Food Addiction--New for 2008

[NewYorkGiants32]

Oh wow...you are asking the wrong person!! I have never used the private message option. I will see if I can figure it out and let you know.

[ahamiam1]

Eden, first of all I have a question-are you in high school or university?

Secondly, to PM someone, you right click on their name, it will bring up a box of options. If the box doesn't include an option to PM that person it is because 1) they haven't posted enough times to use the PM option yet or 2) they have disabled the option and you can't send them a PM. Hope that helps.

[edenedee]

I am in college, why you ask?
but thanks for answering my question about the PM

[ahamiam1]

Most colleges in the states have eating disorder clinics within the healthcare clinic-you could get professional support (usually free) there along with connections to other people w/ similar problems. It could really help

[Pcola Girl]

Sorry to have been away but I am back now. My eating is going somewhat better than it was, still trying to fight with food craving though every once in a while.
Now the Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday and my hubby has made me a list of foods he wants to eat during the game. Most are none I can eat on low carb though either. Why can he eat like that, all the junk and carbs and never gain weight, when I eat like that i gain a lot of weight. Why won't my body burn it up like his does? I just don't understand....I think maybe i will not even watch the game so I won't be around all that food that will be there for him.
What will you all be doing for the big Game? Anything special in the food catagory? I guess I could get me a bag of pork rinds and a diet soda.

See you all later. Be good..............

[NewYorkGiants32]

I can not wait for the game...HUGE GIANTS fan over here. As of now i am undecde what I am going to do food wise. I do think though that every now and then it is okay to "give in" and have what YOU want to eat. I think it is okay if you want to eat what your husband does on game day, just drink LOTS of water and get back on plan monday....but thats just me.

[Aijarama]

Yay Giants!!! (Jersey girl here)

If you're doing Atkins - why not have a ton of wings? I think beer is fully acceptable for such a special event

[Lillianna]

Hello...mind if I join you? I've been looking for a thread like this.... Sorry, I didn't have time to read all the posts in this thread but from what I did read I can see that most of us are dealing with the same issues.

I get really frustrated in the Main Lobby. No one there seems to ever be hungry! "Eat more fat, eat more fat" seems to be the answer to every question. I eat plenty of fat. If I eat to satisfaction (all low carb, high fat) I'll eat at least 2500 - 3000 calories a day. Obviously, I don't lose that well on that many calories

It's next to impossible for me to get into ketosis, and even harder for me to stay there. I know some of it is emotional eating (especially at night) but most of the time I am genuinely, stomach-rumbling hungry. I will be hungry 2 hours after eating a huge salad with chicken and full fat dressing. I often have lunch with my co-worker. We'll eat the same thing and she won't eat again for the rest of the day!...I'll have at least two more meals after lunch!

So I've decided that my body doesn't work exactly as it should in regards to hunger and I just need to ignore it. This is the 3rd day that I've decided to eat 4 "meals" per day: At 7:00 am, 11:00 am, 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm. I'm using some of the Greysheet principles, in that I will not eat at any other time "No Matter What".

I have either eggs or sausage for breakfast, a huge salad w/ protein at lunch, yogurt or kefir at 3:00 and another salad with protein for dinner. Good thing I love salad! I know I'll need to vary this as I go on, but so far I feel really good. I just have to keep reminding myself that the hunger doesn't matter and that my body is telling me I should eat when I know I shouldn't.

I plugged everything into FitDay and I'm around 1600 - 1800 calories a day. I might be able to lower that a bit when I've gotten this routine down. I don't even care about losing right now; I just want to get my eating under control.

I'm taking my dd to the Hannah Montana movie in a little while. Instead of having my usual yogurt at 3:00, I'm bringing a flax muffin to eat while the girls have their popcorn.

I'll check back here tonight to read your posts and get to know everyone! Thanks for listening to my rambling

[Pcola Girl]

Hi Lilli, nice to have you here with us. I know I am addicted to food and its hard to over come to, at least to me it is. I have been on low carb for many years now, lost a lot of my weight but still have much more to lose. Yes there are those on the board who seem to be doing good on the low carb plans but as for me I am fighting with it most days just to lose a pound every now and then. I am happy for everyone who are losing their weight.
Just wish I could finish losing mine. I have restarted induction so many times and that didn't even help me. Have you repeated induction any? Did repeating it help you?

I to feel my eating gets out of control to especially whehn its something I really like to eat like steak and seafood. I know I will over eat it when I have it but I just cannot help myself and I don't understand why. I get one taste of it and its like it triggers something in me to make me want more and more of it. I guess that is a addiction isn't it?

Post often ok and I will see ya later. Have fun at the movies.

[ahamiam1]

Welcome, Lilli-I see that you are eating sausage-what kind? (because some of them have a lot of gluten which can knock you right out of ketosis if you get too much.)

[Lillianna]

Originally Posted by Pcola Girl

Hi Lilli, nice to have you here with us. I know I am addicted to food and its hard to over come to, at least to me it is. I have been on low carb for many years now, lost a lot of my weight but still have much more to lose. Yes there are those on the board who seem to be doing good on the low carb plans but as for me I am fighting with it most days just to lose a pound every now and then. I am happy for everyone who are losing their weight.
Just wish I could finish losing mine. I have restarted induction so many times and that didn't even help me. Have you repeated induction any? Did repeating it help you?

I to feel my eating gets out of control to especially whehn its something I really like to eat like steak and seafood. I know I will over eat it when I have it but I just cannot help myself and I don't understand why. I get one taste of it and its like it triggers something in me to make me want more and more of it. I guess that is a addiction isn't it?

Post often ok and I will see ya later. Have fun at the movies.

Pcola, I know just how you feel. I have attempted induction several times and never even made it a week before I cheated. I just got so darn hungry. I eat a lot of veggies and during induction I coudn't do that. 15 carbs worth of veggies isn't very much....and I would eat so much meat and fat to try and fill me up that I wasn't losing anything. I would end up eating more cheese than I was allowed....I would just give up before the two weeks was even up.

And I definitely know what you mean about wanting to over eat when it's a food you like. If I were to eat really good lasagne in a restaurant, for example. I would start obsessing about lasagne and I would want it for every meal. I have no problem eating the same thing for days at a time if it's something I love.

Originally Posted by ahamiam1

Welcome, Lilli-I see that you are eating sausage-what kind? (because some of them have a lot of gluten which can knock you right out of ketosis if you get too much.)

It takes me at least 5 days of strict induction to get to ketosis. I have to stick to 15 or fewer grams of carbs. And then it seems like I get "knocked out" of it if I so much as smell something high carb. Ketosis is very fleeting for me so I don't even see it as a long-term possibility for weight loss. I've never tried meat/egg for more than a day, though. That might work. I'm just so tired of trying to figure this out :- ( Sorry to keep whining.... Oh, and to answer your question, the sausage probably does have gluten because they're those chemical-laden Brown and Serve sausages, which I try not to eat that often, but they're so convenient....

Yesterday, before I went to the movies, I had eaten a huge salad with a can of tuna and full fat mayo and ranch dressing for lunch at 11:30. I brought a flax muffin spread with 2 tbls. of full fat cream cheese. At 3:00, when the movie started, I ate the muffin and had about 8 oz. of water. By the end of the movie my stomach was growling. Literally growling. I was sooo hungry.

I am really starting to believe that there is something about my body that makes me much more hungry than the average person. I can eat enormous quantities of food and be hungry in two hours.

Has anyone tried meat/egg? If so, how long before ketosis kicked in? Again, thanks for listening

[ahamiam1]

Lilli, honey, convenience foods are our worst enemy! The best thing to do-in my opinion-before doing a severe meat/egg fast is to eat ONLY natural foods. Meat, eggs, veggies-nothing processed at all and [COLOR="Red"]no dairy[/COLOR] b/c it can really be hard on some peoples systems. [COLOR="Red"]Nothing that contains gluten[/COLOR]. Be strict about that for 2-4 weeks and see what happens. Give it time-it takes our body time to adjust to a new way of eating. When I eat this way, lean meat (with red meat only 2 x a week), eggs (as many as I want) and lots of veggies (especially spinach) I do really well. The great thing about eggs is that you can take them with you

[Lillianna]

Originally Posted by ahamiam1

Lilli, honey, convenience foods are our worst enemy! The best thing to do-in my opinion-before doing a severe meat/egg fast is to eat ONLY natural foods. Meat, eggs, veggies-nothing processed at all and [COLOR="Red"]no dairy[/COLOR] b/c it can really be hard on some peoples systems. [COLOR="Red"]Nothing that contains gluten[/COLOR]. Be strict about that for 2-4 weeks and see what happens. Give it time-it takes our body time to adjust to a new way of eating. When I eat this way, lean meat (with red meat only 2 x a week), eggs (as many as I want) and lots of veggies (especially spinach) I do really well. The great thing about eggs is that you can take them with you

Thank you, Ahamiam....I have really never been able to do that....but you make it sound easy. So do you try to limit your choices during induction? I usually end up eating too many veggies during induction and I can't get into ketosis. Frankly, I can't afford pounds and pounds of meat per week. I usually eat smaller portions of meat and the rest of my diet is veggies and eggs. Since cheese is relatively inexpensive I usually end up eating to much of that as well. Maybe if I allowed myself only eggs, spinach and chicken or ground turkey for a few days I could finally get into ketosis. As for the sausage, I know it's frankenfood, but at 99 cents a box, the price is right The all-natural sausage is $4.00 for four links :- ( I bought some of the good stuff today for my daughter. I guess I'll stick to eggs for breakfast (I bought 2 dozen eggs today)

Thank for your advice...I really appreciate it! I feel like I'm really floundering lately.....

[ahamiam1]

Easy, no way. Not for me! My eating is a mess right now and I need to take my own advice. I agree that meat is expensive and that is exactly why I eat a lot of eggs. I have to stay away from cheese. It makes me crave and I can't deal w/ it. I am eating a lot of chicken, eggs and spinach right now. I made chili today-big mistake
I know how hard it is. It is really hard for me, too. But it is possible! And we can do it!

[Lillianna]

Thanks...It does sound easy in theory, doesn't it?? Well, as long as we keep trying we'll figure it out... (I hope!)

Hey, NewYorkGiants Fan! How are you this morning? Still celebrating? Congrats! They were awesome last night! I'm in New England but can't say I'm a Pats fan. I barely understand football. I did watch the game though...The Giants deserved that win

[Pcola Girl]

Hi everyone, just wanted to see how everyone was doing today.
Hope all of you are over coming your addiction to what ever it may be, food or what ever..Mine was food, and right now I feel I am in good control over it and not letting it control me anymore like it was doing.
Sometimes others do not see that being over weight can be a food addiction problem but it is and can be really hard to over dome just like any other addiction it. I have had people tell me to just stop eating, but that is easier said than done, and we know that don't we? I have friends who smoke but they do not consider that a addiction, they say they can quit if they wanted to but I never see anyone of them stop smoking. I think smoking is a addiction just like obesity is. Its hard to over come...
I fight with it most everyday of my life to eat like a normal person and eat normal portions. I don't know why my body craved the food like it does or use to I should say because now I have control over my eating, at least for now I do but I know I could slip back at any time. I feel obesity is caused from something our body or mind is missing out on and the food must satisfy that need. Maybe its a vitamin or something, I don't know but its caused by something and not just us wanting to eat all the time and make ourselves fat because we don't want to be fat, I know I don't want to, I want to live a normal life.
I was eating when I felt down but now I feel I have overcome that and do other things when I get to feeling that way.
I heard someone say once, "WE ARE NOT UNHAPPY BECAUSE WE ARE FAT, WE ARE FAT BECAUSE WE ARE UNHAPPY." I believe that to be sort of truthful because so many obese people are unhappy with their life, maybe its a bad marriage or a bad childhood or something else making them sad and hurt them in their life that they just cannot get over. That was my case, my childhood. I think I ate to escape that somehow.

Better go, let me know your views on why you think we become obese to.
See ya later.

[Aijarama]

Hey all,
How's everyone doing? I'm at 253lbs right now, and I've been here once before, a couple weeks ago - my mini goal is to get under 250, and I'm trying to avoid self-sabotage and just get there! I get at 253, then I skip the gym (the problem starts around thursdays, when I'm ready to start the weekend), blow my entire diet, and get to like, 257 in a few days...I'm tired of the cycling, ready to just lose it for good!

I get caught up in "just a small piece won't hurt," "you can have it, you went to the gym today," and other excuses. Pcola girl, I agree with the emotional eating...I've almost conquered that, but a big part of me still eats out of boredom, or just because "I want something to eat," or "I feel snackish," bottom line - eating when I'm not hungry. And that needs to stop.

I have a very hard time with portions as well. Just trying to be mindful of what/where/why I eat - how's everyone else doing?

[ahamiam1]

I agree, we can not "just stop." It doesn't work like that. Of course there are some people who have been able to do it, but it is not a common thing. We need A LOT of support and we have to be totally honest w/ ourselves-THAT is not easy sometimes. There are not a lot of people who understand food addiction. These are the same people who don't understand why depressed people don't just put a smile on their faces and go on about life. Wouldn't it be lovely if life were that easy!

I eat all of the time. It comforts me and makes me feel happy-momentarily. After the fact I feel horrible and then eat more to get that quick infusion of happiness back (other wise known as a seratonin rush!) It is possible to get better, but this is not something that EVER goes away.

Once a foodaholic-always a foodaholic, it is a question of whether or not your disease is in check.

[duece49424]

Hello everyone - may I join you? Been reading your posts and I relate so well to all of you. I tried to start lc months ago,, reading several sights, watching everyone just "go on an lc diet" and loose the weight. It seems so simple. Looking into a supplement that might help with this. I know there is something definitely different about me and my body chemistry. I have tried every diet out there. I binge on sweets mostly until I am sick. Sometimes I just have to eat anything. I am having a very hard time. I used to wake up in the middle of the night and go eat whatever I could find. That is a little better now. Has anyone heard of using a certain kind of magnesium to help with cravings? I am so bad, I just want to run away, seriously......

[edenedee]

Hey,
Well (Duece49424) I have never heard of magnesium to help with cravings. But there is something you can take to help with cravings.. I am going to Books-a-million tomorrow to see what it is. I read it once in a book but can't remember it and accidently threw away the piece of paper I had written it on..
But I understand about binging on sweets, I have that problem too. I usually do it early morning though. It is weird, I wake up and binge. It is awful. But I haven't done it in a couple of days, so I am proud of myself. Usually though I can stop the binges by chewing sugar free gum, my only problem is I go threw like a whole pack of sugar free gum in like an hr. or less. I just chew, get all the flavor out, spit it out, chew another piece.. continous. But I guess that is bad too. But too me, it is better than binging on the actual sweets. But the last couple days I haven't done either..lol. could be b/c I have been sick.. But anway.
I will get back with you tomorrow though.

[ahamiam1]

and welcome. I can really relate to the "I just want to run away" feeling. It isn't fun! I have told my DH more than once that I just want to get into the car and drive away until no one can find me. This is always when I am feeling . Do you have any underlying medical conditions that could contribute to this feeling?

[duece49424]

Eden and Ange - thanks for the info and looking forward to "working" together. Underlying medical conditions?? Officially, not sure, but a list of things that have happened to me that has help cause my weight to go up 80 in 8 years - by binge eating. Short list....husband died when my kids were 6 and 7 years old, my 7 year old is a boy who is now 24. He has mild cerebral palsy and mental disabilities, the younger one is my daughter who is in her 5th year of college. I have no medical insurance, just buried my dad next to my husband and my first baby. My dog just died on my birthday 2 months ago. The eating continues. I have a Russian foster child living with me who was severley abused and taken from him adoptive family and I mentor 4 kids who lost their mom to cancer. I work in a coffee/bagel shop from 4 am - 1 pm, so I can take care of all the kids after school. So many temptations at work with cookies, muffins..., homemade everthing....that's it in a nutshell, so to speak. I eat, eat and eat, and have tried everything. Crave - hate it. I used to be looking pretty good. Oh, went through menopause too. I do need help.

[ISU08]

Hello LC Friends!
I haven't been on here for a long, long time I miss being on here and I know you guys are there to help me out.

Yeah I do have a food addiction, badly and the only thing about it is when I eat the foods I wasn't suppose to eat, I've afraid to gain weight and not able to fit into my pants again (right now I am a size 6 & 8 pants). I am a college student and its hard to not eat the foods I am not suppose to eat. I haven't drunk any pops lately and I've drunk lots of water. I lost a total of 28 pounds which is awesome for me. I want to go down to 145 but according to my mother she said that I don't need to lose no more weight. I've been exercising, by going to exercise classes and also walking to my classes for school.

I need some support from all of you, I am thinking about starting induction again. What should I do?

[Pcola Girl]

Here is a article I found in a book about the signs of food addiction.
Wanted to share it with you all.

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Do you have a food addiction?


1. Has anyone ever told you that you have a problem with food?
2. Do you think food is a problem for you?
3. Do you eat large amounts of high calorie food in a short period of
time?
4. Do you find yourself fearful of gaining weight?
5. Do you eat when you are disappointed, tense or anxious?
6. Can you stop eating without a struggle after one or two sweets?
7. Do find yourself preoccupied with gaining weight?
8. Has being overweight ever affected any part of your life?
9. Do you weigh yourself once or twice (or more) a day?
10. Do you eat more than you planned to eat?
11. Have you hidden food so that you would have it just for yourself?
12. Have you ever felt angry when someone ate food you saved for
yourself?
13. Do you worry that you can�t control how much you eat?
14. Have you felt frantic about your size, shape or weight?
15. How many methods of weight loss have you tried in the past? (i.e.,
self inducing vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, fasting, amphetamines,
weight loss programs, etc.)
16. Have you ever felt so ashamed of the amount you eat that you hide
your eating?
17. Have you been so upset about the way you eat that you wished you
would die?
18. Do you overeat more than twice a week?
19. Do you invent plans in order to be alone to eat?
20. Do you seek out companions who eat the way you do?

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Food Addiction

Food Addiction can occur in many ways. Most people blame it on genetics, and others face the fact. You can get addicted to mostly anything sweet, fatty, and salty. You could eat a piece of candy and a second later want more food.

Sugar is very popular in American culture today, a little too popular. Sugar is used in practically every kind of food there is. As a matter of fact, life seems to be “getting sweeter” every day!

In 1822, there wasn’t much sugar consumption. Actually, the average American ate only two teaspoons of sugar a day; I use that much sugar in just one cup of tea! Then, by 1870, people started consuming 22 teaspoons a day. Then the amount doubled in 1902, people began consuming 22 teaspoons of sugar a day! But that’s not all; in the 1980s Americans began ingesting 35 teaspoons of sugar a day! Sugar consumption today has risen all the way up to 42 teaspoons! That’s about 142 pounds of sugar a year per person! Basically, people are eating more than their weight in sugar every year.

They are many types of sugar. The main types of sugar are white refined sugar, brown (or demerara) sugar, and fruit sugar. Fruit sugar is the sugar found in fruit. White refined sugar is the sugar that we use in everything, and I mean everything from fuel for cars to chips and cakes. Brown sugar is a more natural sugar and its production is simple.

The way they make refined sugar, so that you can sprinkle it where ever you wish is complex. First, they grind the sugarcane to get out the juice. Then, they boil the juice until it turns into a syrup, thickens, and crystallizes. Then they spin the crystals in a centrifuge to make raw sugar. The raw sugar is shipped to a refinery and is dissolved. Then it’s purified and filtered to remove the remains of the cane plant and its natural color. Finally, it’s crystallized, dried, and packaged, ready to be shipped off to stores.

Refined sugar is pretty bad. It has been shown to reduce the ability of white blood cells to function properly, to contribute to alcoholism, mental illness, and many other things. So what does this have to do with obesity?

Well, sugar is actually addictive. So, you eat some sugar, and then you want more and more and more. Then you tend to get overweight. There was an experiment done in the University of California. Rats that were fed on a diet of sugar and packaged foods suddenly felt a 50% larger appetite for sweets and an 18% greater longing for alcohol than other rats. Sugar is like cocaine. In a chemical breakdown, sugar is just one molecule away from cocaine. They are both plant extracts. In the bloodstream, they both do nothing but create some pleasure and make you addicted to them.

Therefore, sugar is not only addictive and causes food cravings; it also makes the appetite control center go berserk! Studies have shown that sugar, caffeine and alcohol produce a chemical reaction in the body that creates

enjoyment, but only for a moment. This results as a depression or that desire to get “high”. Doctors call this a “crash”. Dr. Janice Keller Phelps has researched the addictiveness of sugar. People would start out as sugarholics and then they’d become victims of depression. Because of that, people get stressed and want to eat more because of their chemical imbalance and they tend to get overweight.

Sugar also affects the way we exercise. It makes our muscles weaker and takes away our energy. So if you want to be the next Michael Jordan or a heavyweight champion like Stone Cold Steve Austin, lay off the sugar. When our bodies are artificially powered by sugar, it drains out our energy, B vitamins, trace elements, and calcium. With ought any energy, we don’t really have the desire to exercise and our immune system stops working for a period of time. Refined carbohydrates and sweets don’t need a lot of metabolism and enter our blood stream rapidly. Our pancreas is attacked by the sudden urge of sugar. It releases too much insulin since it’s doing more work than it usually does. Because of this chemical confusion, there is a big drop in blood sugar. This causes feelings of hunger!

So there. Sugar causes weight gain because it alters our metabolism, not because of its calories. The U.S. Department of Health studied this. There were two groups of people. Both were fed the same exact number of calories. But group A eats the calories in sugar and refined products and group B eats the calories from grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Group A gained weight but group B didn’t.

Calories are nothing, it matters what you eat of those calories, and otherwise it’s just a number. About half the calories Americans eat now are actually empty, these calories are non-nutritional. Basically, “Americans today are overfed but undernourished.”

Sugar is everywhere. There is even sugar in salt! Try to find a can of vegetables without it. An average of 16 teaspoons of sugar are put in one can of soda and 24 in just one slice of pie! When a person ingests 24 teaspoons of sugar in one sitting, they are becoming really close to being a diabetic. When sugar is broken down in the body, fatty acid results from the sugar intake. It is also called tri-glyceride.

So think twice before opening that candy bar, the results are terrible. Sugar is too addictive to let go of and is a cause of obesity and food addiction.

[Pcola Girl]

Here is another article I read on food addiction.

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"Obese people 'addicted to food'"

New research has found that food can be like an addictive drug for many obese people.

The research from the Brookhaven National Center for Translational Neuroimaging in New York studied why many people want to continue to eat when they have already eaten and feel full.

Seven obese volunteers had gastric stimulators implanted for one to two years–this is a device which tricks the body into thinking the stomach is full.

The stimulator provides low levels of electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve and this causes the stomach to expand and produce peptides that send messages of fullness to the brain.

The participants were given PET scans to see which parts of the brain were activated when the stimulator was activated.

It was found that the part of the brain called the hippocampus was activated in the study participants in the same way it becomes activated in drug addicts when they crave for drugs.

The researchers said their findings explain why it is so difficult for obese people to cut down on their eating.

They said obese people find it difficult to diet because they cannot suppress the craving in their cognitive system to get then next 'fix'.

[ahamiam1]

no time....running through

[duece49424]

Mary - a lot of good info =- I hope I can put it to good use somehow and start to understand my problems. I do know sugar is a real kicker for me. Thanks.

[Sugar Free Franny]

Hello, I am glad I found this thread. I am also a food addict and am looking forward to getting and giving support.

I have had a problem with food since I was about 4 years old (that's about as far back as I can remember). My grandma would bring me Suzie Q's while my mom was at work to make me happy. Hence the reason for turning to food for comfort I am sure. Through most of my childhood I was "chubby". During my teen years I learned how to lose weight. I didn't eat. I became anorexic for about four years. By the age of 18 I learned how to eat more healthy, but of course, still not as healthy as I should have been eating. I ate lots of "low fat" foods and way too many grains. I was able to maintain my weight of about 130 (I am 5'4). I exercised pretty regularly either by running or going to the gym, so that wasn't really a problem. I just ate too much.

By the time I had my third child, it became extremely difficult to lose weight. I was up to 176 pounds and felt pretty hopeless. I started reading about Dr. Atkins and really knew I had a problem with Flour and Sugar products. So, this was in 2003. I attempted to lose this weight. I would be able to do induction for about 1 week. Each time I lost about 7 lbs. Which was great. Then, somehow I would be triggered and I would slip back into my old behavior of thinking I could eat "some" high carb foods. Well, each time I would do that I would gain back all of the weight and feel hopeless all over again. I do believe that much of this behavior was based on many personal issues I was having. This went on for 2 years.

Finally, in 2005 I hit a bottom in my life. I knew I had to do this for myself. Something triggered in my head and it connected with my heart. I was able to do induction for the full 2 weeks. I lost 14 lbs. for the first time in induction. I then needed to figure out how many carbs I could eat and still lose weight. I stayed very low knowing that I had such a strong addiction to the carbs (probably about 25 grams per day). I continued to lose anywhere from 2-4 lbs. per week. I hit a couple of plateaus, but I didn't give up. I walked, did some toning and strength training, drank lots of water and told myself I was worth it. Everytime I got on the scale, I would thank God for helping me through it. I couldn't do it alone. I was and am powerless over food. In 6 months I was down to 142 lbs. I was a size 6/7.

I was feeling good about myself,so I thought I could add in some carbs on the weekends and special occasions. What I didn't realize is that I was setting myself up yet again. So, in the year of 2007 after keeping off the weight for that year and a half, I began slowly climbing on the scale. I am now back up to 160 lbs, and realizing my addiction is still present. It will always be present. It is just like an alcoholic. I can be in recovery, but will never be recovered. This is how I will live the rest of my life. No, it is not depressing. It is a gift that I can't eat those foods. I only have one body on this earth and I want to take care of it the best I can. By developing a healthy relationship with good foods and setting a boundary with the unhealthy foods I am taking care of myself. Slowly, I am learning that this really isn't a diet. It is my way of life.

I am back on induction as of today. The reason for induction is to detox the body from carbs. In other addictions such as alcoholics and drug addicts, they have to do a 3 day detox as well. The body goes through many changes in this period. It is always worth it. I will drink lots of water, eat til I am satisified, get some exercise and nourish my soul by either journaling, reading, meditating, being out in nature, listening to music that I love or dancing. This is not a punishment. This is a gift.

Thanks for listening. I hope to hear from you all.

[Aijarama]

Hey Franny - welcome!
How's everyone doing?
I was doing okay this week, but last night I ordered tofu stir-fry from Fresh City, and I think the entire bowl is around 600-700 cals - it's full of tofu and veggies and the sauce wasn't too sweet. I ate the whole thing, though, even though when I was maybe 60-70% done, I felt that "full" feeling. I should have stopped, but I "wanted" to eat. I wanted to keep tasting and eating, and I did that whole "well, there's not really enough to make a full meal if I save it" - BS. So even though it wasn't as bad as eating an entire box of mac and cheese (done that, in darker days), I still ate past the point of satisfaction, and I didn't listen to my body. Learn, learn, learn.

[Sugar Free Franny]

Thanks for welcoming me Aija. Doesn't sound too bad-the tofu. I ended up eating too many carbs this evening. I was doing good all day and then it was pizza day for the kids. So, I started with one little slice and then no one else liked the pizza that I got from Trader Joes so I had more then I should have. I didn't get any protein with dinner and then I made a carrot cake, but I didn't have any. Of course I am already at about 75 grams of carbs for today. Darn. So much for my first day of induction. I, however did stop for the night. I must stay out of the kitchen. I am feeling the cravings coming and don't want to go there.

Tomorrow will be a better day and I am going to go exercise now. Thanks for listening.