From one addict to another!

If you were a heroin addict you would be in rehab right now drying out in peace and quiet with all of the help and medical intervention and all of the love and support in the world. I am a recovering food addict and expect to be treated as such. Sometimes feeding the kids gets too much for me and I ask someone else to take over or make the kids wait. I turn off the food ads and cooking shows on the TV. I spend minimal time in woolworths. I prepare one meal and one meal only no variations, clean up straight away and get out of that kitchen quick smart. At the moment no one is allowed to eat any overly smelly foods around me or crunch away on carbs. My moods must be tolerated. I am preparing foods that require as little preparation as possible eg: left overs, oven baked pre packaged foods, bbq chooks and someone else has to clean up the leftovers. No cafes, restaurants, take aways no sitting watching other people eat while I remain resiliant. I am finally treating myself like my own best friend with their best interests in mind. I'm speaking up and asking for help and I better get it or I will crack it!!!

Having said that - Day 3 on Optifast and feeling great today! Dont have that weird, empty hungry feeling I'm really getting used to this. I would LOVE something different but I'm starting to get inventive with the vegies so that helps. I just HAD to weigh myself today and you know what - I have lost 3.2kgs in 2 days!!!! and thats no smoke and mirrors completely naked first thing in morning no periods etc or other weight reducing techniques no diaretics (sic) and I havent been exercising as I really did not feel I had the kilojoule capacity to uphold any extra physical activity. Just the Optifast and I have been sticking to it like glue although I think I may have exceeded the vegie intake but far out they have NO fat so really, its kinda like eating air. I miss fruit and I miss salt but I'm getting over that.

Here's some tips that have helped me through this phase

1. Start as early as you can weaning yourself off alcohol, carbs, artificial sweetners, fizzy drinks, salt and food quantity.

2. Dont let yourself get overly hungry. Stay close to home so you can eat the right things at the right time or be prepared if you're going out. Treat  yourself like a newborn baby. You wouldnt make a baby wait so why should you? If you're hungry at 11am eat! I have found breaking down my meals into 2-3hour snacks helps heaps. I have a bar for breakfast with my tea or coffee (and really, if you have about 3 tablespoons of milk in your drink it wont kill if it means you're going to stick to this gig) The bar usually hangs around mostly uneaten all morning and I have little bites over a 1 -2 hour period. Around 11 I have a soup mix or some of my vegies either a salad or hot vegies. Around 1 or 2 pm I have more vegies around 5.30 I have more vegies (usually a soup I have made) and for dessert at around 7pm I have the shake. I am actually eating all day but just little bits (Like about a half or a cup at a time). Sometimes I keep a mouthful left over and shove that in if the hunger starts up, it just needs a tiny bit of something to stop. You dont have to be full to not experience hunger. I ESPECIALLY have something to nibble on while I'm cooking for everyone else.

2.5. Dont go near carbs! Dont lick your fingers, dont smell them, dont even have one little taste or even glimpse for that matter, not a crumb, not a crust it will, and I swear this is guaranteed, trip your switch in your brain and you will lose all control. You will no longer be in control it will be someone else and when you finally come back I guarantee you will be sooooooooooo disappointed. You would NEVER suggest that a heroin addict have one little half a shot or just lick the syringe so why would you do it with food?

3. Freeze the optifast milkshake or half freeze and lick and suck and crunch away YUM! Just like a chocolate Paddle Pop.

4. Dont underestimate the power of a sugar free chewy lolly to get you through! Having said that - 

5. Do try and steer away from artifical sweetners and diet drinks, save them for a treat have a mouthful and really enjoy the flavour and sensation dont think of them as a big skolling drink. I find they make you hungry.  They are carbohydrate modified foods and that means - the carbohydrates will modify your brain.

6. Be concious of the things that bring you joy and happiness that are not food related and realise that you will find comfort in places other than with food.

7. Keep busy

8. Blog

9. Chat to others on forums etc

Enjoy the journey - if possible!

Its only day 3 and this may be premature but maybe this will help me get through the bad days if I re read it - I hope it helps someone  out there!