Closing in on 30 days 'Clean'

morf13 · May 2014

Does anybody else feel that battling weight is almost like trying to kick an addiction? I hate to compare being overweight or obese to being a drug addict or alcoholic, but in a way, the temptations and struggles are similar. I personally feel like every day is a battle, one day at a time. I started off at 367lbs 25 days ago, and am now 352lbs. I have a long way to go, but making it to 25 days in a row of logging in, counting calories,going to the gym, etc is making a difference. Every day I do everything right, is one more day 'clean'.

I was a junk food addict, fast food, sweets, late night eating,the whole ball of wax. Today, I feel different, and look forward to my yogurt for breakfast, my light lunch, afternoon snack, and fulfilling dinner. I don't look forward to the gym,I am not one of those gym/workout phanatics(who knows maybe I will become one),but I still go 3-4 days a week and workout hard. I am not craving snacks or fast food, and I dont eat after dinner, no exceptions.

I am seeing results, and it's nice when people say "hey looks like you lost some weight" instead of "hey you got fat". I just want to feel better about myself, and in my clothes, be healthier, and not have to stop at 'special' stores to buy my clothes.

Does anybody else feel like the battle against weight loss is like trying to stay 'clean'? Today, makes 25 days clean for me, and logging into this site and counting the calories is definitely helping me on my journey.

lemonsnowdrop · May 2014

Does anybody else feel like the battle against weight loss is like trying to stay 'clean'? Today, makes 25 days clean for me, and logging into this site and counting the calories is definitely helping me on my journey.

Well, no. I don't eat "clean." I eat a lot of "junk" and still lose weight. I see no point in depriving myself and being miserable when it's senseless to do so. Life is too short.

That said, I'm glad you're feeling on your way! Congratulations, and I wish you the best on your journey.

squiggysmama · May 2014

Absolutely. I have treated this journey in exactly the same way as I did when I quit smoking. Food was an addiction for me, and recognizing it as such is the only thing that has enabled me to be successful with my weight loss. Just as a recovering addict, I had to change my life completely. Addicts are told to change their "playground, playmates and play things." I haven't changed my friends, but I have changed my playground (recreation doesn't center around eating), and play things. I actually enjoy physical activity and doing things like shopping for clothes

) I have also tossed out the processed foods and am striving to eat clean. One month in, you are doing great! Keep up the good work

jkwolly · May 2014

Does anybody else feel like the battle against weight loss is like trying to stay 'clean'? Today, makes 25 days clean for me, and logging into this site and counting the calories is definitely helping me on my journey.

Well, no. I don't eat "clean." I eat a lot of "junk" and still lose weight. I see no point in depriving myself and being miserable when it's senseless to do so. Life is too short.

This this this. :drinker:

esphixiet · May 2014

I feel this, very deeply.

In 2012, I lost 50lbs. I felt amazing. Hell, I WAS amazing.
Somehow... I stopped paying attention and a year and a half later I'm heavier than I ever was.

I'm starting over again. Intent on loving myself, making the right choices, and getting back to being amazing.

bazarn · May 2014

Totally relate. I started out as the laziest, most greasy processed food addicted person you know pretty much. And now I eat (relatively) clean and actually like going to the gym after a few months of doing it. Feels good to...well, feel good. Congratulations on your progress!

Bigaway · May 2014

Absolutely valid to call it an addiction. I lost a close relative to alcohol addiction/liver disease and I feel I have many of the same characteristics. ..........wanting to hide my addiction, often denying it exists, harming my body through overeating and being overweight, knowing I'm hurting myself and hating myself for it, day to day struggle,.........and the list could go on and on. Hang in there. We can do it through commitment and the support of others.

VanessaRudden · May 2014

Hang in there - youre doing great - keep going!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hearts_2015 · May 2014

Does anybody else feel like the battle against weight loss is like trying to stay 'clean'? Today, makes 25 days clean for me, and logging into this site and counting the calories is definitely helping me on my journey.

Absolutely. I have treated this journey in exactly the same way as I did when I quit smoking. Food was an addiction for me, and recognizing it as such is the only thing that has enabled me to be successful with my weight loss. Just as a recovering addict, I had to change my life completely. Addicts are told to change their "playground, playmates and play things." I haven't changed my friends, but I have changed my playground (recreation doesn't center around eating), and play things. I actually enjoy physical activity and doing things like shopping for clothes ) I have also tossed out the processed foods and am striving to eat clean. One month in, you are doing great! Keep up the good work

I absolutely understand what you're both saying... so glad you began this thread to validate what others have been feeling but unable to express.

Cheers for continued success & enlightenment:drinker:

morf13 · May 2014

Thanks Everybody for the input, glad to hear others feel similar to how I feel. My approach is one day at a time.

2199216 · May 2014

I agree, I too fell like this is very similar to an addiction. The similarity lays in the struggles and in my ability to take it one day at a time. I don't always eat clean and I do have difficulty eating the right foods all the time. However I have been logging in consistently and it has been keeping me honest with my food intake. I also believe that support is the key to weight lost. A few of us get together at work and talk about our weight issues. We actually write down goals and update our status weekly. This is very helpful as it helps with accountability. I will Keep Coming Back just like they talk about in support groups.

tmt2003 · May 2014

Yes. I get it. My grandfather was an alcoholic who had been sober through AA for 39 YEARS. In AA they give them a medallion for each year of sobriety. When he passed away last year we found them all, he treasured them greatly:

Concrete proof of his daily struggles for 39 years. But it was these I found, he must have got them the first year, that really spoke to me:

Those really speak to me. I carry one with me as a reminder. Everyone has their struggles, just keep coming back! One day, 30 days at a time..,

squiggysmama · May 2014

what a treasure you have in your grandfather's medallions. And what a testament to his character

bear2303 · May 2014

Absolutely, what is hard about eating and being clean is that you also still have to eat to survive and changing those habits that are triggered by hunger is a HUGE hurdle.

I still have some cheats here and there and I hope that those little cheats will keep me from completely falling off the wagon but yes everyday for me is a challenge.

One thing I like to do is to view everything as a choice, it's not so much about depriving yourself as it is about making better choices, you really really want an ice cream bar? Fine, make that choice but embrace it and make sure to either fit it into your macros or do a little more exercise to accommodate that little cheat! We started about the same time, I have been "clean" for about 21 days and still every day is hard but results are happening and they will continue to happen if we keep this pace!! WE CAN DO IT

RevaT84 · May 2014

In short Yes. You may be battling addiction... to food. Seriously though, didn't anyone watch The Doctors yesterday. For some people eating the food you "love" causes a chemical reaction releasing dopamine into the brain causing pleasure. The same reaction basically that cocaine and heroine gives addicts. So is it really that different from a "real" addict? Google Food Addiction and the first thing you can click on is webmd and they have a whole article about it. That being said "food addiction" has GREATLY impacted my life. No, I don't consider myself a food addict, But that's probably only because i am comparing myself to my mother who was a true 500. lb(currently 390) food addict. My mother never really ate greasy fast food and pre-fab food constantly, (that i new of) her addiction was in the quantity she consumed, which was massive at times and the sugar. My mother is more than aware of her food addiction and will probably kill me if she sees this, but this is real, she has struggled her entire life. She once told me that as the leader of our girl scout unit, we got the cookies delivered to our house, and i mean hundreds of boxes. She would sit and eat box after box. I was probably 7 or 8 but i hid her cookies from her, and when she came looking i told her "please mommy don't eat anymore i don't want you to be sick. Even as a very young child I understood my mothers addiction, in my own 7 yr old way. I had no good role model (my father was an avid overeater also) to teach me good eating habits. So at 30 yrs old with my own children I am just now learning...its hard but at the same time, not. I have to break the cycle of food abuse so that my children will never ever have to hide food from me.

THISisTARRAN · May 2014

This is seriously amazing. I'm glad you posted this & these pictures because it definitely spoke to me. It is very true…eating addiction is very similar to any other addiction.

ColeAXE · May 2014

Definitely identify

yungibear · May 2014

I already ate pretty "clean" from a food standpoint. My portions, however, were through the roof. Rice is my main grain, and I ate A LOT of it. I did have a sugar vice. Today, I still have my sugar fix everyday, but I eat a lot less of it. I've been losing weight consistently and my hunger and portion sizes has been tamed quite a bit. That's the source of my weight loss.

elghee123 · May 2014

I just quoted this one and I thought why don't I make medalions and reward myself for every kilo that I lose. Why not?

morf13 · May 2014

Those medallions are pretty neat, glad your Grandfather earned them. They should have similar ones for people battling obesity.

As far as 'eating clean', I look at it like this, a person needs to eat to survive, for the nutritional intake. That being said, healthy foods & portions,fruits,veggies,lean meats,etc,etc will give you the nutrients you need,and actually WILL fill you up. I think many of us eat,not what we need to survive,but rather what we want because it tastes good, and satisfies you, myself included. As for myself, I would love a nice tasty greasy peperoni cheesesteak and fries, thats one of my favorites,tastes great,and I am always satisfied with it. But I am trying to learn to eat what I need to survive, and not what I want to eat based on satisfaction or tastes. Every morning I have yogurt, and breakfast is usually celery,carrots,peanut butter,and cottage cheese,with an afternoon snack of baked chips or an apple. The funny thing is, I usually have consumed about 900-1000 calories before dinner,and based on my weight loss goals, I probably could almost fit a greasy cheesesteak in for dinner and be okay, but I am learning that something like that is a special treat,a once in a while meal,NO LONGER my every day routine. I used to eat Mcdonalds probably 4-5 days a week. In the past 26 days, I have gone there once in the last monthIf I can stick to my new routines, and be disciplined, I have zero doubt I will get to my goal weight and be alot healthier.

EllenTebbits · May 2014

I completely agree with the similarities between overeating and addiction. I have to keep my focus on non-food related activities every single day. I love the tokens and am awed by the grandfather's sobriety. I want weight loss tokens.

Closing in on 30 days 'Clean'

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