Main Entry: en·abler

Pronunciation: \i-ˈnā-blər, -bəl-ər\

Function: noun Date: 1615:

one that enables another to achieve an end ; especially : one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by making it possible to avoid the consequences of such behavior

food ADDICTION

Food addiction manifests itself in the uncontrollable craving for excess food that follows the ingestion of refined carbohydrates, primarily sugar and flour substances that are quickly metabolized and turned into sugar in the bloodstream.

Due to those uncontrollable cravings, a food addict's quality of life deteriorates when he or she eats sugar, flour or wheat. It can deteriorate physically, emotionally, socially and/or spiritually.

If any of the following symptoms are familiar to you, you may be a food addict:

Physical Symptoms of Food Addiction

• Do you think you cannot control your intake of food, especially junk food or high sugar foods?

• Have you tried different diets or weight loss programs, but none has worked permanently?

• Have you found yourself vomiting, using laxatives, diuretics, or exercising a lot to avoid a weight gain after you have eaten a lot?

Many food addicts are obese and have tried numerous methods for weight control (diets, drugs, surgery, etc.) yet nothing has created a permanent solution. Other food addicts have never been obese. Their physical weight has been controlled by extreme measures such as excessive exercise, purging through vomiting or laxatives (bulimia), or the severe and unhealthy limiting of food substances(anorexia). No matter which version of food addiction fits you, all of these symptoms become more severe with time and eventually lead to physical problems that can create an early and sometimes painful death.

Emotional Symptoms of Food Addiction

• Do you find yourself feeling depressed, hopeless, sad or ashamed about your eating or your weight?

• Do you find yourself eating when you are upset or reward yourself with food when you do something good?

• Have you ever noticed after eating sugar, flour, or wheat that you become more irritable?

Food addicts notice that their emotions become more severe, intense, or unreasonable when eating the addictive substances. For many food addicts, emotional life may deteriorate into despair, depression, or thoughts of suicide.

Social Symptoms of Food Addiction

• Do you eat in private so no one will see you?

• Do you avoid social interactions because you feel you do not look good enough or do not have the proper fitting clothes to wear?

• Do you steal other people’s food?

• Are you more interested in what food is served at social gatherings than looking forward to the warmth of being with the people attending?

A food addict’s social life is affected by intense obsessive thinking about food. Making eye contact with people and taking an interest in developing friendships or intimate relationships become secondary to locating and eating addictive foods. Food addicts often hide or steal foods and eat in secret.

OMG...if I weren't so tired I would be rolling on the floor laughing. A chuckle will have to do. I am in dire need of enabling of my clothes shopping. I have done pretty well at my discount stores but I want a couple of really amazing date night outfits and need shopping advice. All of my girlfriends are fleece wearing fuddy duddies so I dont trust em on this topic. My friend I saw last night cracked me up. I showed him my arms and how well they are healing and he said "can't wait till summer and you break out those hot dresses of yours". I was like..hmmm...maybe I do need fuddy duddy fleece wearing friends to help me shop. Argghh

If I don't go back to work soon I'm going to need to enlarge my closet. I've bought more clothes in the last 3 weeks than the previous 5 years.

I need a cheaper crossover addiction. Like gambling and hookers.

Well, there are plenty of hookers hanging around here. Filthy pirate ones.

Well, there are plenty of hookers hanging around here. Filthy pirate ones.

My favorite kind.....AAARRRRR!!!

I meant smelly. So embarrassed that I have apparently lost my ability to quote Anchorman.

When forums are combined:

Gone shopping...

Oh butter and fluff sorry to interrupt..

As you were.

You weren't interrupting. I was.

Change of topic because I need to share happy and since no one can see the compliments thread (or most any other threads if it comes to it), I am posting it here because I love you guys.

My client told me I look like a coke bottle

This is such a cultural reference that I wasn't sure I got it. I had to come back and ask my team if that was a good thing or not. Twenty-seven years in this country and there are still certain things...

but anyway...apparently it's a good thing, and apparently I look like one. yay me!

This has changed to a big for profit site... There is nothing wrong with making a profit but... As a friend just pointed out; " I read a post by Susan the other day talking about how this thing benefits new people researching which surgery to have. Well isn't this a supposed to be a support forum? If so people doing research should not be the priority. Truth is this was a monetary benefit for them plain and simple." And.... "But we can go away. New people will come along who don't know what vst was and they will survive. So they aren't gonna care about us. We have to decide to make the best of it or go." Personally I'm leaning towards going.. It saddens me deeply.

I feel ya!! I do NOT like it

Change of topic because I need to share happy and since no one can see the compliments thread (or most any other threads if it comes to it), I am posting it here because I love you guys. My client told me I look like a coke bottle This is such a cultural reference that I wasn't sure I got it. I had to come back and ask my team if that was a good thing or not. Twenty-seven years in this country and there are still certain things... but anyway...apparently it's a good thing, and apparently I look like one. yay me!

Awesome! You definitely were rocking the figure in your last pic!! To me, you looked perfect as is!!!

I wrote Alex a long and whiny letter about it today. I just couldn't be upbeat about it anymore.

My 5:2 girls are all jumping ship..

I'm not jumping ship! WTH am I, chopped liver? To you, I mean. Cause you hate liver. You just don't know good things and Jewish comfort food when you see them.

In any case, I'm not leaving. I, personally, have had a TON of issues from the app but have no problems finding things or posting if I'm on my computer or laptop. Are there things I don't like? Sure. But there are growing pains every time Facebook changes their crap on me, too. I just want them to fix what's wrong with the PMs!

I figure most people will get used to it in time.

And really, not to sound mean or argumentative, but what's the lifetime of most posters here, anyway? Really, folks like Oregondaisy, NtvTxn and CowgirlJane are the exception. Most folks fizzle out around 12-18 months and vanish forever. And that's not counting the massive numbers that leave well before a year is up, pop in for a one year update and boogie onward never to be heard from again. There's nothing for Alex to lose...most of these people would have left VST in a short time anyway.

Even super posters - remember OTR? Where is that dude? Diva, Tiffy - all the old timers are G-O-N-E. And many of the other old timers don't bother posting on the heavy traffic forums, anyway. They stick to their groups or their favorite areas and that's all they do.

So, meh. I don't necessarily like the changes but I'll deal.

And you better message me if you leave, Laura! I really think it's too much effort to cyberstalk you to keep in touch, but I'll do it if need be!

~Cheri

Cheri....I'm already cyber stalking Laura. If she tries to leave us I'll post all her personal information on the lapband forum and on www.californiacougars.com

She's not getting away.

I just flipped 2 years on the forum. Is it time for me to fade out? I mean I may not be an elite level sleever yet but I feel it's my duty to stick around and keep a lid on the nazi rhetoric at least.

I don't care for it. But then, I don't care for much because I'm a grumpy-bum.

I accidentally walked into a band thread yesterday, because I clicked on 'recent posts'. All I could think when I read it through was 'what in the holy-blue-feck, is this?!'

All I can say is us Sleevers are a cordial lot... Disagreements or not....

Glad I didn't get banded!

I don't care for it. But then, I don't care for much because I'm a grumpy-bum. I accidentally walked into a band thread yesterday, because I clicked on 'recent posts'. All I could think when I read it through was 'what in the holy-blue-feck, is this?!' All I can say is us Sleevers are a cordial lot... Disagreements or not.... Glad I didn't get banded!

I've seen all sorts of crazy people on VST. We've got every personality malfunction you can think of.

I've seen one crazy lapbander that really tops us all, but other than that they don't seem anymore messed up than we do.

That being said, it's not that hard to stay away from the other forums.