Fighting My Food Addiction

[jade]

Hey all,
Jade here. I am a food addict. I've been struggling with my addiction for most of my life. In the past 5 years I finally sought professional counseling for this issue and it helped immensely.
However, it has reared its ugly head once again and I just needed to come to a place where I could find some support and be amongst folks who know what fighting an addiction is all about.
I'm doing an Induction Day today to get my body back in to ketosis. I've been injured and haven't been able to ride but this morning my foot felt better so I'm going to try to ride tonight.
I've gained some weight back because I've been in what my fellow food addicts call being 'in trance'. But with the grace of God I've pulled up out of that and I'm back in the saddle again. (I feel like some of the cyclists on the Tour de France that I've been voraciously watching for the past 6 days...there was a great crash today before the finish but you get back up, dust off your backside and press on.) I'm also reminded of Lot's wife in the bible. I'm going to take the angel's advice: DON'T LOOK BACK!!
Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble!

Be well-
jade

[2big4mysize]

good for you geting back to it.

One big thing is to journal every bite and how you were feeling before and after you ate it who you were with what you were doing and where you were to see if you can spot a triggering event in addition to triggering foods. As you know fromn your counseling our brains are fantastic filers and crossreferencers and it knows all about how foods make you feel and prescribes them every time it knows a certain one will help alter your mood because of its ability to mimic neurotransmitters.

I've seen folk have triggers from the stress of meeting old friends for coffee and watching them eat desserts they used to enjoy to just talking on the phone while having a meal cause they stuffed their face without thinking.

Make your meal a refueling experience and soon you will have control again. No eating while I'm doing __________ Just eating while I'm eating is the best way to get control of it. Once you have control (Praying you will not become like Lot's wife) you can see if you can control eating and _________ at the same time. I know I need to eat at the table either inside the resturant or in the house not in the den, _______ room or car cause food goes in and in and in and I never feel like I actually ateor even how much i ate if I don't make the food the actual focus of what I'm doing.

Happy low carbing.

[jade]

Hey 2big4mysize,
Thanks for sharing! I know I need to start journaling again. I have before and it was very helpful. I'm glad to hear of someone who knows what I'm going through. I remember well my counselor telling me to stay away from 'Play People, Play Places and Play Things'.
I know right now that my biggest trigger is physical pain. I've been having so much trouble with plantar facitis in my left foot. The pain has been excruciating at times. I know the treatment for it so there's no use going to the doctor but sometimes the treatment just makes me so physically tired because I have to take meds that make me sleep.
However, today it felt pretty good. I was going to ride tonight but I think I will give it one more day of rest.
The other thing that I'm doing is putting undo stress on my self by reminding myself that school (I work in a public school) will be starting in about a month and a half and I'm not ready physically to go back. I almost have to shake myself and say, "YOU ARE NOT ON ANYONES TIME TABLE BUT YOUR OWN!!'
Sometimes I just want to scream like a banshee! I'm also PMS and that doesn't help either!
So I'm going to take it very slow. The most important thing to me at this point is to get that control back.
I do so appreciate your sharing. It feels very good to know that there are other folks out there who know what I'm talking about.

Thanks again!
jade

P.S. My big 'play place' trigger was reading/eating. That is a huge no no for me! If I'm going to read then read but not eat/read.

[2big4mysize]

good for you I know about that pain from the plantar facitis. Those when you first wake up stretching in bed exercises really help and the picking up the towel, marbles, golfballs, tennis balls progression with the toes for increasing the muscle strenght in the feet looks crazy but it really helps support the foot taking the stress off the network of tissues that is currently inflamed. Are you a heel area or ball of foot pain?

[jade]

Hey 2big4mysize,
It is in the area just above the heel. I also have a neuroma on my right foot between my little toe and fourth toe that also gives me a fit.
The weird thing about my plantar facitis is that it radiates all the way up to my sciatic nerve! So it makes me wonder is it my sciatic nerve that's causing the plantar facitis or vice versa!
I use to roll my whole foot over canned vegetables! But I've done the tennis balls thing too. I also like to stretch my calves/quads. That seems to help too. Are you familiar with magnetic therapy? I have a magnetic roller that I use on my legs and lower back/glutes. It relaxes me. Wearing my orthotics really helps alot but you know what helps the most? NO SUGAR! I know it sounds weird but when I am off sugar and caffeine I don't have this kind of pain. I feel some tightness in my feet but not like this.
Thanks for sharing! I like hearing what other people have tried for their plantar facitis pain. (I have fibromyalgia on top of this too! Again, when I'm off of sugar/caffeine I'm great!)

Be well-
jade

[tickletussler]

Hi Jade,

Last year I had an injury of my plantar fascia too and I think it was because I was wearing heels that were way too high for me ie I was standing practically tippy toes just to walk in them. I had to get some orthotics made and like you, was told to stretches of the calf muscles each day, twice a day. Also, I would roll my feet over frozen water-filled bottles because the orthopedist said it would help reduce the inflammation of the muscles plus stretch out those muscles like you did with the can of veg / tennis ball. When I went to Egypt last November, it was absolutely agony because I couldn't find any hotel fridges big enough to store my water bottle, so i couldn't ice them, plus we had really long walks while sightseeing - I was so determined not to miss out on Egypt that my feet really suffered...

but 6 months later, the pain's improved and especially MORE SO when started Atkins and got the pounds off. It can take a year to heal but keep doing what you've been doing Jade, because it WILL get better!!!!

Sorry Jade... I know this thread was about food addiction, but I had to chip in and give you a little boost up on your painful feet which I can empathise with you.

Cheers.

[jade]

Hey Tickle!
I went to my foot doctor this afternoon because despite what I'd been doing I was getting some relief but needed more. He took an x-ray of my foot and said that yes I had plantar fascia but I was also developing a heel spur! So he taped my foot up and told me to keep it taped up for a week. He said I could ride my bike and to keep doing everything else but that I didn't need to wear orthotics (they were crappy orthotics anyway! To anyone who reads this: DO NOT GET YOUR ORTHOTICS FROM THE 'GOOD FEET STORE'. They are a scam operation! I spent $300.00 on orthotics I could've gotten online for $20!!! If you think orthotics are something that would help you go to a podiatrist and let him/her make that decision!!) He also sold me a night splint because I almost point my toes every night when I sleep and wake up with cramps in my calves! So we will see how this goes. Actually, I'm feeling better already. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing.
I'm still off program but am looking forward to getting back on soon. I'm thinking through some issues that have been plaguing me for a long time. I know that I can do Atkins and I know that Atkins works!
Thanks for thinking of me! I appreciate it more than you know!

Ta Mate!
jade

[JandLsMom]

i too am a food addict. I found atkins is the one WOE that actually helps me to stop craving and the one WOE that i can lose weight on. The reason for this is if done strictly, then you can get rid of the offending foods that make you crave! sugar, white flour, wheat products all set up cravings for food addicts. Even the sugar substitutes can cause cravings and send you off on a binge. if you do atkins induction and stick to natural foods like meat, fish, eggs,nuts, small amounts of cheese and cream, butter and mayo..it works to stop the cravings and binging. If you try doing atkins with LC products like LC yogurt and LC icecream bars and SF jello...you WILL struggle with cravings if you are a food addict! i have learned this through trial and error! Just like an alcoholic can't have 1 drink, i know i cant have 1 LC yogurt unless i want to set myself up for a possible fall! Just sharing what i have learned over time!! Hope it helps other food addicts!