Worried about end of Lent

[Guest guest]

Hi, everybody,

I gave up sugar and wheat for Lent.  I have been a binger for most of my life,

and found www.sugarsandflours.com, which got me thinking about food addiction

causing the binging.  I never thought I could give up sugar, much less sugar and

wheat.  I started OA about the same time.  And then I found IOWL - what a

blessing!  Anyway, this has not been bad at all.  I don't feel the urge to

binge, which is amazing.  About 2 weeks ago, I found that I had lost 8 lb, and

my largest clothes are beginning to fit a little loosely.  YAYYY!

Now Lent has to go and end on Sunday.  I know that doesn't mean I have to eat

sugar or wheat, and I'm not planning to, but is this a reasonable way to eat for

the rest of my life, or is it a little kooky?  It really is working for me.  

I am the dieter who is good as gold and loses huge amounts of weight, and then

gains it all back and more.  This time I'd like to lose 100 lb.  As smoothly as

this is going, I can visualize doing that, not in any big hurry.  But then, will

I have to face sugars and flours, and binging, and gaining?  In other words, am

I avoiding the really hard work of controlling my binging?  Or would I be

sabotaging my current weight loss by having that first bite of dessert or bread?

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

Maura

[Guest guest]

Hi Maura,

I have 'given up' sugar several times for Lent... always putting those Girl

Scout Thin Mints in the freezer until Easter! (why do they always come out

right at the wrong time??? Then I would think I have conquered my sugar

cravings and will be able to eat just one or two cookies a day HAHAHA then

I would eat them all! I have now come to the conclusion that denial is not

the answer... Now when I want a cookie or something else sweet I will say

to myself " sure you can have a cookie or whatever you want, just don't

deny its impact " Usually when I give myself that extra few seconds to think

about what I'm doing, it's enough to point me in a better direction.

Over the years I have given myself permission to eat things I know are bad

for me because " one won't matter (not that I ever stopped at one!) or it's

just a cookie or it doesn't matter (the 'it' being me I have

discovered)... "

Something that has helped me greatly is 's Conflict Resolution

download. After doing it just once, I experienced food does not equal

comfort... good health equals comfort. It's hard to describe, but it has

made a big and lasting impact in my life. Highly recommend it!

As far as kooky eating, well I have been a vegetarian for 25 years ( yes,

even vege's can be overweight and unhealthy... think the three C's...

chips, cokes and cookies! ) and now I am heading toward being Vegan. But

the main thing I have found out about this is that these are just external

labels people use... what's important is what is in your heart. If you like

the way you feel and are embracing the philosophy of 'Continuous

Improvement' then who cares what others think. Many people all over the

world are concerned about sugar... not only from a health standpoint but

also the devestation it causes to the environment and the human cost. Lots

of people have wheat allergies.

I think you are going to lose 100 lbs and this time it is going to be not a

loop that is lost and then gained again, but a line that is going to take

you to a new place of slender mind, slender body! Keep listening, keep

improving, love yourself through the binges and treat your body like the

Temple it is!!! Happy Easter to you and yours!

oxoxo

Patti

>

>

> Hi, everybody,

> I gave up sugar and wheat for Lent. I have been a binger for most of my

> life, and found www.sugarsandflours.com, which got me thinking about food

> addiction causing the binging. I never thought I could give up sugar, much

> less sugar and wheat. I started OA about the same time. And then I found

> IOWL - what a blessing! Anyway, this has not been bad at all. I don't feel

> the urge to binge, which is amazing. About 2 weeks ago, I found that I had

> lost 8 lb, and my largest clothes are beginning to fit a little loosely.

> YAYYY!

> Now Lent has to go and end on Sunday. I know that doesn't mean I have to

> eat sugar or wheat, and I'm not planning to, but is this a reasonable way to

> eat for the rest of my life, or is it a little kooky? It really is working

> for me.

> I am the dieter who is good as gold and loses huge amounts of weight, and

> then gains it all back and more. This time I'd like to lose 100 lb. As

> smoothly as this is going, I can visualize doing that, not in any big hurry.

> But then, will I have to face sugars and flours, and binging, and gaining?

> In other words, am I avoiding the really hard work of controlling my

> binging? Or would I be sabotaging my current weight loss by having that

> first bite of dessert or bread?

> I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

>

> Maura

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, Maura, Is it crazy to give up wheat and sugar for the rest of your

life? I would say no, but it's not for every one. If I told myself that

I could never have a piece of bread again, that's exactly what I'd want

to eat, even though I only eat bread a few times/week. Only you can

answer that question. Some people find that it's easy to do, and if you

feel better and it stops you from binging, then why not, as long as

you're getting the nutrition that you need in other foods.

However, I think that food addiction and/or binging is more complicated

than focusing on certain foods as the cause. And sometimes when people

focus exclusively on excluding certain items from their diet, they may

fail to focus on what a healthy diet is. I mean, potato chips don't

have wheat and sugar in them (usually!) and I'm sure that there is a

market for wheat-free/sugar-free junk food.

Actually, from my experience, reading ingredients all the time does make

grocery shopping more complicated. I've been doing that for the past 18

years because my husband has a special diet. It IS a hassle.

But good luck and I hope that I haven't discouraged you too much! ;-)

Bev

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Patti!  I am definitely conflicted, so sounds like 's conflict

resolution might be just the thing.  It would be the easiest thing, at least

mentally, to continue sugar-free wheat-free.  But most naturally slender people

probably have one bite and let it go.  That is so not me - YET!  One bite and I

go into a frenzy.  I know where I want to be.  Thanks so much for your thoughts!

Maura

>

>

> Hi, everybody,

> I gave up sugar and wheat for Lent. I have been a binger for most of my

> life, and found www.sugarsandflours .com, which got me thinking about food

> addiction causing the binging. I never thought I could give up sugar, much

> less sugar and wheat. I started OA about the same time. And then I found

> IOWL - what a blessing! Anyway, this has not been bad at all. I don't feel

> the urge to binge, which is amazing. About 2 weeks ago, I found that I had

> lost 8 lb, and my largest clothes are beginning to fit a little loosely.

> YAYYY!

> Now Lent has to go and end on Sunday. I know that doesn't mean I have to

> eat sugar or wheat, and I'm not planning to, but is this a reasonable way to

> eat for the rest of my life, or is it a little kooky? It really is working

> for me.

> I am the dieter who is good as gold and loses huge amounts of weight, and

> then gains it all back and more. This time I'd like to lose 100 lb. As

> smoothly as this is going, I can visualize doing that, not in any big hurry.

> But then, will I have to face sugars and flours, and binging, and gaining?

> In other words, am I avoiding the really hard work of controlling my

> binging? Or would I be sabotaging my current weight loss by having that

> first bite of dessert or bread?

> I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

>

> Maura

>

>

[Guest guest]

Maura, I heard somewhere that the reason people lose weight on diets that

exclude certain food groups, like the Atkins diet, or high protein diets, is

because you've restricted your available choices. Know that if you continue to

avoid sugar and wheat, you will likely continue to lose weight. I would suggest

you think about what your goal is during your journey and at the end of it.

Does avoiding these food groups fit in with your short and long term objectives?

If so, by all means stick with it, but if it doesn't, then work them back in

moderately.

Best wishes,

Jenn

>

> Hi, everybody,

> I gave up sugar and wheat for Lent.  I have been a binger for most of my life,

and found www.sugarsandflours.com, which got me thinking about food addiction

causing the binging.  I never thought I could give up sugar, much less sugar and

wheat.  I started OA about the same time.  And then I found IOWL - what a

blessing!  Anyway, this has not been bad at all.  I don't feel the urge to

binge, which is amazing.  About 2 weeks ago, I found that I had lost 8 lb, and

my largest clothes are beginning to fit a little loosely.  YAYYY!

> Now Lent has to go and end on Sunday.  I know that doesn't mean I have to eat

sugar or wheat, and I'm not planning to, but is this a reasonable way to eat for

the rest of my life, or is it a little kooky?  It really is working for me.  

> I am the dieter who is good as gold and loses huge amounts of weight, and then

gains it all back and more.  This time I'd like to lose 100 lb.  As smoothly as

this is going, I can visualize doing that, not in any big hurry.  But then, will

I have to face sugars and flours, and binging, and gaining?  In other words, am

I avoiding the really hard work of controlling my binging?  Or would I be

sabotaging my current weight loss by having that first bite of dessert or bread?

> I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

>

> Maura

>

>

>

>

>