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March 24, 2004
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addiction2food
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V olume 1 Issue 6
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| Please
pass along a copy of this newsletter to your friends! |
Offering helpful information,
insights,
articles, tips,
recipes, humor and motivational tools to assist you in finding recovery
from your addiction to food.
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By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of
""addiction2food"".
You are receiving this newsletter because you requested
a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this
newsletter.
To see past issues of this newsletter check out the newsletter archive
on my web site: www.addiction2food.com
Send your comments or questions to: bj@addiction2food.com
We
Welcome Guest Columnists! Please submit
articles in plain text form to: bj@addiction2food.com
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| IN THIS ISSUE |
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- Recommended
Reading
- From
the Editor
- Food
for Thought
- Guest
Columnist: Julie Plenty
- Inspiration
- Guest
Columnist: Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA
- Food
Talk
- Humor
- Classified
Ads
- Subscribe/Unsubscribe
information
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Recommended
Reading
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I
strongly recommend this book of daily meditations.
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LAUGH! - I THOUGHT I'D DIE (IF I
DIDN'T) - DAILY MEDITATIONS ON HEALING THROUGH HUMOR (New York:
Ballantine, 1990)
-- "I realize that humor
isn't for everyone. It's only for people who want to have fun, enjoy
life, and feel alive."
(Schaef) Whether we're in recovery for alcoholism, co-dependency,
gambling, drug, or eating addictions, we all share one basic
experience: recovery is hard work. And often it's when we're pushing
our programs the hardest that recovery seems more elusive than ever. At
these times, letting go, even laughing at ourselves, can be the most
healing gift of all.
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From the Editor
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The Disease Speaks
By B.J. Reid R.N.
Why should I bother
today. What if, just for today, I eat what I
want to eat whenever I want it. Who??™s gonna know and really who??™s
gonna care. I??™m already ???huge???. My doctor reminds me
every time I see him that my health would improve if I dropped a few
pounds. Whenever I go to get my hair done I feel embarrassed that
the smock doesn??™t fit. I always feel crowded at a movie because
the seats are too small for me. And wasn??™t that embarrassing when
I had to fly to California last month. I got stuck in a middle
seat and the people on both sides of me were getting exasperated that I
was taking up too much of their space. But I think I will give
into my cravings anyway because ???who cares????.
I feel as guilty as all
get out whenever I eat something I know I
shouldn??™t eat. And that??™s on top of feeling so full my stomach
hurts. I can barely walk around when I go to Walmart and I think
that maybe I ought to start using that little cart they have for people
with disabilities. Who would care, right? And a couple of
months ago when I had to be admitted to the hospital, boy was I feeling
embarrassed because the ambulance crew had such difficulty getting me
transported to the hospital. They almost dropped me and I could
hear them discussing calling for more help. And what about all
the times they had to check my blood pressure and had to use that
gigantic cuff. God, that was all so
embarrassing. And nobody could find my veins to get
blood; what an awful experience.
But this craving is
really bad. I hear that food just calling to
me, over and over. Yeah all those experiences were bad, but this
craving is really bad too. I??™m so hungry I almost feel sick.
I could call somebody now
and tell her I??™m having a little trouble and
see if she could just talk to me for a few minutes. Yeah, that
would be helpful; but that??™s so lame. First off who cares that
I??™m having a little craving and really what could they say or do
anyway. Well I did get a couple of phone numbers at that OA
meeting I went to and they did invite me to call. Nah, it??™s not
worth it!
Maybe I could go for a
little walk. That might help. I
could get those endorphins flowing and speed up my heart rate a tad and
it would also elevate my metabolic rate. Yeah that just might
work! But what if I give in just this one time. I??™ll go
right back on it for my next meal, right; or at least by tomorrow
morning.
Do you ever have this kind of dialog with yourself? I do and I
have had some difficulties along the path to recovery. Everyone
I??™ve ever met in the program has had these problems. Some have
given in to the disease and picked up their substance and never made it
back to the rooms of OA. Others have succumbed and were fortunate
enough to find their way back to recovery. These people were
lucky. Most had to find a lower bottom before they became abstinent
again. That means that they regained all of their lost weight
plus additional weight and maybe suffered other health or emotional or
life altering consequences
along the way. We are all going to die of something, right, but
why help the grim reaper shave time off of our life.
Did you hear in the dialog with your disease how we set ourselves up to
fail. We have got to know in our hearts that we have the disease
of food addiction and that one bite is too much and that a thousand are
never enough. Did you hear how we put ourselves down, how we
trample on our own dignity and self-respect. We are worthy of
taking care of ourselves. We have to be a little bit selfish when
it comes to our health. It is OK to make that call to an OA
buddy. We are worth it. And we don??™t have to apologize when
we make that call. First, because we are worth it, and second,
because we don??™t need to take care of the person on the other end of
that line. You are taking care of yourself by making the call and
your OA buddy is taking care of herself by either taking or not taking
your call. She might have a very good reason for not taking your
call or she might be in the middle of her disease and would rather
listen to it than to somebody wanting to get well. So don??™t let
that get in your way of calling someone. You do it for your own
reason! But you must know that they might be sitting there struggling
with their own craving, unable to make a call, and all of a sudden
their phone rings and it??™s you. There are no coincidences,
everything happens for a reason.
This disease, food addiction, does speak to us. This disease twists our
thinking. This disease makes us believe that we don??™t have a
disease. But this disease doesn??™t have to win. We can choose to listen
to it or we can choose recovery. Just for today, just for this
moment let??™s choose recovery! Let??™s choose to get well!
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About the
Author
BJ is a recovering food addict and a
registered nurse.
In 1989 BJ found recovery as an inpatient at Glenbeigh Hospital of
Tampa. After returning home she discovered that her recovery
resources
were limited. But she knew that if one wanted recovery badly enough one
could find it anywhere. So BJ set about finding and/or founding
services
which would primarily help her to grow in recovery but consequently
helped many other food addicts..
BJ worked as a registered nurse for
almost twenty years.
Most of that time was spent working in intensive care, adult and child
psychiatry, adolescent addiction and home health care. This experience
was useful in establishing the "Eating Disorder Information and
Referral
Service" which was housed at a local Women's Center in Upper Michigan.
It was there that she helped her clients find recovery!
She has found that working in the field of
food addiction has been an extremely
gratifying experience. Through this work BJ has learned that an addict
can never stop working at recovery. BJ wants to shareher experience,
strength and hope with you throughher new E- book "
Compulsive Overeating: Find Recovery Now!" |
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Food for Thought
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Power Greater Than Ourselves
It takes a very rainy day to drown a duck.
----Charlie Chan
Surprisingly,
by the grace of our power greater than ourselves, we have avoided
drowning ourselves. We may have been busily treading water, and
without our knowing it, we seemed to have had some invisible Higher
Power water wings.
¤¤¤¤¤
When we are swimming in our disease, we need all the help we can
get--webbed feet, gills, you name it, I'll take it.
This exerpt taken from:
"Laugh!
I Thought I'd Die
(If I Didn't)
Daily Meditations on
Healing Through Humor"
by Anne Wilson Schaef
Published by Ballantine Books, N.Y. , 1990
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Guest Columnist: Julie Plenty
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CAUSES
OF LOW SELF ESTEEM
by Julie Plenty
I suspect that there are as many different causes of low
self esteem as there are people in the world. Every person
has a unique life history with complicated factors that
influence their outlook of the world and internal view of
themselves. So the following shouldn't be treated as
definitive, but it does give you some idea of why people
suffer from low self esteem.
One of the key causes of low self esteem stems from how we
were treated as children. If we were unconditionally valued
for who we were and for the mere fact that we existed,
rather than judged for our actions, it's more likely that
we'll have high self esteem. Additionally, if we were
encouraged to develop our skills and abilities without
censure and judgement, then it's more likely we'll have high
self esteem.
I remember attending a "raise your creativity" seminar and
during lunch the Trainer said that as a child he always knew
he was valued. He said his parents had helped him to build
his self esteem and confidence throughout his childhood.
Because it was normal for him, he assumed (as children do)
that everyone benefited from the same type of upbringing
that he did. He was surprised to discover that they didn't!
However, he did realise how lucky he was and it heightened
his appreciation of his parents.
Influences on our levels
of self esteem
Our level of self esteem is also influenced and affected by
how we're treated and spoken to by those around us. And
don't forget the perceived expectations (often unspoken) of
the people close to us such as parents and our partners.
Babies don't have low self esteem - they cry like hell if
they're tired, wet or hungry and expect to have their needs
me. But some of us lose that capacity as we get older and
research states that by the time children are ten years old
the ratio of negative judgements to positive ones heard is
7:1 - no wonder our self esteem is low!
Self esteem lies within
It is important to realise that self esteem lies within
ourselves - that is, it is how we interpret those statements
that influences our self esteem levels. Unless we develop
our self awareness, we are likely to keep negative and
(mistaken) interpretations of ourselves throughout our adult
lives.
Low Self Esteem and
Cultural/Social Expectations
We must also acknowledge the culture that surrounds us and
profoundly influences us. None of us live in a cultural
vacuum. In some cultures it may be more acceptable to be
self deprecating and to think less well of yourself. Some
people may also feel that they are not as valued as other
members of society and turn this interpretation inwards -
which results in low self esteem.
It doesn't have to be like this.......it is not always easy
to put cultural expectations and ideals aside, but learning
how to truly value and accept yourself will put you on the
road to building self esteem and confidence.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Julie Plenty is a Personal and Business Coach who
specialises in coaching creative professionals on goal
setting and motivation, building self esteem and
confidence, time management, work/life balance,
self promotion and overall Life Design and strategies.
For a free five part ecourse on building self esteem
and confidence visit:
http://www.kick-start-your-self-esteem.com
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| Inspiration |
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The Impossible
Dream?
Copyright 2004, Geela
So many of our dreams, at first seem impossible. In fact, our
repeated attempts to share our enthusiasm about our dreams with
others is often met with "dream on... your chances of winning the
lottery are better than achieving this dream".
Is it any wonder that over time we give our power and will away
by virtue of giving in to the negative voices in our head while
doubting our own ability and power to achieve our dreams despite
all the seeming obstacles?
We are all prone to suggestions, why not consciously choose
positive suggestions by refusing to live according to what
others expect of us or underestimating our own power to make a
change in ourselves and be the change we wish to see in the
world?
After all, the key to achieving anything and even overcoming
seemingly insurmountable obstacles is faith; the knowledge that
the possible always exceeds the impossible. However, if we are
to overcome the outer space (those superficial materialistic
values that don't serve our highest good but instead leave us
weak, unhappy and insecure), we must first learn to conquer our
inner space (by reevaluating our own values system, thinking and
false belief systems that may be self-defeating and not in our
best interest).
When we make conscious choices based on our own will and truth,
we automatically reclaim our power and set in motion a powerful
chain reaction of events that harmonize with our dominant
thoughts and attract positive experiences into our lives.
Suddenly the possible exceeds the impossible and life has a new
meaning and purpose and you experience renewed spirits, a sense
of well-being and real joy.
You CAN master the art of the possible through unshakeable
faith. Remember, good things come to those who have faith. What
you BELIEVE is what you achieve.
| In THE
AMERICAN DREAM,
Geela shares her true-life story of how she came to America and
overcame incredible obstacles to achieve mega-success. Learn how to
master the "art of the possible", and make your life an adventure in
living, instead of a problem to be solved by visiting her website for
F.REE music, articles and more: http://www.geela.com |
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Guest
Columnist: Carole Coprland Thoms, MBA
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Bounce
Back From Life??™s Setbacks
by Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA
We all have had those gut-wrenching days in our lives. The time when
all of your plans haven??™t seemed to fit neatly in place. They??™re the
moments when your important project at work literally fell apart right
in front of your boss??™s eyes, leaving you with your career on the line.
They??™re the times when your personal life suffers such a heartbreaking
tragedy that you??™re amazed and you??™re still standing. And when the
multiple setbacks hit simultaneously both at work and at home, you may
not even want to get out of bed to face the odds of pulling all of the
pieces back together.
We all have had those trying times, and I am the first person to
understand how difficulties can test your character as a human being.
The last two years have tested my faith, my stamina as a professional
speaker and my strength as a mother and businesswoman. My life came
crashing down when my 17-year old son, Mickarl D. Thomas Jr., died in a
tragic car accident on June 14, 1997. His death came six days after
graduating from high school with his twin sister, Michelle. Mikey had
everything to live for, including a full academic scholarship to his
dream school, Morehouse College in Atlanta. He would have become a
lawyer had he lived. His death devastated his twin sister, his older
sister, Lorna, and our entire family.
Eleven months later, my mother died. She was my best friend and my
greatest business advocate. Her loss has been an excruciatingly deep
one for me. Although she lived in my hometown of Detroit, Michigan, we
had spoken by phone every other day for 27 years. I miss those phone
calls. Yes, I do know about life??™s setbacks. When they come they can
hit you so hard that you question whether you can go on with your life
or your career. The uncertainty and self doubt can become
all-consuming. Yet, in spite of what you??™re confronting, you can create
an action plan that will move you through the madness. There are seven
steps you can follow to help you bounce back from the rough roads that
lie ahead. They have certainly worked for me, so I share them with you
to help with whatever comes your way.
Step
One: Reinforce The Belief In Yourself
Troubling times can create a huge gap in how you measure your personal
abilities and what amount of confidence that you garner for yourself.
Step back and literally make a list of everything great about yourself
and why you are such a valuable asset to others. Seeing your good
personal qualities on paper will give you that psychological advantage
that you need to pull yourself together. And I??™ll bet you??™ll find that
your good qualities far outweigh your bad ones.
Step
Two: Assess The Impact Of Your Crisis
To prevent becoming "overwhelmed" by your circumstances, take a deep
breath and stop long enough to break down the immediate challenges you
face. Ask yourself key questions. How did it begin? Did you see it
coming? Could it have been prevented? Now that it??™s in your lap, what
resources can you call on to resolve the dilemma? Can other people help
you? Will additional research support your efforts? Can you put a
timeframe on your crisis? And most important, what can you learn from
your crisis?
Step
Three: Understand What You Can And Cannot Control
The one important factor that I learned from my personal losses is that
there is much in life that I do not control! Although the guilt pangs
hit me from time to time, I do know that I had no control over the
death of my son or my mother. Understanding that fact has helped me to
realize that life is filled with complexities that are way beyond the
span of my control. Knowing that has also helped me to take each moment
one step at a time, while stopping long enough to celebrating the
beauty of life itself.
Step
Four: Call On Your Inner Strength
In our diverse world, inner strength can be defined many different
ways. No matter what your faith, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist,
Hindu, or a New Age thinker, belief in a higher power can see you
through your difficulties. For me, prayer, my belief in God, and the
loving support of my family and church helped me through the darkness
that I??™ve faced over these last two years. Assess how you gather your
inner strength, and then call on it when the tough times come. Remember
that some challenges are much bigger than you are. Connecting with that
inner strength will protect and shield you from the emotional roller
coaster rides of life.
Step
Five: Talk To Others
So often we keep all of our troubles bottled up inside. We tell
ourselves, "Nobody else is going through what I am. People just don??™t
understand my problems." Our self talk can be quite powerful. However,
we forget that there may be a colleague, a trusted friend, a family
member, or a business associate who has just experienced the exact same
challenge that you now face. I found that out very quickly after my son
died, when three other mothers lost their bright and gifted sons in
tragic accidents within two weeks of my son??™s death. I realized that
the human experience is shared by all of us. Life spares no one when it
come to facing difficult times. So swallow your pride and reach out to
someone who can support you.
Step
Six: Don??™t Lose Your Sense Of Humor
Even in the depths of your despair humor can bring a welcome change of
attitude. Believe it or not, one of the moments I remember vividly
during that fateful week in June, 1997, centered on the funny stories
my daughter, Lorna, shared at my son??™s funeral. Kids??™ stories. Stories
that made me laugh. Stories that dried the tears running down my
cheeks. Humorous reflections that we could all relate to. For those of
you who are battling cancer or who have loved ones who are fighting
that dreaded disease, visit Christine Clifford??™s website
(www.cancerclub.com). Christine, a breast cancer survivor and
professional speaker, has developed a wonderful approach to life, and
shares her humorous touch with others via the Internet. For her company
logo, she even uses the profile of an attractive woman sporting a bald
head. Christine is an example that, in spite of your circumstances,
humor can help buffer life??™s booby traps and pitfalls.
Step
Seven: Bounce Back
If you don??™t believe much else, do understand that today??™s challenges
will become tomorrow??™s memories. They may be forgettable memories, but
they??™ll be memories nonetheless. When you concentrate on facing your
challenges and resolving your issues, tomorrow will come much more
quickly. Of course the emotional impact from the loss of loved ones,
divorce, extreme financial woes, catastrophic illnesses or job loss
won??™t always go away in a flash. What you must tell yourself is that
you will overcome your circumstances and you cannot quit. Speaking,
writing, and consulting have been the healing instruments in my life.
The opportunity of addressing audiences and sharing my personal stories
with others has helped me to bounce back and reposition my life by
adding more purpose, commitment, and dedication into the work that I
do. You, too, can bounce back by customizing these steps we??™ve
discussed and applying them each time life??™s bottomless pit reaches up
to grabs you. Take a deep breath, think on your feet, connect with
others, find your inner strength, and remember that tomorrow??™s sunshine
is right around the corner.
400 W. Cummings Park Suite 1725-154 Woburn, Massachusetts 01801
(800) 801-6599 - Toll Free | (508) 947-5755- Office | (508) 947-3903 -
Fax | Carole@tellcarole.com
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Food Talk
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Food
Plans
There are many different food plans available. Most of them
eliminate trigger foods and control portion sizes. And many of us
think that if we find the right food plan then we're home free. I
believe that a food plan is nothing more than one tool in a toolbox of
many tools. If all you want is a food plan then all you've got is
just another diet and we know that diets do work for "normies" but not
for us, the food addict.
I believe that the individual who is the most successful in recovery is
the one that is able to keep it simple. Prepare your meals as
simply as you can. Stay away from elaborate recipes, they are
dangerous to a food addict. Remember that as food addicts we lived to
eat and in recovery our goal is to eat to live.
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------B. J. Reid
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| Humor |
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Life's
Truths
1. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
2. Once over the hill, you pick up speed.
3. I know God won't give me more than I can handle. I just wish He
didn't trust me so much.
4. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a
mistake when you make it again.
5. If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out.
6. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
7. Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
8. I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
9. Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.
10. If it weren't for STRESS I'd have no energy at all.
11. Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
12. If the shoe fits...buy it in every color.
13. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
14. Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. Deal with it.
15. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
16. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the
waist change places.
17. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks
before you need it.
18. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
19. Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to
make them all yourself
_________________
Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else. |
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