DS and personal development/consciousness work

[Spiky Bugger]

I don't think of addictions as moral failings or personal weaknesses. They are compulsions and, by definition, not choices. Nobody would CHOOSE to be an addict. I thank God that I can take or leave a drink. Unfortunately, I don't feel I have the power of choice over SOME foods. I have choice over vegetables, fruits (except watermelon and mangoes), meats, yogurt, cheese, brown rice, legumes, etc. I can eat those like a gentleman and not get fat. If I eat an alcoholic food such as any sugar or white flour product (inc pasta, pizza dough, etc, it's over.

Is an addiction a disease? Some people don't like to use that word because it implies that you're not taking responsibility for it. But it is DIS-EASE for sure. And whether you own it or not, you have to take responsibility for it or pay the cost. So, really, there's no running away from it.

So...this is about peanut butter cups, right?

 

[galaxygrrl]

So...this is about peanut butter cups, right?

And french fries and Ben and Jerry's too.

 

[Munchkin]

So...this is about peanut butter cups, right?

And Cheetos!

 

[aaa]

And french fries and Ben and Jerry's too.

I'm a Häagen-Dazs lady.

 

[DianaCox]

Flan. Just sayin'.

 

[galaxygrrl]

So lets talk about Ice Cream and Flan. Most of it's high protein and fat. And yes, there is some sugars for sure. But, it's it a lot better than any other types of sweets?

 

[Munchkin]

So lets talk about Ice Cream and Flan. Most of it's high protein and fat. And yes, there is some sugars for sure. But, it's it a lot better than any other types of sweets?

Sorry but it's not possible to make the case that ice cream is good for us. I have been trying for more than a decade. The savory version of flan would be sort of a quiche and that's good for us.

In the SW a lot of the flan recipes came here from Mexico and they are damn good!

I have a gelato maker and it is possible to make zero or close to zero carb ice cream. And it's very possible to use just fruit for sweetness but that's sugar too. My lowest carb faves are vanilla bean and coffee. The big 'secret' is really good vanilla!

 

[galaxygrrl]

Ha! Well it was worth a try. I've been eating sweets , but very high fat without flour. Ice cream, flan, cheesecake and creame Bruelle. As long as the scale goes down I don't care.

Of course I still have a way to go. But BMI is under 30 now.

 

[Rgjujitsu]

What about flan topped with dulce de leche?

 

[bearmom]

I've been perfecting my flan and creme brulee lately. I will eat either one as a meal, but tonight I'm off the wagon, and eating way too much sourdough garlic bread. Oy.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

Obesity is a disease and junk food can be an addiction. I agree with both of those.

Making the DS work for ME has meant let the surgery deal with the disease and *I* had to deal with the addiction. I did A LOT of headwork. A LOT. Therapy isn't available as part of the WLS journey here in the UK, but I decided to take the bull by the horns. I read a lot of books...trying to figure it all out. The best book by far was a book written FOR therapists. I was both the therapist and patient. I cried whilst I read and worked through it, I got angry whilst I read it and I confronted things.

The DS won't fix the addiction part and if you are cursed with a large sleeve like I was...you can still down an entire box of girl scout cookies in one 5 minutes sitting....tried and tested. Im not a perfect DS, I don't pretend to be, but with each fuck up, I LEARN from it. I don't beat myself up and I don't look for an excuse as to why it happened or what triggered it....I ACCEPT it as a lapse in progress, a speed bump and I carry on.

Mindfulness is a good approach for every day life, but when it came to my eating...that whole putting the fork down and enjoy each chew...yeah that pissed me right off lol....feeling anger whilst eating is a BAD combo...bad bad bad. But in general, every day life, just breathing and living each moment, yeah, that shit I can get on board with.

If you are willing to put in the head work whilst your DS deals with the disease part of the equation, you will be unstoppable.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

The book, if you are interested is: What Every Therapist Needs to Know About Treating Eating & Weight Issues by Karen R. Koeing.

I need to read it again as I last read it before my DS when I was seriously struggling with my sleeve.

The head work never stops...at least with me. There are those people whose weight it 100% biological, but Im not one of those and can very easily gain weight even with a DS with a 70cc. So yeah, for people like me with eating disorders and psych issues...this journey is either sink or swim. And some DO sink. Ive seen people revise from DS to more extreme DS and still struggle.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

Oh and just to add: Any book I read about weight or eating, I take any diet advice with a grain of dirty salt. I eat for my DS and that doesn't mesh with recommended pop science.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

FYI: I may not have had to give a BJ for food (thats the normal defence of the argument that food isn't an addiction), but food is readily available so no BJs needed. I HAVE stolen money, stolen food, hidden food, eaten in a secret location, hidden the evidence and lied. Oh have a lied. I have also thrown fits (as a grown ass woman) and bawled my eyes out over not getting what I wanted regarding food.

This thread ruffled my feathers a bit as it is contrary to my lived experience. Yes obesity itself is hugely genetic in my family, but my relationship with food is akin to an addict on the DL. It's better now, omg, its SO MUCH better now, but it hurts to say my lived experience is invalid.

ETA: A quick search on Google Scholar- Food Addiction

 

[aaa]

Ha! Well it was worth a try. I've been eating sweets , but very high fat without flour. Ice cream, flan, cheesecake and creame Bruelle. As long as the scale goes down I don't care.

Of course I still have a way to go. But BMI is under 30 now.

I only eat ice cream at home. Too much gas and bathroom to do in public.