There have been a few times the last few weeks where I have given into my cravings for fatty, salty or sweet food. Each time I am left feeling sick and disgusted with myself. The food hangover lasts much of a day. Yet the scenario repeats itself on a fairly regular basis. I attribute it to food addiction. I don’t seem to remember from time to time how badly I feel after the transgression.
I liken it to smoking (which I quit almost 20 years ago) – while I was actually smoking the cigarette it tasted and felt good… but as soon as I “butt out”, the sick feeling overtook me. Yet as the next craving arrived, I lit up again.
Quitting smoking is hard – I had to use the patch to succeed; quitting food may be even harder. It’s not like you can stop cold turkey, we still need to eat, and still sometimes experience triggers. Or perhaps I say to myself, “I’ll have just one”, which like cigarettes, just isn’t possible.
I need to do some serious brain training to associate the fatty hamburgers, pizza, and other temptations with cigarettes, reminding myself that cold turkey is the only way, and how, like a cigarette it makes me feel so awful…
Every addiction arises from an unconscious refusal to face and move through your own pain. Every addiction starts with pain and ends with pain. Whatever the substance you are addicted to - alcohol, food, legal or illegal drugs, or a person - you are using something or somebody to cover up your pain. ~Eckhart Tolle
I have had a very painful few months. I feel like I am starting to turn that around, and I know I will feel better if I go back to a healthier diet. knowing and doiing are two different things.
ReplyDeleteMerikay, I know exactly what you mean. It is hard to motivate with all the other stresses going on in your life. Maybe if you made one small step, eventually you would be back on track. Perhaps just changing one meal or snack a day to a healthier version. A walk up and down your hill. I find thinking about the big changes is overwhelming, but I can do small ones.
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