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May 5, 2004
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addiction2food
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V olume 1 Issue 12
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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.
No longer
living to eat, now we only eat to live.
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questions to: bj@addiction2food.com
We
Welcome Guest Columnists!
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| IN THIS ISSUE |
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- Recommended
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- From
the Editor: Common Sense
- Life's Tools
- Neuro - Psychology
- Humor
- A Food Addict Shares
- Program Recipe
- OA Stuff
- Other 12 Step Programs
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From the Editor
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Common Sense
by
B.J.Reid R.N.
There is more news out this week about obesity related issues. The
discussion is mostly about fad diets , such as "The Atkins
Diet" and "The South Beach Diet", and bariatric surgery.
I know its chic to go "low carb" and it seems to be the rage to
point out all the celebs who have had the gastric bypass but when
talking about our obese children or how obese our society has become I
hear no discussion about the "why" of obesity.
Here is the problem I have with fad diets, fad drugs and bariatric
surgery. Weight gain is a symptom of an underlying problem.
The underlying problem can be medical or emotional. If you focus
on simply treating the symptom- getting bigger- then you are destined
to regain the lost weight once the tratment of the symptom stops.
Why? Because the underlying cause has not been treated, so it
remains.
I think bariatric surgery is insane in most cases. Yes, I have
known those that have been helped by this surgery, at least in the
short term. I have known more who have been injured by this
surgery. Gastric bypass surgery focuses only on one
symptom. If we take in more calories than we use we are going to
get larger. I hope that is something we can all agree on.
So many of us eat, not because we are hungry, but because we have other
issues. Weight loss drugs and surgery assume that we eat because
we are hungry. Therefore the cure focuses on relieving us of our
hunger. ---That will help some people, but I believe the vast
majority of this
country's overweight individuals have weight issues because of abuse of
and addiction to food. Remember how addictions begin. There
is use followed by abuse followed by addiction. Something in the
brain is triggered when we abuse food to alter the way we cope.---
Victims of bariatric surgery are destined to have problems in the long
run if the underying problems and behaviors are not addressed.
Remember, that because one is large does not mean that one is weak
willed. There is a reason that people continue to overeat in the
face of negative consequences such as debilitating joint problems,
diabetes, circulatory and heart problems among others.
Fad diets, bariatric surgeries and weight loss drugs as well as other
miracle cures will always be around as long as people want a silver
bullet, a panacea or a softer, easier way to fight the problem. Please
understand that there is no miracle cure for getting rid of that excess
weight. It takes some work to get healthy. The bottom line in
successful weight loss is to eat fewer calories than you use and to
exercise in moderation. This involves a lifestyle change. As addicts we
need to work a little harder than most because we have a chronic,
progressive disease in addition to the extra weight that we
carry. So we need to eliminate trigger foods and regulate the
amounts of food more than most. We also need to address the
underlying issues and behaviors.
For those who have a problem with this because there is too much focus
on preparing our meals and going to meetings and pampering ourselves a
little then you are not yet ready to deal with the disease. But I
know that at some point in every compulsive overeater's/food addict's
life that there comes a time when we either say to ourselves or to our
higher power or out loud for the world to hear "I am willing to do whatever it takes not
to feel like this any more." When that point is reached you are
ready to embrace what I have to offer. You don't have to be
wealthy because you can eat "normal" foods and you won't go
hungry. Most of the time you will feel like you can't eat another
bite. And you don't have to give up your family or your job
or any outside interests. Though prioritizing does become important
because you do have to make some commitments, but you will do so
enthusiastically. Why, because I offer you your life back
and freedom----freedom from the obession with food and freedom to enjoy
living once again!
Take a close, hard look at all that is offered to help you lose weight
and then think about what I have said about your weight being just a
symptom of an underlying problem. Ask yourself why everyone seems
to focus strictly on the weight issue. Maybe that's why you have
gone up and down so much in the past. Do you want to keep
throwing good money after bad and not fix the problem? That's
just not right-- and that's just common sense!
Affirmation for Today
Say this with me right now
"I am
just a plain, ordinary, garden variety food addict and I am OK with
that."
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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 share her experience,
strength and hope with you through her new E- book "Compulsive
Overeating: Find Recovery Now!" |
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Life's
Tools
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Forgiveness is Good for
the Heart and Soul
No
matter what our age, most of us have lives
busy with obligations to work, family, and community. While we want a
life
that is rich with experience, sometimes our life gets too ???rich??? and we
become physically and emotionally drained. That??™s when our life seems
not
to be working.
A
speaker colleague of mine, Francine Berger,
MA, CSP, wrote the following in a newsletter I recently received and
she
has graciously consented to my sharing it with you.
When we address our feelings of
being
tired and a little burned out, we usually look to improve our diet,
rethink
our exercise program, or get more sleep. There is, however, another
place
we might look when we are feeling depleted and have low energy.
That place relates to hidden
angers and deep-seated
resentments that we may have put aside, believing that they would not
affect
our performance or health. These emotions are doing damage to our
hearts
and souls, so it may be time to look to forgiveness. A new study shows
that in addition to making you feel good about yourself, forgiveness
may
also positively affect your physical health.
According to researchers at the
University
of Tennessee in Knoxville, blood pressure measurements went down among
forgiving people, compared to those who were more likely to hold a
grudge.
Conducted by Kathleen Lawler, a professor of psychology at the
university,
the study is considered one of the first to find a direct link between
forgiveness and physical well being.
Lawler interviewed 107 college
students who
had been deeply hurt by a parent, friend or romantic partner. In a
series
of interviews, she asked them to recall two instances of betrayal and
then
she measured their blood pressure, heart rate, forehead muscle tension,
and sweatiness while they spoke about their experiences. She found that
people who had forgiven their betrayer had decreased blood pressure,
muscle
tension, and heart rates when compared to those who had not. The
forgivers
also reported less stress in their lives and fewer physical symptoms of
illness.
Dr. Lawler was surprised at the
results she
found. She said, ???These effects were so strong and so robust. I did not
expect it would be such a clear mapping of the whole body response.???
Another
researcher, Frederick Luskin, a senior fellow at the Stanford Center on
Conflict and Negotiation at Stanford University was quoted as saying,
???All
forgiveness studies have shown positive outcomes in psychosocial
measures.
People who went through our forgiveness training had lower levels of
anger,
hurt, stress, and reported better physical health.???
In order to free our emotions to
be more creative,
happy, and productive, it may be a good time to rethink those old
grudges.
You might want to take whatever steps you need to resolve them and move
on.
As the old saying goes,
???Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift. That??™s why it??™s called The
Present.
Francine Berger, MA, CSP helps people to
use their face-to-face communication skills to speak well and be well.
She can be reached at FrancineSW@aol.com.
I know it isn??™t easy to forgive
and forget.
Some of us find it harder than others. Some hurt goes very deep. You
might
need the help of a therapist, counselor, or spiritual advisor to help
you
work your way through the process. However, there may be some hurts,
resentments,
and anger that you can work on by yourself. In the introduction to my
Making
Life Work philosophy I said that making life work is a conscious act:
Acknowledging
that life can be good even if it isn??™t perfect.
Choosing
how we want to live in spite of outside forces.
Taking
responsibility to make it happen!
Think of ACTing
forgiving. I'll address forgiving oneself at another time. For now,
let's
focus on forgiving those that have caused you pain. Try one or more of
the following to get you started:
- Visualize yourself explaining to
the person who has
hurt you how you can??™t carry the burden of anger and resentment any
longer
and that you have chosen to let it go.
- Meditate on the impact of the hurt
on your life and
how you have done things differently because of it. How would you be
had
the hurt never happened? What has the hurt taught you?
- Write an accounting of the hurtful
words or actions
in story format. Then write a positive moral to the story about what
you
learned from the experience.
- Perform a ceremonial rite to
release or cleanse yourself
from the pain, hurt, or anger. This might be as simple as writing your
bad feelings and then burning the paper you've written them down on, or
you might have others present as you symbolically release your hurt and
pain.
Forgiveness is a conscious act of
your mind,
heart, and will. Knowing that it is good for your health may be just
the
incentive you need to forgive. Only you can choose whether to hold on
to
or let go of old anger, resentment, or pain.
Karen
Rowinsky is the author of Come
Alive! 50 Easy Ways to Have More Energy NOW. She conducts
presentations
for organizations that want more enthusiastic participants and people
who
want to make their life work. She can be reached Toll Free at
866.269.3511
or at karen@rowinsky.com.
This
page may be forwarded without changes and copyright
intact. For permission to reprint in another medium, please e-mail
request
to karen@rowinsky.com.
?©2002,
Karen Rowinsky. All rights reserved.
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Neuro - Psychology
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Health, guide Dr. Rita
Louise:: Weight loss, fitness: The Neuro-Psychology
of Weight Control - Winning the Brain Game
"Reprinted from
http://www.zongoo.com"
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Health, guide Dr. Rita Louise
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If
you are like millions of other individuals, you are either on a diet,
think you need to be on a diet, or have given up on trying to lose
weight. A...
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If
you are like millions of other individuals, you are either on a diet,
think you need to be on a diet, or have given up on trying to lose
weight. A large majority of us spend a great deal of time trying to
decide what to eat, when to eat & how to stop eating. We cannot
seem to manage the illusive weight control monster.
The
hard facts are in & they are certainly very serious. Even a
moderate weight gain of 22 pounds or more above a person??™s ideal weight
at age 18 can result in greater risk of earlier death. Recent research
published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that a
surprising 1/3 of cancer deaths, as well as more than ?? of
cardiovascular deaths were due to excess weight.
Women
who were obese were four times as likely to die of heart disease &
twice as likely to die of cancer, as were women whose weights were
below average for their age. When other unhealthy lifestyle practices,
such as smoking, sugar & alcohol addiction, high caf- feine intake,
poorly managed stress levels, lack of exercise & poor nutrition are
factored in, the negative findings are drastically multiplied.
Why
is something that should be so easy as maintaining a normal weight, be
so difficult & elude so many? Despite all the money spent on diet
books, magazines, weight loss centers & workout programs, people
keep putting on the pounds.
Currently
there are more people of all ages suffering from obesity than ever
before. A major reason for this failure is that two major keys to the
overweight problem have been missing. These are the keys that open the
door to high level nutrition & long-term mot- ivation needed o lose
weight permanently.
These
keys break through the yo-you weight gain syndrome, develop
persistence, erode hopelessness & helplessness while delivering
high energy to the mind & body, allowing perfect focus on the
needed lifestyle change. These vital keys are carbohydrate manage- ment
& meal timings & interactive self-hypnosis, the latter holding
the potential for being the most valuable golden key on the weight loss
key chain.
High Level Nutrition:
Despite
all our medical advances, it has only been in the last 10 years that
carbohydrate/ fat metabolism has been the focus of intense medical
research. More & more studies have been centered on how & why
the body stores & burns fat & how dieting defeats it??™s own
purpose. Recent research has opened the door on the vital part insulin
plays in the prob- lem of carbohydrate sensitivity & yo-yo weight
gain. This research has also uncovered an underlying Profactor in the
body physiology of a large percentage of people, that not only
interferes with how the body handles carbohydrates, but is a causative
actor in the major causes of death in this country, namely heart
disease, adult onset diabetes, certain types of cancer & other
circulatory disturbances.
Only
by giving up dieting, understanding the role of refined sugar, flour
& high fat, as well as learning how to manage your mind & body
stress management system, can you begin to achieve the kind of lean
healthy body you have always wanted. When you work with your body to
burn fat, you will lose excess stored fat effectively & permanently
without hunger, fatigue & without counting calories. It is actually
possible to eat the foods you truly enjoy every day, reduce cravings
& lose excess stored fat.
Stress ??“ Thought Connection to Weight Issues
Stress
management plays a large part in permanent weight loss. Under stress,
the body produces hormones or chemicals that actually work to keep the
fat in the cells. The con- tinual production of these chemicals can
prove to be very dangerous & even deadly. Be- sides the excess
insulin problem, there is another insidious stress hormone produced by
the adrenal glands called cortisol that plays a major role in the 60-90
percent of disease states, as ell as causing an increase in cell fat
storage.
An
important part of any fat burning program is to learn a process called
mental biofeed- back or body scanning. These techniques retrain the
brain to notice stress at low levels & release it, thereby
interfering with stress-toxin storage. The body, now free of excess
insulin, cortisol, adrenaline & other hormones is now in a position
to play the game of fat loss.
A
large portion of our stress originates in the thought processes.
Thoughts are chemically charged images that seem to hold free rein in
our minds. Thoughts actually manufacture hormones that can make us
store fat. The good news is that we have control over this mechanism
& by developing the power to notice & release our thought
patterns, we gain control over our minds & body. When we learn to
let go of these thought patterns, we simultaneously lower the vibration
of our brain waves & thereby lower the production of our stress
hormones. The faster our brain waves, the more stress hormones we
produce. When looking to manage stress & weight, it is vital to
know how to control this hormone production. This is accomplished
through techniques called ???heightened awareness. ??? These are
self-hypnotic/meditative tools, but differ from other types of
meditation. This is a working meditation, one that allows us to notice
& release thoughts, emotions & body sensations. In other words,
we can consciously control our level of stress hormones & be in
charge of a large part of our own body physiology.
Interactive Self-Hypnosis ??“ Key to the Subconscious
Mind
There
are other techniques that are very valuable, not only in weight
management, but in controlling the actual functioning of the mind body
connection. These include interactive self-hypnosis, visualization, NLP
( neuro-linguistic programming) & active imagery. The subconscious
mind, or right brain, perceives in active images. These images are
often visual, but include all the senses. The brain works like a large,
complex computer. This computer, unfortunately, comes without an
owner??™s manual, but through specialized interactive self-hypnosis
education you can learn to utilize the workings of this mar- velous
machine to reach your goals & then some.
Learning
interactive self-hypnotic technique is quite simple & can be taught
to children & adults alike. Hypnotic technique works best when it
is client-specific, the reason being that people are motivated, or
de-motivated in many different ways & certainly respond differently
to specific images & metaphors. Metaphors form the tool box of the
therapist or individual practicing hypnosis. A hypnotic session is
divided into the induction, in- cluding deepening techniques, the
delivery of metaphoric material & the emerging pro- cess. A session
can be as long as an hour, or as short as a minute. In weight manage-
ment, it is often desirable to increase self-motivation &
persistence. We are a quick fix society & unfortunately quick
weight loss does not equate with permanent weight loss.
Interactive
self-hypnosis is also very useful in keeping a person focused on a
healthy exercise program, as ell as addressing self-image, self-esteem
& body image issues. If a persona has never been their ideal
weight, they may not have a conscious or subconscious stored image of
themselves in this state. It is not uncommon for a very obese person to
be frightened as their new body emerges & hypnosis is vry useful in
helping to release this fear & anxiety.
Losing
weight can be an exciting journey. With a multi-faceted approach, a
person moves from a position of powerlessness t one of self-control,
growth, high-energy & achievement, but most important of all, one
receives the gift of health. The heart is now able to pump oxygen-rich
blood throughout the body & one is now able to easily digest the
nutritional foods provided to the body & mind. One develops an
increased resistance to illness, disease & has taken possession of
a new & healthy self-interest. Once we learn to mange our own body
physiology, reduce stress chemicals, improve nutrition, develop an
ongoing exercise program & utilize our master computer through
interactive self-hypnotic techniques, we find ourselves on our way, not
only to a trim healthy body, but to a richer, fuller life.
Disclaimer:
The information in this article reflects the author's ex- periences
& is not intended to replace medical or psychological advice, nor
is it the intent of the author to diagnose or prescribe. The intent is
only to offer infor- mation to help the reader cooperate with their
physician in the mutual quest for desirable health. Always consult your
physician before embarking on any lifestyle change, nutritional or
otherwise.
Elizabeth
Bohorquez, RN, SRN, CPH is a Clinical Medical Hypnotist, President
& Program Designer for Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis
Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at www.hypnosis-audio.com & www.sugar-addiction.com.
She is the author of Sugar??¦the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick
It & The Mindbody Fitness Boot Camp now offered as a FREE online
virtual class. Check it out at www.hypnosis-audio.com/boot_camp_homepage.htm
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Humor
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The Dangers of Bread
A recent Cincinnati Enquirer headline read, "SMELL OF
BAKED BREAD MAY BE
HEALTH HAZARD." The article went on to describe the dangers of the
smell of
baking bread. The main danger, apparently, is that the organic
components
of this aroma may break down ozone (I'm not making this stuff up).
I was horrified. When are we going to do something
about bread-induced
global warming? Sure, we attack tobacco companies, but when is the
government going to go after Big Bread?
Well, I've done a little research, and what I've
discovered should make
anyone think twice ....
- More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread
eaters.
- Fully HALF of all children who grow up in
bread-consuming households
score below average on standardized tests.
- In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was
baked in the home, the
average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates
were
unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as
typhoid, yellow fever and influenza ravaged whole nations.
- More than 90 percent of violent crimes are
committed within 24 hours of
eating bread.
- Bread is made from a substance called "dough." It
has been proven that
as little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. The
average American eats more bread than that in one month!
- Primitive tribal societies that have no bread
exhibit a low occurrence of
cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis.
- Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects
deprived of bread and
given only water to eat, actually begged for bread after only two days.
- Bread is often a "gateway" food item, leading the
user to harder items
such as butter, jelly, peanut butter and even cold cuts.
- Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the
human body is more than
90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body
being
taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy,
gooey
bread-pudding person.
- Newborn babies can choke on bread.
- Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400
degrees Fahrenheit! That
kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute.
- Most American bread eaters are utterly unable to
distinguish between
significant scientific fact and meaningless statistical babbling.
In light of these frightening statistics, we propose
the following bread
restrictions:
- No sale of bread to minors.
- No advertising of bread within 1000 feet of a
school.
- A 300 percent federal tax on all bread to pay for
all the societal ills
we might associate with bread.
- No animal or human images, nor any primary colors
(which may appeal to
children) may be used to promote bread usage.
- A $4.2 zillion fine on the three biggest bread
manufacturers. Please send
this e-mail on to everyone you know who cares about this crucial issue.
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A Food Addict Shares
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| Treating the symptoms / Treating the cause.
Hello. My name is Dan and I am a Compulsive
Overeater and a Food Addict.
It strikes me that I use the SYMPTOMS of my
disease to describe it. Sort of like describing a heart attack victim
as a 'chest pain' victim, or a flu victim as a 'sneezer'. I am an
addict, plain and simple. My disease of addiction happened to manifest
itself as an eating disorder. I had been a very heavy drinker for many
years. I'm sure given time and the right circumstances, I could have
easily become an alcoholic. I have the feelings of a rush whenever I
gamble so I stay away from it. I am not overly careful with spending
and credit. Drugs? I could have become addicted.
The Program saying ???It's not what you're
eating, it's what's eating you??? definitely applies to me. My symptoms,
compulsive overeating, are only the outward signs of a deeper disease..
I can treat my compulsive eating as a diet and treat the symptoms. But
doing this doesn't allow the underlying disease to come under control.
I cannot ignore the symptoms, however. They must be put under control.
I have to use the tools to do this . A plan of eating, going to
meetings, doing service, reading
journaling, making calls (tough one for me), using anonymity (keeps my
ego in check) and I have to sponsor and be sponsored. This helps me
keep the day to day 'munchies' in check, but won't necessarily relieve
me from the disease.
The 12 Steps work for so many fellowships
(well over 100 and counting) primarily because the disease of
compulsion/addiction is mostly the same with differing symptoms. This
program addresses the underlying causes of the spiritual disease. It
allows us to regain a communication with a higher power of our
choosing. This spiritual healing then allows the eventual mental and
physical healing to take place. In my life the spiritual recovery has
allowed me to sanely handle the other areas of my life by learning to
give up the final result to God.
Perfectly? NOT! But in working the steps
with a Sponsor and Sponsees, I feel I can walk one step further away
from the disease of compulsion/addiction. It will never fully be gone,
but waiting for me right around the corner, in remission, looking for
that opportunity when I think I don't need the steps anymore, or that
I'm full recovered, or maybe that ???one bite won't hurt.??? it is my job
to be diligent in working the steps and the tools, and keep reminding
myself that I need the help of others and of God to make it through
this day.
~ Dan H. ~ |
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Progam Recipe
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Taco
Salad
3 oz. (cooked) ground turkey or beef
2 tblsp. chopped onion
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
(Start with slightly more than 3oz. ground meat so that you end up ith
3oz. after browning) Brown the ground meat with onion, drain,
then add the remaining ingredients , stir and cook for five minutes
until thouroughly heated through. Top 2 cups of salad containing
greens, tomatoes, etc.
This could be had for lunch or dinner.
For more recipes and a complete
food plan you may purchase my e-book: Compulsive Overeating: Find
Recovery Now!
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OA Stuff
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BEFORE YOU TAKE THAT FIRST COMPULSIVE??¦??¦.
REMEMBER
Your commitment to abstinence from compulsive overeating is the most
important thing in your life without exception! You may believe other
things may come first, but if you do not abstain from compulsive
overeating and practice moderation at meals, you may destroy your
chances of finding health, happiness, self understanding and peace of
mind. If you
are convinced that everything in life depends upon your practice of
abstinence, you almost certainly will achieve these goals. If you are
confronted with the urge to eat, consider the following points before
you take that first compulsive bite.
1. Cultivate continued acceptance of the fact that you
choice is between unhappy eating binges and doing without just one
small compulsive bite.
2. Remember, each time you face a situation without
compulsively over eating will make it easier for you the next time.
3. Don't permit yourself to think a bite or two would make
a bad situation better.
4. Remind yourself ???one bite will make it worse-one bite
may lead to a binge.???
Read the OA flyer ???BEFORE
YOU TAKE THAT FIRST COMPULSIVE BITE, REMEMBER??¦??? for more good
information on staying away from that first bite
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Other
12 Step Programs
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Stories
of Recovery
Recovery from Food Addiction
Freed from the Obsession
Food was my life. From an early age, I tried to get my needs met
through food, especially sweets and carbohydrates. When kids at school
teased me for being overweight, I turned to food as a best friend. As I
got older, I added alcohol, drugs, and men into the mix of things I
used to self-medicate with. It worked for awhile, until the drugs wore
off, the men left, or the package of food was empty. My top weight was
251 pounds; I became lonely, desperate, suicidal.
Recovery From Food Addiction has been my salvation. To actually find a
way to be free of the obsession for excess food by working closely with
a sponsor and the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as adapted for
food addicts has given me a new life today. I now feel I have an
effective way of dealing with life instead of a destructive way. Food
and other addictive substances are no longer my masters.
A Healthy Body and a
Healthy Mind
Food has never been "neutral" to me. As a child, I
overate and was called "fatso" by my schoolmates. In my thirties, I
began having terrible binges which I alternated with diets and
exercise. I had the willpower to run 26-mile marathons, but I had no
willpower when it came to food. For years I thought I had a weight
problem, then I thought I had some psychological problem, all the time
knowing I did strange things when it came to food that my friends and
family did not do. I would hide my eating, feel guilty anytime I ate,
and if I was in the midst of a binge I would lie, cheat, and steal in
order to get my food.
I was relieved when I found out that I have an addiction to certain
foods. Today, by abstaining from these addictive foods, I live a life
of freedom and peace with food. I eat healthy foods and I know that my
body is healthier than it has ever been. This program has also given me
a support group and tools that help me in my daily life!
I am so grateful to RFA and the knowledge of what is wrong with me, and
that if I abstain from the addictive food substances, I will never
again have to obsess about food and weight. Today, I have time to enjoy
a full and exciting life.
Better Tools to Deal with
Life
I weigh 75 or so pounds lighter than I did 4 years
ago. My life is so much more joy-filled than it used to be. That
doesn't mean I don't have problems; but what has happened is that I
have better ways now to deal with the everyday challenges of life.
I used excess food to try to cope with a lot of things in my life. I
think I used it like some people use drugs and alcohol -- it truly was
an addiction. That's why I call myself a food addict.
My date book used to be filled with lists of all the late-night
restaurants and 24-hour grocery stores. I never knew when the craving
for some particular food would be so great that I would HAVE to go find
it.
Loneliness was one of the big reasons I used to overeat. I was trying,
literally, to fill an emotional and spiritual void in my life with the
physical substance of food. No wonder it never worked, but I kept on
trying with large quantities of high-calorie, high-fat foods.
Finally, weighing 200 pounds, I realized that trying to live life while
in a "food fog" ( like a hangover) was just not working. I became
willing to ask somebody about the food plan they were following.
Today, I have so many much more effective tools for dealing with life.
I have the Twelve Steps to follow, dependence on a Higher Power, a
wonderful support community, and the structure and loving boundaries
that a healthy food plan provides.
Today, instead of depression and shame, I feel grateful, loved and
worthy! Thanks to RFA, the Twelve Steps and the food plan!
Here
is another success story
(Food Addicts in Recovery
Anonymous)
I used to be fat and crazy, now I'm not! At
5'3'', I came into
FA weighing
287 lbs. and wearing a tight size 22-24. My knees and feet hurt, I
had
shortness of breath and borderline high blood pressure. I was only
38 but
felt 83. Now I'm 135 lbs., a size 6 or 4, and in perfect health. I'm
in the
"fabulous forties" and feel younger and more energetic every day. The
best
part is that the mental obsessions with "What do I eat?", "Where can
I get
it?", "Who might see me?", and "How can I get more?" are all over!
A Higher
Power controls my life now - NOT FOOD. -- Jennifer H. (Charlotte)
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