Re: I'm New, and have a Peanut Butter addiction!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Glad to be reading a post from you. Sounds like you just need to legalize peanut

butter. And yes it can be a trying process, but what you do in the end is to

learn for yourself that peanut butter is simply a food and one that you can

choose to eat when you (your body) wants it. I found all sorts of help in this

process in the IE book as well as in Overcoming Overeating.

Hope you keep us in touch as you do this. Its great for you and others too. It

took me months to get chocolate into the 'food' category, but surprise surprise

(to me!) its pretty much there now.

Best to you, Katcha

IEing since March 2007

>

> Hello everyone,

>

> Well really, I should introduce myself. I have been lurking for a long time

now, gathering wonderful feedback and support from all of you. My name is

and I am within normal weight range I guess, but have struggled with body image

issues for the past 9 years or so. I have always been so hard on myself, and

treated myself in ways that I would never treat a friend or family member. I

have been on weight watchers for the past 3 years, and i did great at first, but

since having to start birth control to regulate a period that never came (i went

2 years without one), my body weight started to climb. for the first time i felt

out of control with my ability to manage my weight. i now realize how restricted

i have been with my eating, focusing on every ounce of food i put in my mouth,

having to log it in my food journal each time, and log all my exercise as well.

after three years, i just got tired of it all. i just want to LIVE LIFE, enjoy

food in moderation, and stop thinking so much about food altogether.

>

> well recently i started back at school for my summer semester, and i have been

slightly binging on peanut butter at the end of a very long day. i know i should

not be eating so late, but i just get home and want to relax and the smooth

peanut butter seems to soothe me after a rough day of a full time job and a full

time school commitment. how would you all handle this night-time eating issue? i

am learning to really pay attention to my body's signals, but it is hard when

you are so tired and just want to relax. peanut butter has always been a trigger

food for me, and i have a hard time with it when it is around. i threw the jar

out last night, and plan on not buying it for awhile until i can muster some

control over it. what are your thoughts? i appreciate you listening to me and

reading this email.

>

> laura

>

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

Welcome to group. To be honest I am addiction to peanut butter and though I

have find a way to work with my body for that one. I eat that about almost every

morning and for some reason my body is satisfy with it. I use that on my

waffles, toast, muffins, and even bagels as depend on what I am in mood for

breakfast. Just simply listen to your body and find out on when usual would

likely want peanut butter the most.

Eliza

>

> Hello everyone,

>

> Well really, I should introduce myself. I have been lurking for a long time

now, gathering wonderful feedback and support from all of you. My name is

and I am within normal weight range I guess, but have struggled with body image

issues for the past 9 years or so. I have always been so hard on myself, and

treated myself in ways that I would never treat a friend or family member. I

have been on weight watchers for the past 3 years, and i did great at first, but

since having to start birth control to regulate a period that never came (i went

2 years without one), my body weight started to climb. for the first time i felt

out of control with my ability to manage my weight. i now realize how restricted

i have been with my eating, focusing on every ounce of food i put in my mouth,

having to log it in my food journal each time, and log all my exercise as well.

after three years, i just got tired of it all. i just want to LIVE LIFE, enjoy

food in moderation, and stop thinking so much about food altogether.

>

> well recently i started back at school for my summer semester, and i have been

slightly binging on peanut butter at the end of a very long day. i know i should

not be eating so late, but i just get home and want to relax and the smooth

peanut butter seems to soothe me after a rough day of a full time job and a full

time school commitment. how would you all handle this night-time eating issue? i

am learning to really pay attention to my body's signals, but it is hard when

you are so tired and just want to relax. peanut butter has always been a trigger

food for me, and i have a hard time with it when it is around. i threw the jar

out last night, and plan on not buying it for awhile until i can muster some

control over it. what are your thoughts? i appreciate you listening to me and

reading this email.

>

> laura

>

[Guest guest]

Hi and welcome! I relate a lot to what you talk about in terms of being

punishingly hard on oneself in ways you would never be to others.

Personally, I think you need to go out and buy 6 big jars of peanut butter and

let yourself know that if you want to have some, it is your choice, your

prerogative, and there is nothing " wrong " with it. You call the shots here- not

WW, not anyone else, but you.

In the meantime, maybe be willing to explore what you need to soothe when you

come home from your long days and see what feelings come up.

I wish you the best,

>

> Hello everyone,

>

> Well really, I should introduce myself. I have been lurking for a long time

now, gathering wonderful feedback and support from all of you. My name is

and I am within normal weight range I guess, but have struggled with body image

issues for the past 9 years or so. I have always been so hard on myself, and

treated myself in ways that I would never treat a friend or family member. I

have been on weight watchers for the past 3 years, and i did great at first, but

since having to start birth control to regulate a period that never came (i went

2 years without one), my body weight started to climb. for the first time i felt

out of control with my ability to manage my weight. i now realize how restricted

i have been with my eating, focusing on every ounce of food i put in my mouth,

having to log it in my food journal each time, and log all my exercise as well.

after three years, i just got tired of it all. i just want to LIVE LIFE, enjoy

food in moderation, and stop thinking so much about food altogether.

>

> well recently i started back at school for my summer semester, and i have been

slightly binging on peanut butter at the end of a very long day. i know i should

not be eating so late, but i just get home and want to relax and the smooth

peanut butter seems to soothe me after a rough day of a full time job and a full

time school commitment. how would you all handle this night-time eating issue? i

am learning to really pay attention to my body's signals, but it is hard when

you are so tired and just want to relax. peanut butter has always been a trigger

food for me, and i have a hard time with it when it is around. i threw the jar

out last night, and plan on not buying it for awhile until i can muster some

control over it. what are your thoughts? i appreciate you listening to me and

reading this email.

>

> laura

>

[Guest guest]

Glad it was crying in a good way!

Isn't funny how we hand over our decisions for others/diets/doctors/whoever to

make? I just read a post by Katcha where she was talking about the concept of

being in charge rather than in control. Rather than trying to " control " the

peanut butter, etc... you are in charge of deciding what is best for you. Love

that concept.

Sending you hugs,

>

> >

>

> > Hello everyone,

>

> >

>

> > Well really, I should introduce myself. I have been lurking for a long time

now, gathering wonderful feedback and support from all of you. My name is

and I am within normal weight range I guess, but have struggled with body image

issues for the past 9 years or so. I have always been so hard on myself, and

treated myself in ways that I would never treat a friend or family member. I

have been on weight watchers for the past 3 years, and i did great at first, but

since having to start birth control to regulate a period that never came (i went

2 years without one), my body weight started to climb. for the first time i felt

out of control with my ability to manage my weight. i now realize how restricted

i have been with my eating, focusing on every ounce of food i put in my mouth,

having to log it in my food journal each time, and log all my exercise as well.

after three years, i just got tired of it all. i just want to LIVE LIFE, enjoy

food in

> moderation, and stop thinking so much about food altogether.

>

> >

>

> > well recently i started back at school for my summer semester, and i have

been slightly binging on peanut butter at the end of a very long day. i know i

should not be eating so late, but i just get home and want to relax and the

smooth peanut butter seems to soothe me after a rough day of a full time job and

a full time school commitment. how would you all handle this night-time eating

issue? i am learning to really pay attention to my body's signals, but it is

hard when you are so tired and just want to relax. peanut butter has always been

a trigger food for me, and i have a hard time with it when it is around. i threw

the jar out last night, and plan on not buying it for awhile until i can muster

some control over it. what are your thoughts? i appreciate you listening to me

and reading this email.

>

> >

>

> > laura

>

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I do the same thing with my dogs. I share my pb toast with them in the morning.

They'll sit by feet and drool because they know they're getting it. Too funny!

> >

> > >

> >

> > > Hello everyone,

> >

> > >

> >

> > > Well really, I should introduce myself. I have been lurking for a long

time now, gathering wonderful feedback and support from all of you. My name is

and I am within normal weight range I guess, but have struggled with body

image issues for the past 9 years or so. I have always been so hard on myself,

and treated myself in ways that I would never treat a friend or family member. I

have been on weight watchers for the past 3 years, and i did great at first, but

since having to start birth control to regulate a period that never came (i went

2 years without one), my body weight started to climb. for the first time i felt

out of control with my ability to manage my weight. i now realize how restricted

i have been with my eating, focusing on every ounce of food i put in my mouth,

having to log it in my food journal each time, and log all my exercise as well.

after three years, i just got tired of it all. i just want to LIVE LIFE, enjoy

food in

> > moderation, and stop thinking so much about food altogether.

> >

> > >

> >

> > > well recently i started back at school for my summer semester, and i have

been slightly binging on peanut butter at the end of a very long day. i know i

should not be eating so late, but i just get home and want to relax and the

smooth peanut butter seems to soothe me after a rough day of a full time job and

a full time school commitment. how would you all handle this night-time eating

issue? i am learning to really pay attention to my body's signals, but it is

hard when you are so tired and just want to relax. peanut butter has always been

a trigger food for me, and i have a hard time with it when it is around. i threw

the jar out last night, and plan on not buying it for awhile until i can muster

some control over it. what are your thoughts? i appreciate you listening to me

and reading this email.

> >

> > >

> >

> > > laura

> >

> > >

> >

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

You've received a lot of great thoughts from the members here. I'd like to

throw one more thing out there. Are you eating sufficient oil/fat from other

sources? If not, that may be why your wanting a lot of Peanut Butter. Your

body knows what you need and is going to do it's best to get it, one way or the

other. Perhaps you could make sure you are having some good oil from other

sources like Olive Oil, salmon or salmon oil capsules throughout the day and see

if the PB cravings reduce.

Arnie

-- In IntuitiveEating_Support , " " wrote:

>

> Hello everyone,

>

> Well really, I should introduce myself. I have been lurking for a long time

now, gathering wonderful feedback and support from all of you. My name is

and I am within normal weight range I guess, but have struggled with body image

issues for the past 9 years or so. I have always been so hard on myself, and

treated myself in ways that I would never treat a friend or family member. I

have been on weight watchers for the past 3 years, and i did great at first, but

since having to start birth control to regulate a period that never came (i went

2 years without one), my body weight started to climb. for the first time i felt

out of control with my ability to manage my weight. i now realize how restricted

i have been with my eating, focusing on every ounce of food i put in my mouth,

having to log it in my food journal each time, and log all my exercise as well.

after three years, i just got tired of it all. i just want to LIVE LIFE, enjoy

food in moderation, and stop thinking so much about food altogether.

>

> well recently i started back at school for my summer semester, and i have been

slightly binging on peanut butter at the end of a very long day. i know i should

not be eating so late, but i just get home and want to relax and the smooth

peanut butter seems to soothe me after a rough day of a full time job and a full

time school commitment. how would you all handle this night-time eating issue? i

am learning to really pay attention to my body's signals, but it is hard when

you are so tired and just want to relax. peanut butter has always been a trigger

food for me, and i have a hard time with it when it is around. i threw the jar

out last night, and plan on not buying it for awhile until i can muster some

control over it. what are your thoughts? i appreciate you listening to me and

reading this email.

>

> laura

>

[Guest guest]

Dear all:

I can so relate to the PB addiction. Let's say that my love affair with PB

lasted from October to Februrary this year.

I know what caused it: years of restriction.

Every jar and every bite was a 100 % mindful activity even if it was a binge. I

talked to myeself through every bite and every lick around a spoon.

It brought so many feelings: why do I like you that much? why am I so attracted

to you? why can't I help buying you? why can't I stop putting this spoon into a

jar? Will it be only one spoon? why can't I have enough of you? you may me sick

and why do I still want you?

There were nights I was ready to stop my relationship with PB as I could not

even breathe from having had too many spoons.

conclusion: I allowed all of that to happen.

Now, a month ago I realised that my love affair with PB ended.

I didn't set the break up up. It just happened.

The cravings ended, my need ended.

My addiction went away on its own.

I guess it showed me that restricting is not good and there should be no

forbidden foods.

> >

> > >

> >

> > > Hello everyone,

> >

> > >

> >

> > > Well really, I should introduce myself. I have been lurking for a long

time now, gathering wonderful feedback and support from all of you. My name is

and I am within normal weight range I guess, but have struggled with body

image issues for the past 9 years or so. I have always been so hard on myself,

and treated myself in ways that I would never treat a friend or family member. I

have been on weight watchers for the past 3 years, and i did great at first, but

since having to start birth control to regulate a period that never came (i went

2 years without one), my body weight started to climb. for the first time i felt

out of control with my ability to manage my weight. i now realize how restricted

i have been with my eating, focusing on every ounce of food i put in my mouth,

having to log it in my food journal each time, and log all my exercise as well.

after three years, i just got tired of it all. i just want to LIVE LIFE, enjoy

food in

> >  moderation, and stop thinking so much about food altogether.

> >

> > >

> >

> > > well recently i started back at school for my summer semester, and i have

been slightly binging on peanut butter at the end of a very long day. i know i

should not be eating so late, but i just get home and want to relax and the

smooth peanut butter seems to soothe me after a rough day of a full time job and

a full time school commitment. how would you all handle this night-time eating

issue? i am learning to really pay attention to my body's signals, but it is

hard when you are so tired and just want to relax. peanut butter has always been

a trigger food for me, and i have a hard time with it when it is around. i threw

the jar out last night, and plan on not buying it for awhile until i can muster

some control over it. what are your thoughts? i appreciate you listening to me

and reading this email.

> >

> > >

> >

> > > laura

> >

> > >

> >

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I'm new and just received this as my first post this morning and i couldn't help

but smile. I've been suffering from an eating disorder for the past 11 years of

my life and was just recently discharged from a residential treatment center.

One afternoon while I was there, the electricity went out and the nutritionist

" informed " us that we would all instead be having peanut butter and jelly

sandwiches instead of our self planned meals. Well, needless to say, you put a

room full of already anxious and overwhelmed eating disorder patients into

complete and total hysterics and panic attacks. People were not only crying and

having panic attacks but were also getting ready to jump out the window, run

away or get up and sock the poor, innocent nutritionist across the face. Once we

sat down to lunch - it could have been a scene film a comedy film with each

person acting out on their sandwich in their own unique and distorted way - from

flat refusing, to breaking it into little pieces and throwing it back on the

plate in disgust (that's what I did), to crying, to running away from the table.

After the few of us who were able to finished, I had a serious panic attack. I

was angry at the system and wanted to punch all of them (I am not AT ALL a

violent person). After that emotion subsided, I just started bawling. It was the

weirdest thing ever.

The point of this long and drawn-out story is that it stopped to make me really

think about what it was about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or just peanut

butter for that matter. I think it might have something to do with the nurturing

aspect of PB & J sandwiches - that when we were little kids and hungry or upset,

our parents would make us PB & J sandwiches. As we started to develop this

self-conscious attitude of our bodies and began to self-educate on fat and

calories - peanut butter was one of those obvious " bad " foods that we

identified. We thought, sub-consciously, that by completely avoiding it, we

would eliminate not only the bad food, but our bad feelings about ourselves. I

think this can be applied to a wide range of foods but peanut butter is the

perfect example because of its carefree, childhood history. But, what if no food

is bad at all and nor are we? What if no food can fix or change how we feel

about ourselves? That's the task we need to work - loving ourselves and thinking

positively no matter what. If we truly feel this way - then no food, no matter

what it is, can (or should!) affect our self-worth.

> > >

> > > >

> > >

> > > > Hello everyone,

> > >

> > > >

> > >

> > > > Well really, I should introduce myself. I have been lurking for a long

time now, gathering wonderful feedback and support from all of you. My name is

and I am within normal weight range I guess, but have struggled with body

image issues for the past 9 years or so. I have always been so hard on myself,

and treated myself in ways that I would never treat a friend or family member. I

have been on weight watchers for the past 3 years, and i did great at first, but

since having to start birth control to regulate a period that never came (i went

2 years without one), my body weight started to climb. for the first time i felt

out of control with my ability to manage my weight. i now realize how restricted

i have been with my eating, focusing on every ounce of food i put in my mouth,

having to log it in my food journal each time, and log all my exercise as well.

after three years, i just got tired of it all. i just want to LIVE LIFE, enjoy

food in

> > >  moderation, and stop thinking so much about food altogether.

> > >

> > > >

> > >

> > > > well recently i started back at school for my summer semester, and i

have been slightly binging on peanut butter at the end of a very long day. i

know i should not be eating so late, but i just get home and want to relax and

the smooth peanut butter seems to soothe me after a rough day of a full time job

and a full time school commitment. how would you all handle this night-time

eating issue? i am learning to really pay attention to my body's signals, but it

is hard when you are so tired and just want to relax. peanut butter has always

been a trigger food for me, and i have a hard time with it when it is around. i

threw the jar out last night, and plan on not buying it for awhile until i can

muster some control over it. what are your thoughts? i appreciate you listening

to me and reading this email.

> > >

> > > >

> > >

> > > > laura

> > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

I had hundreds of emails to go through from

this group since I receive the messages in a special folder in my email

program. I’ve been keeping an eye on the posts but wanted to specifically

comment on a few of them and see if I can be of any help, even though the topic

has gone away. The topic of addiction is one that I have very strong feelings

about. Keep in mind that you may not agree with me and that’s ok, but

maybe I can share a different perspective that could help break through what

feels like an addiction.

The media and the diet industry certainly

contribute to this idea that we can be addicted to food in general or a

particular food. And I understand it may really feel like an addiction and that

you have no control over eating it. Certainly some foods can have an effect on

our brain chemistry, and you may also find yourself eating or going for food

under stressful circumstances without even realizing that you are doing it. I

even felt in the past that I was addicted to sugar. I went on a sugar-free diet

and 2 months later tried to eat a little ice cream and of course started

binging. This just “proved” to me that I was addicted. That brings

me to my first point:

Our thoughts determine our results. You

may have heard of the Law of Attraction which is all the rage these days. I’m

not a big proponent of it, but I learned long before hearing about LOA that if

we want to change our outcomes, we must change our thoughts. It goes like this:

Thoughts lead to Feelings which lead to Behaviors which lead to Results. So,

the thought is “I’m addicted to sugar”. The feeling is

frustration and helplessness because I can’t control it. My behavior

would then be denying sugar followed by binging on it. This leads to the

result, which is I’m addicted to sugar and I can’t control it and

all I do is overeat on it. If you believe you’re addicted to sugar, your

actions and results will reflect it.

By changing the thought I changed my

results. The new thought was “I can have sugar when I want it and eat

enough that I enjoy it and feel good when I’m done”. The feeling

changes to confident and empowered. My behavior is eating ice cream, or

whatever, when I’m hungry so it tastes really good and stopping when my

body has had enough. The result is I enjoyed the ice cream and didn’t

feel sick, binge on it, or any other issues that I believed I had in the past

with sugar. Does that make sense?

Another issue I have with thinking you’re

addicted to food or a food is that you cannot treat overeating or binging with

the standard models that are used for other addictions. In the 12-step model,

you are told to abstain from what you are addicted to. You cannot abstain from

food, obviously. I know that OA says to abstain from your binge foods, but

often they are sugar and flour. Good luck! (I’m not bashing OA, if it

helps you, that is great, I just don’t agree with their philosophy) To overcome

overeating, you need to learn how to make all foods permissible and change your

relationship with those foods, not abstain.

One thing that is similar between

addiction and overeating is that it’s usually a symptom of a need not

being met. That’s why the concept of a higher power is important in 12

step programs. But you are also told to admit you are helpless over the thing

you are addicted to. I help my clients learn they are in charge of making

decisions about food, they aren’t helpless. IE is a process that creates

empowerment, not helplessness.

Anyway, these are just some thoughts I

wanted to share. I hope they are helpful!

I wrote an article for my newsletter in

March in response to Oprah’s revelation about her weight. In the article

in her magazine she briefly mentioned food addiction. If you want to read my

article, you can see it in my newsletter archives. Scroll down the page and

choose March 2009 and you’ll find it there. http://www.healthieroutcomes.com/newsletter.html

Thanks!

Gillian

Gillian

Hood-son, MS, ACSM

Get your report, " The 6 Steps to

Guilt-Fr*e Eating " by visiting http://www.HealthierOutcomes.com