years ago. She explained to me how she does not take her addiction lightly, and if she gave in and ate sugar, it would set her off on a binge. She knows it will be a lifelong problem, and she is prepared to attack it consistently. She said, "I'm a food addict and I always will be. I've accepted the fact and know I will always have to take drastic measures to keep my weight off."
For example, her husband left her a few months ago. She called a friend when she went to the grocery store to stay on the phone with her until she purchased her groceries and got out of the store. She knew the crisis of her husband leaving would send her straight to food. She did not trust herself to go to the store without loading up on junk food.
I've learned a lot from her since she opened up to me about her struggle with weight and the drastic measures she takes to keep her weight off. Some might say she's taking things too far, but I've learned it's the best way to cope with an addiction. You have to take drastic steps if you ever want to see success. Emotional-eating triggers are a constant thing in most of our lives. Each day we are faced with challenges that will throw us off course if we aren't prepared to go beyond the normal and do something radical to stay on track.
Having a support person to call is a great idea, but it must be someone who understands the severity of the problem. Another thing I am finding helpful is to write out a success-strategy plan to carry with you and read when you feel those negative emotional patterns creeping in. I will share my success strategy plan that I created next post. In the meantime, brainstorm some extreme actions or drastic measures you can implement into your life to keep you on the road to success. We can overcome addictive behaviors, but it's going to require going the extra mile to protect ourselves from destructive habits. We have to get drastic!
I've learned firsthand that I can't simply assume I'm going to make the right choice and beat my addiction to food. I tried that for years and it just didn't work. That's because overeating is just like any other addiction. I can't kid myself into believing I'm like other people who just eat too much and are overweight. An addict needs to take drastic measures to break the cycle of destruction!
A woman I work with brought this to my attention. Before I got to know her well, I always thought she had it all together. She is a go-getter, always full of energy and ready to attack any challenge. I was shocked one day when she shared her weight loss story and pictures with me. I never new she had a weight issue and certainly never expected her to be a food addict. She was very heavy and lost a lot of weight 8 years ago. She is an emotional eater but has kept her weight off. I knew from sitting next to her that she always ate Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit. I never once saw her raiding the break room table of sweets and treats. She literally does not touch sugar and has not since she went on her diet 8 years ago. She explained to me how she does not take her addiction lightly, and if she gave in and ate sugar, it would set her off on a binge. She knows it will be a lifelong problem, and she is prepared to attack it consistently. She said, "I'm a food addict and I always will be. I've accepted the fact and know I will always have to take drastic measures to keep my weight off."
For example, her husband left her a few months ago. She called a friend when she went to the grocery store to stay on the phone with her until she purchased her groceries and got out of the store. She knew the crisis of her husband leaving would send her straight to food. She did not trust herself to go to the store without loading up on junk food.
I've learned a lot from her since she opened up to me about her struggle with weight and the drastic measures she takes to keep her weight off. Some might say she's taking things too far, but I've learned it's the best way to cope with an addiction. You have to take drastic steps if you ever want to see success. Emotional-eating triggers are a constant thing in most of our lives. Each day we are faced with challenges that will throw us off course if we aren't prepared to go beyond the normal and do something radical to stay on track.
Having a support person to call is a great idea, but it must be someone who understands the severity of the problem. Another thing I am finding helpful is to write out a success-strategy plan to carry with you and read when you feel those negative emotional patterns creeping in. I will share my success strategy plan that I created next post. In the meantime, brainstorm some extreme actions or drastic measures you can implement into your life to keep you on the road to success. We can overcome addictive behaviors, but it's going to require going the extra mile to protect ourselves from destructive habits. We have to get drastic!
No comments:
Post a Comment