Bumblebee2

Sunflowerlife

There are phone meetings
I use A Vision 4 You phone meetings and podcasts- that's how I found my sponsor. My in town meetings were not very inspiring.

Perhaps you are not a sugar addict then? Those of us who are need to cut out all forms of sugar in order to help with the physical cravings. So Pedialyte would be out, for example, in addition to all sweet foods (even fruit for some) and sweeteners.

You also don't have to have diabetes to be sick enough to stop eating foods that hurt you. I am a healthy weight with no known health issues. But this eating is killing my morale, my sanity.

If you are just looking to eat better, why not try paleo or Whole 30? Have you ever tried those?
Have a wonderful day

Sunflowerlife

A Vision 4 You!!
You will be so impressed- I found them last summer and chose them over my local OA meetings- they are full of recovered compulsive overeaters. So amazing- let me know when you find it! It's in iTunes. You can also access the meetings here:

https://www.avision4you.info/

Sunflowerlife

Zero, I hope you don't take offense to this, I say it out of pure compassion and care: I just read an older comment of yours where you talk about binging on sugar- that would be considered "overeating" really. Anytime we find that we cannot control the amount of food we eat, it is compulsive overeating. Some people in OA are morbidly obese and lose hundreds of pounds. Other of us are a normal weight but have no control over how much we eat, once we eat a food we are "allergic" too like sugar/flour even nuts.

Why don't you just check out a phone meeting? They even have archived ones so you don't have to be on a live call? I listen while driving, while getting ready for work. It really helps me feel less alone. Even if you don't join the program, you still might here something that inspires or helps you. Here's a link just in case:
https://www.avision4you.info/

Another support group is called Sugar Bomb in Your Brain- and it's on Facebook. It's led by the world's top sugar addictions specialist, Bitten Jonsson. She is full of valuable information. And lastly, I recommend the book "Food Junkies" which teaches about the addicted brain and sugar.

Take care,
Sunny

Sunflower79

Sunflowerlife

I'm so sorry you are still struggling Sunflower. I know that pain all too well.
Can't wait to see you in the group- I comment almost daily, either to ask questions or to help others.

Good luck with the next 8 days- reach out if you need help

Sunflowerlife

"Sometimes misery is the catalyst that gets us through the doors..."

Just heard that in the live OA meeting (Vision 4 U). It's on now if anyone is interested:

Phone: 712-432-5210 Conf. ID: 876148#

zerothehero

To answer the question, "Am I a sugar addict," I used this: http://www.anorton.com/userfiles/688...-5%20PDF-5.pdf

I gave a definite yes to criteria 1, 2, and 4. The others probably not. So, according to this measure my substance use would be considered "mild."

I can agree with that. Part of it is just being hard on myself. I feel like I should have a better handle on it. The truth is most people I know eat more sugar than I do, but I guess I hold myself to a higher standard. Just looking at my grocery cart compared to others in line tells a lot. My employer keeps a basket of snacks in the break room for us, and one step for me has been no more never none of that stuff. I limit fruit intake, like I've taken to eating half instead of a whole banana, and only two servings a day. The other is usually a small apple or some berries. It could be true that moderate fruit intake sets me up for eventual dives into baked goods and such, but I don't know.

So far so good the past few days. I think if I just stay away from packaged foods, baked goods, and simple carbs/refined foods I'm eating well.

Sunflowerlife

I'm really happy to hear this! If you wanted to do a more official screening, this one is the best known- Yale Food Addiction Scale:

Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) | Measurement Instrument Database for the Social Sciences

And it's great that you can see that you might be triggered by fruit- finding out our triggers can take a really long time- I am still working on that, day to day. But getting rid of packaged foods is a great start- most of us avoid sugar/flour and that pretty much what all junk food is made out of, right?

I would also take a look at your protein, like Suze had mentioned. I can't tell you how much your body needs, obviously, but for some people protein helps with satiety and can further prevent cravings, at least on a physical level. I need at least 30 grams per meal, personally to feel satiated ( and a lot of fat but I do keto.) Anything less and I am hungry all day and will end up binging. It took me years to figure that out but now that I know , it works like magic!

Thanks again for being in this group

PeacefulWater12

Good morning everyone, checking in for a peaceful week.

Just been placing my online grocery order. It looks so different now to the past. As well as far less of it! Lots of good quality meats, salads, green veg, cheeses for me. Then carbie foods and booze for hubby.

I used to live off carbie foods which lead to food binge after food binge. Carbs are booze to me. Just like my body cannot stop after one drink, it cannot stop after one bite of carbage. I now know. I didn't back then, I thought I was eating right. Following "healthy eating" guidelines. Starting my day off with wholemeal toast with low fat spread which I now know started the whole cycle off.

Now my breakfast is eggs fried in butter, with cheese melted over the top. Which fuel my body and completely stabilise it. Emotionally and physically.

Got yoga class first thing then home as medical visit for hubby. His mobility is declining again. So am getting help in place for him (and therefore me).

Been enjoying the Vision for You podcasts, along with Light a Candle podcasts, bit of Joe & Charlie. Had a deep declutter of our home over the weekend.
Fabulous. Some will be sold, some needs to be dumped, some will be donated.

I am feeling very connected to life.

Picked out some lovely little summer tops and ordered them. Looking forward to the warmer weather coming.

Robert88

How does one give up sugar when they just gave up opiates?

Sunflower79

PeacefulWater12

I tackled my addictions one at a time. I couldn't have addressed them all at once, it would have been far too much to cope with.

venuscat

I really wish your husband respected how important this journey is to you love. ❤️

WaterOx

Hey friends. Me again.

I posted a caffeine thread and it wasn’t as well received as I thought. Not bad.....but people aren’t so receptive to giving up coffee. LOL can’t say I blame them. I’m half wondering if I want to put myself through that in the midst of acute sobriety.

I’m not even sure what I’m doing. I mean I don’t want to become some health nut and overdo it on the other end. It’s just that there are internal forces at work that I’m trying to become aware of before they get out of hand. For example, my last recovery had me eating a pint of Ben and Jerry’s every night for months.

I guess I would like to just find out what “normal” is....if that isn’t so much to ask LOL! 😂

I feel like coffee and sugar go hand in hand for me, btw, since it is one of the only vices I have left. I don’t eat snacks, desert or soda. Just my big fat coffee with all the sugar I want 😄

If I get rid of this, I’ll have to start nit picking at things like getting rid of pasta or cutting out the Gorgonzola I put on my salad. 😱

Anyhow I hope you’re all well. Thanks for reading.

PeacefulWater12

OMG! Are you me?

B&J is my heroin food. At the rock bottom of my addictive eating, B&J/Hagen Daz were the only "drugs" that produced any reaction in my body. Everything else was too weak. My tolerance had become so high.

Anyways back to the point, I often toy with quitting caffeine. I don't know why I go through this. I stress myself out thinking I should quit it but never do. I usually last about 3 hours!! Although on Keto now, I drink far less coffee preferring to drink plain room temperature water. I drink coffee black with no sugar.

Wishing you well however you decide to take it forward.

PeacefulWater12

Had darn good day. Totally yummy food. Bang on plan too.

Eggs for b/f
Chicken, courgettes, cheese fried in butter for lunch. double yum
Ham, spinach & melted cheese for dinner.
Snack mid pm of couple slices ham stuffed with cream cheese rolled up.

total cals 1600 all of which were delicious.

steady energy all day. calmness.

HankHaloperidol

Hi!

I've had a long time love/hate relationship with caffiene. I've quit a number of times and would again, but it's not a priority right now. I would usually drink two or three 12 cup pots of coffee per day, and this had been ongoing for years and years.

I wanted to quit because I never thought I'd be able to moderate it.

I ended up throwing out the 12 cup coffee maker and getting a 4 cup one, which slowed it down. I got a real expensive thermal coffee cup (okay I stole it from my wife). It will keep the coffee warm for several hours. these two things helped me moderate my caffeine consumption quite a bit.

Now I just gotta quit the energy drinks.

venuscat

Yes.....please dump the energy drinks....and hello



Having a pretty tough few days....it is not about sugar or any of this.....I got hurt very badly by my sister two weeks ago and it has damaged me profoundly: I am on shaky ground right now.

Sunflowerlife

I’m sorry you are hurting my dear friend. I wish I could say something to take the pain away. I am here if you need me.