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| Covered up the trigger food |
I do believe Food Addiction is real, that Food Addiction can and does result in tragic outcomes. I hesitated to write about Food Addiction. It's somewhat embarrassing to talk about these things. On the other hand, it was worse to live in the disease, have obesity, and that sense of shame and not really understanding some root causes. Hard wiring genes AND my choice of environment.
I feel lucky in many ways. I'm still here and still standing, so better to discuss and be well than to hide, look the other way. I'm writing my review of the book Food Junkies, by Vera Tarman, MD in the next few days. Wow! Just wow.
Okay, as a starter, head over to the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Link to the pdf is here
I took this survey twice. Once as the "old me" and once as the in "recovery me". I had very high scores for the old me and super low scores for the recovered me.
What works for me: Yale Food Addiction Scale
0. Reading about food addiction helped me understand the 40 years of binge eating and how I had obesity as a symptom of it.
1. I know I'm not alone.
2. I have to work day in day out , meal in meal out to live in a recovered state. My food choices, my choice to choose food that keeps me in recovery (Paleo-ish food template for me, protein, veggies, natural fats, spices/salt, and a few berries)
3. I have to watch for slippery slope thinking. Example: I walked 6+ miles yesterday and I came home and had an on food template meal- for me- Paleo-ish. I ate more food as fuel, but it was all food that is on my set food template. Also, it was Valentine's day. I still ate on my food template.
4. It helps me to know that places and people like the Rudd Center for Food Policy, Dr. Sharma's writings , Dr. Freedhoff's work and Dr. Tarman and Dr. Peeke and OA podcasts have very relevant articles, books, personal stories the written word and spoken stories.
5. I can forgive myself. Especially the 6 year old binge eater that I used to be.
What did not work in the past.
0. There was no research available to me growing up that addressed trigger foods. (or that I could understand)
1. I felt like I was the only one who ate sugary foods or grains and could not stop eating.
2. I moderated all my trigger foods, with terrible results, but kept doing the same thing!
3. I had lots of slippery slope thinking: I just got back from half marathon training and sure.. I earned this biscotti and sugary coffee drink, I need to re-fuel. Calories in, Calories out..... earned me a pretty big muffin top and plantar fasciitis. Ouch!! Mentally and physically.
4. The resources I needed, I could not or would not connect to readily.
5. I used to blame myself: I'm weak because I can't moderate, not strong enough, not normal. Sigh...
Okay readers: Did you take the test? I think this thing is a sliding scale- no absolutes. Varying degrees of the ways our genetics and our environment effect us. No right answers. Just some solutions that work better than others. Not always fun to look at my past, but nice to know I could take steps to live in recovery.
I do believe in food addiction but now realise it is mostly related to the types of food eaten (well for me). If I stay away from those foods then I have no problem. Wheat (white flour) was my worse closely followed by sugar. I also believe that when we are truly nourished then the desire for additive foods lessens. It is our bodies way of trying to make us eat more when we are nutritionally starving. You simply can't beat just eating real food :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the test? I know I would have failed that miserably a few years ago. Now? I'd do better for sure.
Yes, Lynda! Foods eaten... Paleo/Primal low inflammatory, removing grains and sugars. All key tools in getting better. Very much a gut/brain connection. The thing that really pops for me are the numbers- up to 40% of obese and 6-10% of normal weight people could be effected. There's a huge gap there between health and wellness and those effected.
DeleteStill rooting for public speakers around the world- Go Pete Evans!!! and personal bloggers like yourselves, Jan and Eddie, etc to blog about their experiences. Once I heard in 2012 that it would grow grass roots, well, I'm super happy to be a part of it. :)
I think it's so sad that we have to write disclaimers before we post about certain topics! I love reading a variety of blogs of people doing all kinds of different things that work for them. Why do any of us get offended about someone else's experiences? I've lost readers simply from posting about what I was learning from a book. I am enjoying learning from your experience and looking forward to getting to maintenance myself. I think my goal weight is close to your heaviest weight. Ha ha, we're all different. Thanks for writing about your experiences!
ReplyDeletedivad, I'm really pretty happy when bloggers stop reading me. It means they can go on and read info that is a better fit for them. And that's a good thing. In my FA group- those are abstainers, so acceptance there, I'll get kicked out if I discuss weight/weight loss. In my weight loss support group now ( I stopped staying at WW meetings, but use their scale for free once a month) if I talk about not eating sugar/grains... most people are horrified and I'm on my way to 1000 hideous diseases- physical and mental, even though I'm in my best health ever- physical and mental. My recovery is their disease. That's okay. ( a few people get it)
DeleteYes! We are all different. Highest weights, age, male/female, bone structure, other diseases. Thanks for stopping by the blog.
I probably do have some level of food addiction, but I wonder if I can control it at some level. My food struggles began in college when I found myself binging on sugar in the midst of being stressed studying for tests. I remained thin, though, because I was a runner. This addiction continued in graduate school when I would allow myself times when I would eat a lot of sugary food at one time. But I remained thin because I was a runner.
ReplyDeleteI gained weight after being hospitalized and starting a medication that causes one's appetite to increase and makes it harder to lose weight. I just stopped caring about what I ate and gained 30 pounds in less than three months by eating crappy food of all kinds. Then I had to up my prednisone and things got worse. I gained another 50 pounds maybe. I ate poorly for years. I started losing weight slowly while still on the prednisone. It took a long time. I got off the prednisone after 20 some years last winter. And I lost a few more pounds.
I have a penchant for sweets and still eat a bit of chocolate every day--though I am much better than I was in the past. I love bakery foods though I limit them. I mostly avoid grains--except for one slice of Ezekiel bread (I tried removing it from my diet and it made no difference). I eat very clean (though I know you eat more cleanly than I do). I am tempted by junky food all the time. I think--or I hope--what is different now is that I want to keep the weight off for my health (I don't want to go on prednisone again if possible because if I gain, then I will need to do so). But a huge, huge factor for me is vanity--pure and simple. I am so much happier with my appearance now that I am at a normal size. It affects my work life (I no longer worry about being the heaviest person in the room and I have way more confidence), and my personal life (I never ever wanted to date as a heavy person--sad but true). And I love clothes! I love a lot of other things, too, but it is freeing to be able to wear what I want. Perhaps this motivation keeps me from binging because I could so easily do so, but I don't want to get heavy again--and I hope that I can maintain despite the statistics.
Ali- dealing with illnesses- chronic and acute is really tough, then adding in weight loss.. well you have my respect.
DeleteYes! Even beyond health, eating non-infammatory foods causes me to look like a whole different person. I have so, so much more confidence and clear thinking, it has helped me at work, too. Keep working at your food template, your other influences and I do believe that you'll be successful!
see, THIS is one of the reasons i have so much respect for you! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tess! Best to be ourselves. I'm a straight shooter, if you met me in person, well, we'd be sitting down to a meal where I chose to abstain from my binge foods and I'd quiz the waiter about the spices used in the dish. I hear that's not always the case - online vs real life. Diving into ongoing learning is a must for me.... Onward. :) I respect you greatly, too. And learn from you, always.
DeleteIs there something that tells how to interpret the scale's score, or is that coming in the next post? ;)
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've read, Mickie, no absolute interpretation. Is what it is. For me, it lead to more reading about food addiction, abstaining, and seeking of resources. It also helps me know that I can go back and take the quiz again if I feel I've got my "stinking thinking" back again. Then start using my tools to abstain. I know lapsing is part of it, and binge urges still pop up, but I don't have to act on them. Busy week, but I hope to blog before the weekend... :)
DeleteI'm just exploring the concept of food addiction myself, and struggling with admitting this to myself. Great information, Karen - keep it up! I need to take a look at the pdf link. After years of hearing, and believing "everything in moderation" I'm getting to the point where I can see that concept not working for me. I have a food problem - the weight is just a symptom. Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us!!!
ReplyDeleteJess, switching my mindset to "tough not moderate" with sugar/grains, then customizing from there (nuts, dairy, and legumes for gut/skin/auto-immune issues) has been a top tool in having obesity. I have more than a lean body, I have my brain back, less emotional pain and definitely less physical pain.
DeleteKudos and here's to finding what works for you. Just getting support ( online FA group and online weight maintainers/loss) helped. Both had to support me in abstaining. I had no idea how much hate there would be around being tough, not moderate. My cure is someone else's disease. Good luck!
Brilliant post Karen ... no pun intended but 'Food For More Thought'
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Thank you, Jan... YES, food for more thought... ;) Punny and my food template helps me live in recovery more than any one thing. :)
DeleteGreat post! I think some of our food addictions come from dopamine response to certain chemicals in food natural or created..
ReplyDeleteI myself have Celiac Disease diagnosed as an infant so I cannot eat grains...I am healthy and don't worry about what the obese/sick public thinks of my eating. I am susceptible to sugar like most people so I avoid that as well. I like your blog, hang in there. ;)
Larcana, I agree- I know that I used to "use" foods to feel better. Dopamine response for sure!
DeleteThank you! Since flour/gluten is showing up more places, I'm sure dealing with eating out is not fun. The large amount of dislike seems to be people wanting me to go along with the Standard American Diet so that the person who is shoveling down the junk food feels better themselves. Very weird!
Okay I am officially freaked out.... Reading this post... I am in the "count my points better" stage ... dang... I tried the Whole 30 but it is so strict I kept failing, finally threw in the towel and figured back to what worked for me and got the pounds off initially. I feel better off gluten and sugar ... dang .... I am not throwing food out AGAIN, I am going to finish what is in the house and slowly try Whole 30 loosely again. Not the full blow Nazi Whole 30, .... oh you had a gram of sugar in that bacon, back to square one! is just too extreme for me , but my weight gain has been ongoing now for 2 years!!!! I have switched trainers three times.... (blaming them) but I know it is a deeper issue... last night eating cookies I DID NOT EVEN WANT!!! okay baby steps.... no wheat! I can do that... no wheat and no added sugar ... crap I don't know what the formula is for me but that Yale food addiction survey was scary scary scary for me!!!! dang
ReplyDelete