White addiction

Options
12467

Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    ...But sometimes a person can benefit from eliminating those foods and setting up their environment with foods they don't have control issues with. Maybe some day that person is able to reintroduce said food (and thats great) and maybe they'll always need to keep at arms length....
    ....I agree with this too, but frequently people don't have complete control over their environments. They impulse buy at the grocery store or order things they later think better of at a restaurant....

    I became acutely aware of temptation when I was put on a pre-surgery liquid diet for two weeks. Images of food assaulted me everywhere. I dealt with it by recording the temptation on my phone and writing about it. I logged examples in brochures and flyers (juicy burgers), in the aisles leading to the checkout counter (nuts, gum, and candy), and on television (Subway, McDonald's, Pizza). It's everywhere. I didn't want to think about food at all, but I couldn't escape it.

    I also recall a large Boston Pizza billboard facing my home when I was poor and raising two little ones alone. I had no money for take-out so I got pretty good at making a home-made pizza in thirty minutes flat. All I needed was baking supplies and the toppings and I was good to go.

    But am I a jellyfish at the mercy of wind and tide, or human? Surely I can buck the tide for a little while at least, and make a different choice.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    Options
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    All in response to this thread.

    The OP mentioned nothing about abstinence.

    I also saw several comments suggesting abstinence as a viable alternative, none of which were "met with derision and arguements (sic)"

    Not in those words exactly but the general tone and interpretation by many posters (considering the responses I quoted it seemed that was the impression that was given).

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    All in response to this thread.

    The OP mentioned nothing about abstinence.

    I also saw several comments suggesting abstinence as a viable alternative, none of which were "met with derision and arguements (sic)"

    Not in those words exactly but the general tone and interpretation by many posters (considering the responses I quoted it seemed that was the impression that was given).

    I think you're projecting your own personal bias (and perhaps I am as well)

    I read those as merely suggestions as possible solutions to OP's 'problem' - which is the same way I read the responses advocating FOR abstinence.

    Regardless, if that's the best example(s) you can come up with of suggestions of abstinence being met with derision and ridicule, then I'm afraid your point fails...as not a single one of them mentions abstinence (other than one that points out merely that it isn't necessary in a very non-derisive manner), nor was in response to an abstinence suggestion.

    Another ETA: A few of them appear to be ridiculing the whole "white" concept...not abstinence.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    Options
    jgnatca wrote: »
    ...But sometimes a person can benefit from eliminating those foods and setting up their environment with foods they don't have control issues with. Maybe some day that person is able to reintroduce said food (and thats great) and maybe they'll always need to keep at arms length....
    ....I agree with this too, but frequently people don't have complete control over their environments. They impulse buy at the grocery store or order things they later think better of at a restaurant....

    I became acutely aware of temptation when I was put on a pre-surgery liquid diet for two weeks. Images of food assaulted me everywhere. I dealt with it by recording the temptation on my phone and writing about it. I logged examples in brochures and flyers (juicy burgers), in the aisles leading to the checkout counter (nuts, gum, and candy), and on television (Subway, McDonald's, Pizza). It's everywhere. I didn't want to think about food at all, but I couldn't escape it.

    I also recall a large Boston Pizza billboard facing my home when I was poor and raising two little ones alone. I had no money for take-out so I got pretty good at making a home-made pizza in thirty minutes flat. All I needed was baking supplies and the toppings and I was good to go.

    But am I a jellyfish at the mercy of wind and tide, or human? Surely I can buck the tide for a little while at least, and make a different choice.

    Sure we are all human and the 'out of sight, out of mind' is only a tool in the tool belt and over reliance on it can actually be a disaster. It is helpful in reducing the number of times we have to say "no" even if its something we allow in moderation. My desk at work is across from the table where all the desert goes. Table of brownies there today. Everytime i get up to use the restroom or talk to someone i have to pass on the brownies. At home I don't have that issue and I enjoy it.

    This reminds me of that scene in Flight where Denzel is doing great and the adjacent room with the bar is open and he finds the mini bar and camera closes in on the shooter before he swipes it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    I'm for whatever works. What do you think of the kitchen safe, @ryry62685 ?
    http://www.thekitchensafe.com/
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,627 Member
    Options
    No fighting. I am sugar's *kitten*.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    Options
    jgnatca wrote: »
    I'm for whatever works. What do you think of the kitchen safe, @ryry62685 ?
    http://www.thekitchensafe.com/

    I saw that on Shark Tank and got a good chuckle. Its going to unlock at some point so I would question its effeciency but if it works for someone them good for them.

    I think it would probably would be pretty good for phones, controllers, remotes and those things during study time for kids (or adults!).
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    Options
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    All in response to this thread.

    The OP mentioned nothing about abstinence.

    I also saw several comments suggesting abstinence as a viable alternative, none of which were "met with derision and arguements (sic)"

    Not in those words exactly but the general tone and interpretation by many posters (considering the responses I quoted it seemed that was the impression that was given).

    I think you're projecting your own personal bias (and perhaps I am as well)

    I read those as merely suggestions as possible solutions to OP's 'problem' - which is the same way I read the responses advocating FOR abstinence.

    Regardless, if that's the best example(s) you can come up with of suggestions of abstinence being met with derision and ridicule, then I'm afraid your point fails...as not a single one of them mentions abstinence (other than one that points out merely that it isn't necessary in a very non-derisive manner), nor was in response to an abstinence suggestion.

    Another ETA: A few of them appear to be ridiculing the whole "white" concept...not abstinence.

    I'm willing to admit some bias even though I'm not sure since I think moderation is probably the most desirable result.

    I've got no desire to debate the semantics of this. These are not the "best examples" but only the ones I found in this thread. If you don't think the responses to this would be kinder, more empathetic, welcoming, etc. if the topic was\ "Help me eat sugar and maintain my calorie deficit" then I must be delusional.
  • Lovee_Dove7
    Lovee_Dove7 Posts: 742 Member
    Options
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    roblloyd89 wrote: »
    blogasese wrote: »
    Hey, I am constantly loosing my fight against sugar. Choclote, dried fruits, sweets, cookies. Endless list that can't stop thinking about. How you fight sugar addiction? Is this anything to do with that that I don't eat much meat?

    Everything you mentioned there is carbs, maybe you're addicted to carbs perhaps.

    Oh, yes, lots of people just can't control themselves with carrots.

    Replace the word "carrots" with chips, crackers, breads, cookies, candy and that will be true. Probably no one binges on broccoli, either, but that's pretty high in sugar as veggies go. I find that filling up on veggies, proteins and fats, and leaving behind the crackers/chips/breads etc, pretty well makes me binge-proof.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    Even toddlers know the difference between broccoli and goldfish crackers.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=GkYQg0l5bMY
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Options
    For some of the actual research on the subject food/eating and addiction, please see this thread and the links therein:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p1

    As for what the OP asked, outside of personal bias?

    OP, in the past when I found myself feeling like you, I just quit all sugary treats cold turkey. It was hard at first, but at that point in my life, I had already quit smoking so I knew I could white knuckle it through not eating sweets.

    I did. I used artificial sweeteners in my tea and coffee, so I still had sweetness in my life, but that was about it.

    I lived that way for many years, with the occasional slip and binge, but I'd get back on track and not eat any sugary food at all.

    During that time, I did a lot of work on myself. It was after finally coming to grips with a lot of issues I had with food that I reintroduced not only sweets, but some salty treats I'd also given up. I'd finally come to a place where I knew deep down that food was just ... food. It wasn't there for comfort, and while it tasted good, it was okay to have a small amount today and know that I could have another small amount tomorrow.

    There were lots of things that played into my issues with "treat" foods, both salty and sweet. Thinking of them as "bad" was one of them. Telling myself that I shouldn't be eating them gave them the aura of forbidden fruit. I'd gobble them guiltily.

    Another issue, related to that was that I'd be restricting them because of their badness. So I'd gobble more because it was the last time I'd ever, ever have those cookies or chips.

    Learning that those foods weren't "bad" and were okay to have whenever I wanted them took the allure of the forbidden away from them, and suddenly, it seemed easier to eat them in reasonable portions.

    Then there was the comfort aspect. I'd be stressed, and crunching chips was satisfying. A whole pan of brownies felt like a blanket wrapped around me while they were laying in my stomach when I felt lonely or misunderstood. That was a harder nut to crack, I had to do deeper work on being able to handle tough emotions. I used some visualization techniques to help me become more comfortable with my own emotions, and eating to soothe myself didn't seem like such a good solution any more.

    So, after all this rambling, here's the tldr; ... you might need to give up the sugary foods for a time, but if you feel like you don't want to give them up forever, it's possible to find a way to integrate them into your life again.

    Sometimes the path is simple, it's just a matter of rebalancing your macros as has already been suggested upthread. Other times, the path is a bit more difficult. Are you currently using food as a reward? Are you eating when you're bored, or sleepy, or angry, or anxious?

    You might need to dig deeper to get to the real bottom of your issue. It's not really ever about the food. The answer always lies within yourself.

    Good luck.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    Options
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Even toddlers know the difference between broccoli and goldfish crackers.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=GkYQg0l5bMY

    My chihuahuas sure as heck do.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    I'm a variety girl and my two week liquid diet nearly did me in from boredom. But I did it. In some ways willpower was easier because I had a strict regimen to follow for a set number of days. Believe me, though, I was counting the days for when it would be over.

    I fear many people think that this is what "dieting" is, a limited number of days of total abstention, followed by an orgy.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Options
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    All in response to this thread.

    The OP mentioned nothing about abstinence.

    I also saw several comments suggesting abstinence as a viable alternative, none of which were "met with derision and arguements (sic)"

    Not in those words exactly but the general tone and interpretation by many posters (considering the responses I quoted it seemed that was the impression that was given).

    I think you're projecting your own personal bias (and perhaps I am as well)

    I read those as merely suggestions as possible solutions to OP's 'problem' - which is the same way I read the responses advocating FOR abstinence.

    Regardless, if that's the best example(s) you can come up with of suggestions of abstinence being met with derision and ridicule, then I'm afraid your point fails...as not a single one of them mentions abstinence (other than one that points out merely that it isn't necessary in a very non-derisive manner), nor was in response to an abstinence suggestion.

    Another ETA: A few of them appear to be ridiculing the whole "white" concept...not abstinence.

    I'm willing to admit some bias even though I'm not sure since I think moderation is probably the most desirable result.

    I've got no desire to debate the semantics of this. These are not the "best examples" but only the ones I found in this thread. If you don't think the responses to this would be kinder, more empathetic, welcoming, etc. if the topic was\ "Help me eat sugar and maintain my calorie deficit" then I must be delusional.

    They're not even examples at all. They were in response to a thread about addiction...not abstinence. Those words are not synonymous.
  • TheBeachgod
    TheBeachgod Posts: 825 Member
    Options
    Well, thanks to this thread title I now have a new nickname for Mr. Happy.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    Options
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    ryry62685 wrote: »
    All in response to this thread.

    The OP mentioned nothing about abstinence.

    I also saw several comments suggesting abstinence as a viable alternative, none of which were "met with derision and arguements (sic)"

    Not in those words exactly but the general tone and interpretation by many posters (considering the responses I quoted it seemed that was the impression that was given).

    I think you're projecting your own personal bias (and perhaps I am as well)

    I read those as merely suggestions as possible solutions to OP's 'problem' - which is the same way I read the responses advocating FOR abstinence.

    Regardless, if that's the best example(s) you can come up with of suggestions of abstinence being met with derision and ridicule, then I'm afraid your point fails...as not a single one of them mentions abstinence (other than one that points out merely that it isn't necessary in a very non-derisive manner), nor was in response to an abstinence suggestion.

    Another ETA: A few of them appear to be ridiculing the whole "white" concept...not abstinence.

    I'm willing to admit some bias even though I'm not sure since I think moderation is probably the most desirable result.

    I've got no desire to debate the semantics of this. These are not the "best examples" but only the ones I found in this thread. If you don't think the responses to this would be kinder, more empathetic, welcoming, etc. if the topic was\ "Help me eat sugar and maintain my calorie deficit" then I must be delusional.

    They're not even examples at all. They were in response to a thread about addiction...not abstinence. Those words are not synonymous.

    I've got no desire to debate the semantics of this. You win.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    roblloyd89 wrote: »
    blogasese wrote: »
    Hey, I am constantly loosing my fight against sugar. Choclote, dried fruits, sweets, cookies. Endless list that can't stop thinking about. How you fight sugar addiction? Is this anything to do with that that I don't eat much meat?

    Everything you mentioned there is carbs, maybe you're addicted to carbs perhaps.

    Oh, yes, lots of people just can't control themselves with carrots.

    Replace the word "carrots" with chips, crackers, breads, cookies, candy and that will be true. Probably no one binges on broccoli, either, but that's pretty high in sugar as veggies go. I find that filling up on veggies, proteins and fats, and leaving behind the crackers/chips/breads etc, pretty well makes me binge-proof.

    I'm just annoyed with the idea that people are "addicted to carbs" as if all carbs were the same. There is a loud minority on this forum dedicated to pushing the view that carbs=bad and unhealthy.

    Most of the foods that people have trouble controlling themselves around are highly palatable and a mix of carbs and fats, although sometimes people have preferences for highly palatable foods that are mostly fat or mostly carbs. See, e.g., the current thread about peanut butter. Similarly, cookies and cakes and pasta (usually has fat in the sauce or cheese), bread (often has butter), etc. Personally, I used to (and occasionally still do) have the most trouble controlling myself with some higher fat foods -- cheese, especially, but I could eat a ridiculous number of calories in nuts with no problem and will certainly be able to overeat on some pulled pork or prime rib or even roasted and beautifully crispy chicken with the skin on.

    Similarly, the studies do not support the notion that carbs have a special effect that fats do not.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Even toddlers know the difference between broccoli and goldfish crackers.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=GkYQg0l5bMY

    So you would agree that OP likely is not "addicted to carbs" as some poster asserted she might be?

    (Except in that we all are, since our body is evolved to use them easily for energy, of course. But calling that an addiction seems to make the term meaningless or just silly, to me.)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    I think most people float through life like jellyfish, pulled or pushed along by various stimuli. Perfect little consumers. And modern communication is a stimulus-rich environment. Is it addiction? No. Is it compelling? Yes. It's a rare fish that bucks the flow.

    Edited to add: yes addressed to dear @lemurcat12