Many years ago I had a serious food addiction. The manifestation of it was a preoccupation with eating, an obsession with my weight, and a triggered response around stress. The more stressed I felt, the more I would succumb to my sugar cravings. I felt trapped in a loop and thought there was no way out. If you can relate to this, then you know this is a serious condition. Food can be as addictive as any other substance. The astonishing thing about food - unlike any other addictive substance - is that it is the only substance that you must continue to negotiate with even after you have resolved your addictive behavior. You must still eat. In order to be free, you must figure this out.
After many years of feeling extremely challenged, my breakthrough came during a week-long seminar. During one particular exercise, I had the experience of complete freedom. I saw my life with this painful struggle behind me. This broke the chain, finally, since this exhilarating freedom I felt was more intoxicating and more satisfying than the temporary gratification I used to get from stuffing myself. With each passing year, I find myself ever more grateful for this breakthrough and the way my life was redefined. Most miraculously, I know that there is no risk to me of ever falling back into that behavior that now lives 100% in my past. And most importantly, how can I help you?
Let me speak to you if you, or someone you know, is at the effect of food cravings, addictive behavior, obsessive thinking, and any of the preoccupations that are associated with this. If there were a way out for you, what would your life look like? What might you be able to accomplish? How would your relationships change? How would you feel about yourself?
As a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, I council people who, among other things, are looking for relief from their own food demons. Let me describe the problem first, and then I will suggest some solutions. These are some of the common issues that many people with unresolved food and eating issues face:
1. Guilt and shame over their behavior.
2. Self-punishment, beating themselves up.
3. A disdain for how their body looks.
4. A fear of complications, including diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
5. A preoccupation that interrupts optimal functioning and productivity.
6. Interpersonal conflicts with family, co-workers, loved ones and friends.
7. A stress equals food plus overeating pattern.
These issues are familiar to me from my past, as well as from stories I hear from my clients.
The one off-ramp to this cascading set of circumstances that I would like to focus on is the part where you might use food to manage or mitigate stress. Usually the food of choice when you respond to stress by overeating is not celery and humus. More power to you if you choose healthy food when you are stressed out. That is the sign of your understanding what is happening and resisting the urge to drown yourself in carbohydrates and other addictive types of food.
What happens more often is that the response to stress usually is manifested by comfort food that is high in fat and/or sugar, often salt, and rarely healthy. When you are trying to quell the discomfort of stress, unfortunately, ice cream looks better than a carrot. Your body is looking for relief, the way an addict looks for a fix.
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