my ****st battle

[scoobies]

hello everyone, I have not written for a while as I have been going really well and not needing the support I recieve here. But I am afraid my worst enemy has struck again. I don't know about you but I have a real problem with artificial sugar. Cakes, chocolate etc etc you all know then drill, I seem to be out of control when I eat it and I was wondering if anyone else seems to have trouble with this area? I do really well when I avoid this food group (if you can call it that) and I seriously think it is not an emotional thing, I am a bit worried it is actually physical. I feel angry at myself when I allow myself to binge on sugary foods and then I feel an over whelming sense of failure. I despise this feeling, but I realise I am heading there whilst I am on my next binge but I do nothing still. Does anyone have any advice for eliminating sugar and staying off it for good?? Any help woulf be greatly appreciated

thanks and stay strong girls, you deserve a long and healthy life

love to you all

scoobies

[Millificent]

Rather than cutting out sugars, I favor the approach advocated by Geneen Roth.

My experience has been that if I try to keep myself from eating foods with sugar, I can only do it for a short time. When I decide to treat myself to a cookie or two, it ends up turning into a binge. I know that other :fishy have had this experience as well.

On the other hand, if I don't label sugary foods as "bad" but instead allow myself to eat them in moderation, I have very few problems with binging. I don't feel deprived, therefore I don't have the need to overeat. I don't look at a piece of cake as the enemy, just another food that I can make a normal decision about.

:dragon Millie

[akiba]

i just wanted to offer that i recently read an article in newsweek suggesting that americans have developed a physical addiction to sugars. i'll go back and read it again in detail and if it offers any advice or more specific information i'll send it on to you.

much love and support.


akiba

[scoobies]

Thanks you guys for your imput...I have tried moderation , but I have found that a little automatically leads to a binge. I cannot eat sugary things, they seem to inhibit my intergestion or something, I have noticed that when I avoid them I feel so much healthier but at the same time it is so hard to avoid them completely as I am currently studying in senior high school and the vast majority of foods at our canteen are sugary...

Anyways thanks for your help guys

love

scoobies

[JolieAnn]

Dear Scoobies, I promise you that you are not alone with this problem. I have read a lot about this because I have the exact same problem when it comes to sugar. I don't want to get into too much of it on here, but please feel free to email me and I'll let you know what I have learned when it comes to sugar and bingeing, because it can in fact be physical.

I know exactly what you are talking about.
I also want to add that eating in moderation sounds great but it is definitely not easy. That takes a lot of work and it is what we strive for in recovery. In the meantime, there may be other solutions that can help. There are a lot of articles on the subject. Like I said, please email me and I'll tell you some of the stuff that I have read about and where you can find it.

:love Holly

[rpinsc]

Scoobies,

I am certainly not an expert, but this is my opinion.

I think that is part of our compulsive behaviour. For some people it is sweets, for others it is salty foods and others maybe something else.

I think just avoiding the sweets will not help. Until you address and treat your compulsive behaviour, you will never be able to stop.

Have you tried Overeaters Anonymous? That organization has helped me.

I wish you the best. Take care.

Ron

[Little Miss Perfect]

I read in some mag that there is a difference between those of us who binge on sweets like chocolate bars and those of us who crave sweets like cake or bread-y things (like me).

Physiologically, the suggestion was that eating bready-y, high carb-y kinds of sugar sweets actually produces something of a seratonin rush - a brain chemical reaction, that literally creates feelings of comfort and well-being (albeit temporary).

Or course, I can't vouch for the scientific soundness of this assessment, but it would seem to affirm the notion that so many of us eat for "comfort", to ground it scientifically.

So what? I dunno? Maybe this is why anti-depressant medication may be helpful in treating eating disorders as it also helps regulate brain chemicals, including seratonin uptake.

As for practical solutions to your bingeing problem - I'm uncertain. I too have no ability eat in moderation. I don't want a slice of cake. I want a whole cake. A slice of cake is unsatisfying to me. This is the kind of inclination that we have to change, the need for that gluttonous fullness? What's that all about anyhow? Why is being so sick so satisfying?