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Enabling

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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.

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  • Butterthebean
    Butterthebean

    What a great thread Laura. Yes, this place is a hot bed of enabling. All the "I ate a snickers bar one week post op and I don't feel bad about it....." Yeah, those people see that as a victory ov

  • AmandaRaeLeo
    AmandaRaeLeo

    May I be so bold to suggest that those who justify and seek permission/absolution with regards to their drug of choice are the same ones who thought WLS was a cure? That the sleeve would do the fighti

  • Ms.AntiBand
    Ms.AntiBand

    You're right. Depending on what support you're looking for this site can be either good or bad for us. For me, I need the slap in the face, tear me apart reality that slipping up is not an option.

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Husband's tests are in. He's pre-diabetic. You have to have a count of 126 to be diagnosed as diabetic, and his count is (yep, you guessed it) 125.

We will appeal anyway, but needless to say it's frustrating.

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Husband's tests are in. He's pre-diabetic. You have to have a count of 126 to be diagnosed as diabetic, and his count is (yep, you guessed it) 125. We will appeal anyway, but needless to say it's frustrating.

Damn. Poor guy. I hope he has some success with the appeal. Next time he needs to eat a snickers bar before they draw blood.

Maybe just sniff it even???? I'd ask for a glucose tolerance test, might be able to spike him over the threshold.....

Maybe just sniff it even???? I'd ask for a glucose tolerance test, might be able to spike him over the threshold.....

You know my favorite Thanksgiving stories are from some of my work colleagues from India that have been here a few years. The year of the "tackling of the turkey" the stories are hilarous. appartently those large birds are scary to cook if you didn't grow up with the custom. If I ever have a situation where I don't have a family Thanksgiving I will definately host a group of non American friends just for the entertainment value - as I try to convince them that pumpkin pie REALLY IS awesome...LOL

So, on the emotional journey about food addictions - I think you go through multiple iterations of this experience. I think this is one reason people regain. You think you have beat the demons, and then a new angle comes up. I continue to do well staying on plan, but lately I have noticed a certain feeling of "it's not fair that I can't eat whatever I want" which was not how I felt a year ago. I assume a year from now, I will have a different feeling about food and eating.

For me, so far, daily accountability (the scale and non stretchy clothes), ongoing support, and determination to live the life I WANT (as opposed to eating the food I think I want) is working.

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Just gotta throw a funny Thanksgiving story in here. Two years ago we had some friends from the Philippines join us for their first Thanksgiving experience. When I cook Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, I do not hold back on the calories or fat.

They were absolutely amazed at how much they enjoyed everything and so when they inquired about how everything was made, our conversation went like this:

Them: The Turkey was so pretty, how did you do that?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

Them: How do you make the stuffing?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

Them: I loved those mashed potatoes, what do you add to them?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

Them: That gravy was excellent, how do you make it?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

Them: Is that toffee homemade? How do you make it?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

You get the picture ...

Yeah, I am an enabler.

Barks?

Yep, he's eaten things that bark (deer, etc)- other than dogs. He draws the line at dogs, because they're mans best friend. Well, his best friends. He wouldn't eat cat I don't think either - because he can take or leave cats. Protected species are off the list, too.

He went without kisses for 24 hours, after he decided to chow down on sauteed scorpions... and crickets.. and grubs..

<gag>

Man of the land. Or should I say; Man of the swamp.....

Just gotta throw a funny Thanksgiving story in here. Two years ago we had some friends from the Philippines join us for their first Thanksgiving experience. When I cook Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, I do not hold back on the calories or fat.

They were absolutely amazed at how much they enjoyed everything and so when they inquired about how everything was made, our conversation went like this:

Them: The Turkey was so pretty, how did you do that?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

Them: How do you make the stuffing?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

Them: I loved those mashed potatoes, what do you add to them?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

Them: That gravy was excellent, how do you make it?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

Them: Is that toffee homemade? How do you make it?

Me: Well, you start with some butter ...

You get the picture ...

Yeah, I am an enabler.

I host 15 people each year for thanksgiving and I make EVERYTHING homemade...I bought 6lbs. of butter :/ I don't care about the 3 major holiday meals our family has each year either. Yeah, I think everything but the green bean casserole has butter in it lol (and that could to..my sister gets that ready while Im fussing with last minute details lol)

Yep, he's eaten things that bark (deer, etc)- other than dogs. He draws the line at dogs, because they're mans best friend. Well, his best friends. He wouldn't eat cat I don't think either - because he can take or leave cats. Protected species are off the list, too.

He went without kisses for 24 hours, after he decided to chow down on sauteed scorpions... and crickets.. and grubs..

<gag>

Man of the land. Or should I say; Man of the swamp.....

Deer Bark?! I thought they were silent creatures that just jumped through my yard all the time lol

I host 15 people each year for thanksgiving and I make EVERYTHING homemade...I bought 6lbs. of butter :/ I don't care about the 3 major holiday meals our family has each year either. Yeah, I think everything but the green bean casserole has butter in it lol (and that could to..my sister gets that ready while Im fussing with last minute details lol)

Oh yeah, the green bean casserole has butter in it. :)

I, too, make everything from scratch. I also make croissant rolls, which ... yeah ... butter. I think the only thing on my table that doesn't have butter in it is the pumpkin pie and cranberrys.

Deer bark? I have deer in my yard all the time and they've never barked for me. I feel cheated

You have deer in your yard? Where in the world are you all?

Never had a deer bark at me either. They do stop and stare at me quizzically. I know I'm being anthropomorphic but they really do appear to stare as tho they are curiously surprised to see us.

Squirrels bark. Although to me it sounds like they are just laughing at my dogs...

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