Food addiction and Alcohol * sad*

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  • AA and OA are not the answers for everyone. Work to figure out your triggers. What makes you want a drink or why are you drinking or eating? Get to the root cause then address that issue. Remember to keep your thoughts about yourself positive based and forgive your mess ups because they probably will happen. You are only human.

    Be careful about stopping alcohol cold turkey if you are a fairly regular user of a good amount daily. Alcohol withdrawal is the worst form of drug withdrawal. Seizures and other serious medical issues can arise so be careful. Talk to your doctor if you have ever had seizures before stopping.

    I'm afraid you have a dual combo that is very hard to beat but I do believe, if you really want it, you CAN achieve it. Best wishes!
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    Sometimes I don't have an 'off' button. If I have a cookie, I have 10. If I have a glass of wine, I have the bottle. If I have a bite of cake, I have a whole piece, even though I don't even care for cake.

    I don't know if this really constitutes an addiction as much as it indicates lack of self control. I can go weeks without sweets or a drink. I can even have an occasional treat and not fall off the wagon. It has more to do with my mental attitude at the time I choose to have that treat or drink.

    My goal this year is to exercise my self control. I realize that I need to exercise and strengthen it just like I do my muscles. It requires saying "no" when I want to say "yes." It requires questioning why I want the treat or drink before I ever let myself have even one. It requires making trade offs for treats - 1 cookie = 20 minute walk. It will be hard sometimes and I will fail sometimes but I will also use my self control to resist feeling depressed or defeated and to get back on track immediately.

    If you want a friend to help you exercise your self control, I'm here. It helps to have people that will hold you accountable. - BTW - I'm originally from Crawfordsville, Indiana. I've been in Colorado for 16 years but I was born and raised in the Hoosier state!
  • If this was a onetime deal don’t fret, and get back up again. Remember you can do it! You just have to put what happened in the past in the past, and focus on the present. On the other hand, if you truly feel that your intake of food and alcohol are problematic then I suggest you seek support, and since you said that you live in a small town you may find online support easier. Http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/is a wonderful forum for support of addictions. They have groups of all kinds of addictions from alcohol and narcotics to smoking and food. They even have a section for “Friends and Families” designed for those needing support for a loved one’s addictions. Support of a professional is ideal, however, so if you are able to locate a local trustworthy therapist my suggestion is to go with that; maybe in addiction to online forums.

    Don't let it get you down. You are not a failure. Today is a new day and just focus on making today a better one.
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
    julie--feel free to PM/add me. i'm 5.5 + years sober...having dealt with terrible binge drinking and alcoholic tendencies in my past. i have my story in my blogs....

    xoxoxooxo
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    Stop beating yourself up. Just try to accept that you have a problem and work on improving it. Learn to love you first.
  • BEERRUNNER
    BEERRUNNER Posts: 3,046 Member
    julie--feel free to PM/add me. i'm 5.5 + years sober...having dealt with terrible binge drinking and alcoholic tendencies in my past. i have my story in my blogs....

    xoxoxooxo

    I need to check your blog out..........
  • Rosplosion
    Rosplosion Posts: 739 Member
    You are OK. It sounds like you're addressing your issues which is the hardest part. Just take it one day at a time. Focusing on the present is a good way to live. Focusing too much on the future or the past does not work.
  • susanstpeter
    susanstpeter Posts: 10 Member
    I know exactly how this goes!

    For me: All day long, perfect choices on foods and meals. One glass of wine making dinner... leads to more during dinner, and before I know it, I'm helping myself to the Dove Bars that my husband bought. So a year of daytime dieting has led to a net weight gain because of the poor choices that nightly first glass of wine triggered!

    I can't really blame my husband for the ice cream. I would have been resisting it just fine if there were no wine in the equation!

    We gave up wine "for Lent" this year. We haven't been perfect but between the lack of wine calories ((and the lack of alcohol-induced stupid food choices) there's been good progress on weight loss! A key thing is to clear the cupboards of the alcohol just like the junk food so there's no temptation.

    And yes, I agree with everyone here: you can slip, but don't wallow! Get up and get back on track without delay. You will feel happier with yourself with each strong step that puts those mistakes behind you.




    Or your husband brings the wine home to be sweet. :)
  • samcat2000
    samcat2000 Posts: 106 Member
    Are you a perfectionist? I recognize some of your language as my own and I feel for you. I was on travel this week and fell off the wagon for a couple of hours in my hotel room. Had a bag of peanut M&Ms and a bag of microwavable popcorn after I'd already eaten my calories for the day...I was so pissed at myself! Well two days later - I realize "hey the world isn't over." I did enter the crap on MFP that day and hated myself but story over and moving on!

    Do you have a friend you could take to the AA meeting to see wth it's about? Might not be for you but you won't know til you try. If I was there I would go with you. Hope you give it a chance!
  • iggyboo93
    iggyboo93 Posts: 524 Member
    One night of over-doing on wine in does not constitute checking yourself into the Betty Ford Clinic. If you did it every night or were hiding bottles of vodka in the laundry hamper, maybe you should consider AA. But you don't do this every night. Don't punish yourself. Today is a new start. Fill up your giant water bottle with ice and water, plan out your day and your meals, and carry on.
  • AboutTime330
    AboutTime330 Posts: 1 Member
    While I agree AA helps a lot of people. No offense to anyone - I don't like the God direction it takes.
  • melbot24
    melbot24 Posts: 347 Member
    Don't beat yourself up. You're not an *addict*.
    Don't deny yourself wine in the first place, make it a part of your diet.
    One glass of red wine a few nights, heck, even every night, isn't bad for you.

    If you deny yourself the food and drink that makes you happy, you're going to be miserable.
    Follow an 80/20 rule and maintain your sanity.

    And please stop being so hard on yourself!
  • erinlibke
    erinlibke Posts: 144 Member
    Its doesn't sound like you have a serious addiction to alcohol, but you do sound like my husband who is very much and all or nothing kinda guy. He doesn't like to just have a beer or two, it turns into a session (mind you this is only on a weekend). IF you find you are the same but want to enjoy a glass of wine, then buy a mini bottle on the way home (like the ones you get on an airplane) and enjoy that. If you can't limit yourself when you are around your weakness (mine is potato chips) then don't keep it in the house to tempt you.
  • boboff
    boboff Posts: 129 Member
    I wish I could have just one drink, I can't.

    8 Pints is a drink, not 1 150ml bottle of wine!

    Makes you fat and fed up mind!
  • BEERRUNNER
    BEERRUNNER Posts: 3,046 Member
    Don't beat yourself up. You're not an *addict*.
    Don't deny yourself wine in the first place, make it a part of your diet.
    One glass of red wine a few nights, heck, even every night, isn't bad for you.

    If you deny yourself the food and drink that makes you happy, you're going to be miserable.
    Follow an 80/20 rule and maintain your sanity.

    And please stop being so hard on yourself!

    I do agree with this nice attractive woman here............:bigsmile:
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
    You should be my friend, then every fm day you can go" hey I drank less than Mandy again!" And feel good about yourself:)

    Seriously though, I'm 45, I'm a happy successful person, and I allow for wine in my calories. Every now and then I go WAY over, and the nice mfp people make me feel better:). I am at my goal weight too.
  • JerseyGirlinTN
    JerseyGirlinTN Posts: 144 Member
    Don't beat yourself up. You're not an *addict*.
    Don't deny yourself wine in the first place, make it a part of your diet.
    One glass of red wine a few nights, heck, even every night, isn't bad for you.

    I'm sorry, but this is wrong. If the OP is saying she has a problem and an addiction, then she does. And having one glass of wine to an alcoholic is as bad as one hit to a heroin addict.
  • tam6van
    tam6van Posts: 1,089 Member
    I am exactly the same! When I look at my food and exercise for the day (until around 7pm) I'm way ahead of the game. THEN....perhaps just one glass of wine....which leads to a piece of cheese and a couple crackers, perhaps some popcorn (my 'go to' snack) and 'Oh yes!...I remember I have a quarter bag of chips that must be eaten!). So you're definitely not alone. I had 3 glasses and a schwack of salty treats as well. Back on track today:)
  • I am exactly the same! When I look at my food and exercise for the day (until around 7pm) I'm way ahead of the game. THEN....perhaps just one glass of wine....which leads to a piece of cheese and a couple crackers, perhaps some popcorn (my 'go to' snack) and 'Oh yes!...I remember I have a quarter bag of chips that must be eaten!). So you're definitely not alone. I had 3 glasses and a schwack of salty treats as well. Back on track today:)
    I love pop corn, but the mini bag just does not do it for me.. not enough.. :) but it's a better snack them lots of other things.. if you leave off the butter..
  • Feeling much better I went to the gym and worked out and then hit the pool for some laps.. My wine hang over is gone.. drinking lots of water helped that. now to focus on a healthy dinner which will include NO WINE! Thanks everyone for all the positive comments! you would not believe how much they helped! thanks so much!
  • Itsbhoney
    Itsbhoney Posts: 17
    So brave of you for posting. We ALL have been there. You just have to forget it and keep going. It's like falling off the wagon. You have to start again. Don't feel bad. Everyone cheats every now and again :)
  • katzbluez
    katzbluez Posts: 15 Member
    Addiction is a serious problem that requires professional help, regardless of the addiction. You are NOT weak! You just need to learn different coping mechanisms.

    Here's something I read on here, that I love, and I fall back on it if I slip (if I can find the topic, I'll post the link). It's a mind set called "Get the **** over it". It's perfect.

    Binge eat? Get the **** over it. You HAVEN'T blown it. Restart at your next meal (NOT next week, next Monday, next month).
    Bad day of eating? Get the **** over it. Start again tomorrow.
    Skip exercising? Get the **** over it. Get on the floor and do a few push ups and sit ups.

    Basically, stop harping on the slip, or the bad, and IMMEDIATELY start again. This really works for me if I have a bad day - I just get the **** over it, lol!

    ^^^^ love this!! will remember it for myself...
  • MonicaT1972
    MonicaT1972 Posts: 512
    Feel free to add me if you like.

    My rule is once my head hits the pillow today is over. I don't carry the negative into the next day and beat myself up over it I start fresh!!!

    You are human you slipped, kick yourself in the pants right now and then forget about it and move on and make today be the best day ever!!!
  • meredith1123
    meredith1123 Posts: 843 Member
    You didnt blow anything! It is human nature to fall every once in awhile. the point is to get up and learn from it.

    we are allowed to eat what we want at times. If you eat too much, it's okay. don't feel so bloody guilty over it. As long as you stand back up, brush yourself back off and carry on the rest of the days taking care of yourself and treating yourself rigiht (including your mental stability) then you will be okay

    its normal. dont be so harsh on yourself!
  • melbot24
    melbot24 Posts: 347 Member
    Don't beat yourself up. You're not an *addict*.
    Don't deny yourself wine in the first place, make it a part of your diet.
    One glass of red wine a few nights, heck, even every night, isn't bad for you.

    If you deny yourself the food and drink that makes you happy, you're going to be miserable.
    Follow an 80/20 rule and maintain your sanity.

    And please stop being so hard on yourself!

    I do agree with this nice attractive woman here............:bigsmile:

    Heyyyy ;) and thanks!
  • melbot24
    melbot24 Posts: 347 Member
    Don't beat yourself up. You're not an *addict*.
    Don't deny yourself wine in the first place, make it a part of your diet.
    One glass of red wine a few nights, heck, even every night, isn't bad for you.

    I'm sorry, but this is wrong. If the OP is saying she has a problem and an addiction, then she does. And having one glass of wine to an alcoholic is as bad as one hit to a heroin addict.

    I agree that one glass of wine for an alcoholic can be very damaging.

    I suppose I don't really know if the OP is actually an alcoholic.

    She said she is however, she also included that she's a "food addict". To me, that label (what does that even mean?) made it seem a bit facetious and provided some jest. An over dramatization of blowing your diet, if you will.

    What I gathered from her post was that she over did it one night because she had been depriving herself of wine for the sake of losing weight.

    I can related because I used to think I needed to give up beer to lose weight, but that's not the case. Yes, if I get drunk, I will want copious amounts of Taco Bell but if I have a beer or two with a healthy dinner. I satiate my cravings and still stay on track :)
  • Sounds like my story too! Don't feel guilty, and don't let that one night throw you off track. In the scheme of things, that one day isn't going to make much of a difference if you stick with what you were doing - really!
  • Thanks for posting this- I will definitely use it. Next time I screw up I won't wait until the next meal/day/week to start again.
  • dewsmom78
    dewsmom78 Posts: 498 Member
    I have the same issue, I don't drink often, but when I do, it's not just 1 drink, it's a whole bottle of wine, or 6 or 7 mixed drinks. Then I overeat, and of course pig out on hangover food the next day. Needless to say, I just don't drink much at all anymore.

    I agree with some posters, if you think you have an alcohol problem, AA is there. But if you can just say no completely, then just do it. Tell yourself, "no alcohol till I am down 10lbs", or whatever. Make a goal and stick to it. Then when you hit that goal, go celebrate - responsibly.