Addiction Check-In Thread

I'm a food addict. Diet has been the least disciplined area of my life for as long as I can remember. I consistently can't say no to fried foods, fast food, anything with bacon, snack foods, pizza, donuts, etc.
I'm 6'6" tall and have weighed as much as 341, though I'm currently 296. I get a surprising amount of exercise and am mobile all day - usually walking a minimum of 7 miles for my job.
For my personal growth, I must achieve more discipline around my diet. I'm going to start checking in here regularly with what I've eaten for the day.

toft wrote: I'm a food addict. Diet has been the least disciplined area of my life for as long as I can remember. I consistently can't say no to fried foods, fast food, anything with bacon, snack foods, pizza, donuts, etc.
I'm 6'6" tall and have weighed as much as 341, though I'm currently 296. I get a surprising amount of exercise and am mobile all day - usually walking a minimum of 7 miles for my job.
For my personal growth, I must achieve more discipline around my diet. I'm going to start checking in here regularly with what I've eaten for the day.

I have(er had) the same problem. My body wants fat so I give it fat and then it's all cool for a day or so. I usually eat bacon and eggs for breakfast and then my body is happy and it wants fruit and veggies or even meat(protein) by lunchtime. It's important to separate the ingredients of foods so that we can recognize what our bodies want. A McDonalds big mac isn't separated. Bacon is separated. Anything that comes in a box or can will deceive your body and give you unwanted calories. Skim milk and "fat free" foods are the worst for dieting. They starve you of what you want and give you fattening stuff while leaving you craving something you'll never get from them. Very profitable for food companies, btw.

Struggled most of my life with this issue. It wasn't until this last four months that I really got active and started eating right, working out, studying nutrition and really thinking the way I live my life. I was 272 lbs. when I started today I have lost 54 lbs. 4 inches off my waist and feel much better about myself and still losing. My suggestion to you is a few things:

1. Avoid high Carb foods (Do not eliminate them but, restrict them!)
2. Go to the Gym 5-6 days a week at least an hour Strength training followed by 30 mins to 60 mins of cardio.
3. Drink gallon to gallon and half of water each day.
4. Avoid fast food (I didn't say you couldn't have it once in awhile but, don't get crazy about it)
5. Eat lean protein (6 oz. each meal) helps stabilize your weight loss.


MTFBWY

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I did pretty good today. Protein bar for breakfast. Grilled chicken for lunch. And some avocados and hummus for dinner. Not great but nothing fried and no snacks in between.
1 day down. A lifetime to go.

toft wrote: Thank you for the words of encouragement. I did pretty good today. Protein bar for breakfast. Grilled chicken for lunch. And some avocados and hummus for dinner. Not great but nothing fried and no snacks in between.
1 day down. A lifetime to go.

1 day down. Tomorrow, another day down, or not. Taking it one day at a time is the only way to avoid becoming overwhelmed by what seems like the enormity of simply continuing to do what you've already proved you can accomplish.

Another successful day in the books.

I think I am borderline alcoholic. I didn't think I was that bad until last night when I told myself I needed a night off to recover, and then convinced myself I could have one, and then without much thought I poured another...

I slipped back into smoking a few months ago as I was facing homelessness and joblessness. :dry:

I don't have date set for when I plan to quit, but I intend to set one for shortly after I take the GRE .

I have been reading Mindful Eating, a book that is teaching me how to redefine my relationship with food. For a meal that normally takes me 12 minutes to eat, I made it through in 45. Extending eating time left 4/5ths of the fries on my plate, and only half of my diet soda (where normally I have 2-3 sodas). The best part is that, in contrast to many drugs, I am allowed to eat whatever I want. I had 100 calories of fries where normally I might have 1500 in one meal.

Me every beginning of the month I buy many junk food and I eat it all in 1 week in haft but it was suppose to be for the whole month . But for the rest of the 3 weeks I have almost none . of course I go to the corner store to get some desert and then I run out of money . I wonder why . :sick:

OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

CryojenX wrote: OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

What are you at war with, the social media sites or the problems you encounter on those social media sites?

CryojenX wrote: OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

The first question I'd ask is, are you really friends with these people? If yes, you could send them all messages saying 'I'm leaving Facebook, here is my email.' If they're really you're friends they'll understand and contact you away from Facebook. When I quit Facebook I soon found out who my friends were.

With the other accounts, I'd work out what they are and see if there's a way to untie them.

Jamie Stick wrote: What are you at war with, the social media sites or the problems you encounter on those social media sites?

The sites themselves, so much of my time and energy ends up being wasted by inconsequential things rather than actually connecting with my friends.

Edan wrote: The first question I'd ask is, are you really friends with these people? If yes, you could send them all messages saying 'I'm leaving Facebook, here is my email.' If they're really you're friends they'll understand and contact you away from Facebook. When I quit Facebook I soon found out who my friends were.

With the other accounts, I'd work out what they are and see if there's a way to untie them.

That's the thing, aside from all the awesome Jedi I've added recently (most of whom I already know from here), I've left FB in the past and given friends email/IM yadda yadda etc. and it's been the same old story. I've gotten rid of as many of the connected accounts as I can, and will have to accept that some things on the internet are just effectively "forever", but Facebook is that last sticking point that's really getting to me.

CryojenX wrote: OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

What would Jesus do?

Whyte Horse wrote:

CryojenX wrote: OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

What would Jesus do?

I would not be the person to ask that question, LOL.

CryojenX wrote: The sites themselves, so much of my time and energy ends up being wasted by inconsequential things rather than actually connecting with my friends.

That's the thing, aside from all the awesome Jedi I've added recently (most of whom I already know from here), I've left FB in the past and given friends email/IM yadda yadda etc. and it's been the same old story. I've gotten rid of as many of the connected accounts as I can, and will have to accept that some things on the internet are just effectively "forever", but Facebook is that last sticking point that's really getting to me.

I'm sorry if my questions seem basic or impudent, but what keeps you going to back to Facebook? You've identified that it's harmful to you at this juncture in your life, what about it keeps you from cutting it out of your life?

I ask that same question every day when I order a pizza.

My mindfulness books have taught me a couple of things: 1. repeated addictive patterns are comforting. So, even when we don't want something, we go back to it because it reminds us of "home". "home" is eating a large pizza alone. "home" is scouring Reddit for the latest stupid comment. "home" can even be running marathons. 2. Addictions are chemical in that these comforting repeated actions are "guaranteed" sources of dopamine and other feel-good hormones.

Sometimes... it just being clearly bad for you isn't enough. Something else lies beneath the surface. Stepping outside the self through meditation gradually increases the emotional space between our minds and our choices. Eventually, we can make another choice without it being hormonally and emotionally charged. But, it takes a lot of work and a lot of dedication. And, it helps to speak to a professional and a spiritual counselor.

Connor L. wrote: I ask that same question every day when I order a pizza.

My mindfulness books have taught me a couple of things: 1. repeated addictive patterns are comforting. So, even when we don't want something, we go back to it because it reminds us of "home". "home" is eating a large pizza alone. "home" is scouring Reddit for the latest stupid comment. "home" can even be running marathons. 2. Addictions are chemical in that these comforting repeated actions are "guaranteed" sources of dopamine and other feel-good hormones.

Sometimes... it just being clearly bad for you isn't enough. Something else lies beneath the surface. Stepping outside the self through meditation gradually increases the emotional space between our minds and our choices. Eventually, we can make another choice without it being hormonally and emotionally charged. But, it takes a lot of work and a lot of dedication. And, it helps to speak to a professional and a spiritual counselor.

No disputing this, I was actually thinking about the other half of the battle.

In my quit smoking program, we often talk about how one cannot quit unless they are wholly committed to it. If one doesn't believe they can quit, then they won't be able to.

I did it last night. I not only closed my social media accounts (the ones I had access to at any rate), but I also deleted the passwords from lastpass and blocked out Facebook in my hosts file. I'm committed this time, I refuse to be sucked back in. Thanks everyone.