Rant......I think my first ever.....Addicted to Food

Please let me start by saying I enjoy the candid nature of most of your posts Frisco. I actually agree on many points made in this thread but...

I get incredibly frustrated with the statements and or terms such as these (I may **** off those I quote but read on folks) sometimes because I DO NOT know where you are all coming from:

1. "If your fat enough to need WLS..... you got multiple eating problems......"

2. "but don't we all have some degree of that ????"

3. "Yes, as you said, to get to 100 lbs+ to need WLS one can't go blaming it on a thyroid problem forever!"

4. "Normie"

5. "My take on this post is yep, we are all addicts or we wouldn't be here."

6. "The only thing I am sure of is that I had insatiable hunger that started first thing in the morning and did not stop until I went to bed."

Whew... I feel like I am getting it all out to SPEAK up. Sorry for the mini-hijack Frisco but you started the thread I have wanted to post. Even if it was in a very different manner so here goes:

1. No. I do not have "multiple eating problems".

The running joke in my circle of friends was "I deserved to have my fat chick card taken away". I ate healthily. I was aware of what was going in my mouth. I was not perpetually hungry... Yes I would occasionally eat "too much" of a good thing, or "eat something naughty" but no more, and no less than others. In fact my husband was a very chubby man when I met him and in the first year we were together... He converted to my diet and lost a significant amount of weight.

Not all of us got here because we are, or were someone who couldn't pass a fast food joint without stopping.

2. No. We do not all have "some degree of that". There are many people out there who consume very healthy food, in the proper portions and still fail to lose weight, or sit within the confines of what society considers healthy or ideal..

3. No. One cannot "get to 100 lbs+ to need WLS one can't go blaming it on a thyroid problem forever"...

Sorry for the sarcasm but I found this really insulting towards those who have legit medical issues. Let's do some learning:

A "THYROID problem" is fairly easily regulated now days. Goodness love those Dr's... This is why I know of more than one person who lacks a Thyroid due to removal (cancer) on the Ontario section who are doing incredibly well post op. Guess medication wasn't enough.

Let's insert "PCOS". That affects weight also right? Not something I have but it does affect weight typically and is pretty common among the community.

Let's insert one I am sure most have NEVER heard of. PES a.k.a. Primary Empty Sella Syndrome. There is also Secondary Empty Sella Syndrome. Let me share some "light reading":

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000349.htm

http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/90/9/5471.full

http://endocrine-system.emedtv.com/empty-sella-syndrome/empt y-sella-syndrome-p2.html

Over all of the reading I did... It is something like 90% of all people with Empty Sella Syndrome are female, and 75% are Overweight - OBESE. There is no magic pill, nor magic surgery. If you find one... HOOK A GIRL UP EH?!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22725713 - You all get to have your T2D resolve, or high blood pressure to resolve, etc. Thyroid meds may even be decreased, etc.

Me... Not so much eh? Guess I am lucky I don't need an intracranial shunt at this point... And I only need to have my breasts surgically mutilated due to a combination between this, and another broken hormone receptor condition that pre-dispose me to having ridiculous boobs. Thick or thin. Add in being a "mesomorph" body type (genetically designed by nature to build, and retain bulky muscle), and having been ill enough from a very serious bacterial infection - Lyme (blood work positive and stage 3) that took it's toll over a 22 1/2 month treatment process, on top of years of misdiagnosis where I went form ATHLETE to having them try to label me with ALS, MS, Parkinson, CFS, and Fibromyalgia.

I am the epitome of a medical cluster bubble designed to create... ME. Busty, broad shouldered, full muscular arms, thick powerful thighs, fat stored in my thighs & rear for optimal survival (over thousands of years of evolution), etc.

Is it an excuse? No. But there are some incredibly powerful contributing factors. I sure as hell didn't eat perfectly... But I sure as heck didn't consume food the way anyone else I know who wore my size did. EVER.

4. "Normie" just ****** me off!

a. I am clearly not "abnormal" because I am not the same size as everyone else. I resent the implication that I am.
b. As the mother of a child who is not "neurotypical" I want to physically assault people when they tell me my child isn't "NORMAL" so to have the label thrown around this community... It makes me feel like those who say it are trying to make them self, and others around them feel less of a person. STOP IT! I am better then that... and SO ARE YOU!

5. No. We are not all addicts. Yes we would be here without an addiction. Not having a food addiction doesn't preclude me from being a part of a weight loss support community.

Do I have 1 trigger food that will get me wanting more of that flavour? Yep... Do I have to throw it out, or avoid it for fear of binging? No. I just like the spice. It's a nice flavour and I enjoy it. Outside of 3 days a month I don't even "crave" food typically. Yep... 3 days a month. Every 28 days. AND I STILL DO NOT USE THE EXCUSE AS A REASON TO BE EXTREME!

I don't get those who stopped for food, or went out of their way for it. I don't understand one of my friends who would come to my home, eat dinner, and an hour later either while driving her home or getting her home would then consume dinner 2, and desert. I do not get it. I've tried to be understanding for YEARS.. But I do not "get it" because I do not have those behaviors.

I'm sorry. I try really hard to be firm yet supportive. Show other alternatives, etc. I just... Don't get it.

My idea of an off plan excursion is eating a Jamaican Patty I found that is on plan, or 4 dark chocolate covered almonds. Yep... 4.

6. My heart genuinely goes out to those who experience that insatiable hunger. I've never been that hungry in my life.

I have struggled with the opposite (not being inclined to eat for hours... days... often tied to hormone levels in my body) but I have never felt that hunger. Even at the one point in my life where I genuinely went hungry. I can only imagine it was stronger, and more insistent then that time because even that subsided after a while (it is part of a body process to stop sending that signal).

I have friends who struggle with this. They are actually diagnosed with a variety of eating disorders, and one actually has a diagnosis as a food addict but she has other contributing elements to her diagnosis.

My heart goes out to those who struggle in this manner and while I am aware that it exists... It makes me frustrated when I see the term "food addict" bandied around like it is the "label du jour" and "popular" excuse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry again Frisco for the hijack... You just beat me to the "topic".

Some perspective from someone who knows WHAT addiction is, and is NOT a food addict.

Try dragging your former roommate, best friend, and girlfriend out of a crack house at 5:30 am... Try watching someone nearly kill them self with their alcohol consumption...

Yes. Some here are recovering addicts.... Some here used food as warmth, comfort and security (which is a blanket and a lock on the door folks... not a big mac)... But we did not all get here the same way.

Shell

While I will agree we did not get here the same way, we wouldn't be here if we didn't have issues. Even you have food issues... they are just tied to your medical issues. Other people's food issues are tied to their psychological issues. By no means did I allude to the fact you shouldn't be on this forum because of how you got to the point of needing wls. I apologize if that is how it came across.
Everyone brings something to the table on this forum.
I don't think it's ok for any of us to justify eating off plan by using such a broad statement as "b/c I'm a food addict". Nor would it be ok for an alcoholic to say I had a bottle of whiskey after getting 80% of their liver cut out. If you have head issues...go see someone! This surgery won't work for ANY of us if we don't change our behavior!

I need no luck old man!! Thanks though., you don't know the first thing about me. I love how you feel powerful because a FEW people look up to you on an Obesity website. WOW!! That sure is something to be proud of. You're a joke & so are your posts. I've gotten about 15 emails from numerous people on here who can't stand you and they all say the same thing. Ignore Frisco because he's full of himself and he thinks he knows it all. You degrade people on here and you're either too self involved or to damn stupid to see it.
All you do is reprimand people if they don't believe the same things you do or if they don't eat the way you do. People are sick of you on this site. I'm just the one that's willing to say it.
You're a vet on an obesity help website. That's probably all you've been able to accomplish in your life so I'll let you have it.
Fool...

XO,
Hilary

Thanks !

..........why are you reading my posts ????

frisco

I don't understand why you then feel the need to take a clearly personal slam against someone -- your post is nothing but hate language.  I fail to understand why you pillory Frisco for degrading people, yet you feel it's fine for you to do the same thing. 

Note -- I don't know Frisco, am not personal friends with him, etc.  I have read his posts -- followed some advice, ignored other advice -- the same as with any poster.  I just object to your hate-filled post which offers nothing except bashing someone else for their questions or opinions. 

That wasn't degrading him at all. That was me holding back. There was nothing hateful in what I wrote. It was the truth. You should see my inbox this morning. Many people agree with the comments I made. For him to make a comment stating that he should've known to expect something like that from myself about my very first comment in this thread of BS is ridiculous. The man doesn't know me at all to expect anything from me. My comments were not hateful, they were the truth. The man is so full of himself it's disgusting and the fact that he thinks his special "vet" status" makes him more important than the next person is a joke. He is no obesity help God, as if that's anything to be at all. I just wish I wasn't the only one to speak up about it because there are so many others that feel the way I do.

You da bomb diggity frisco Tell it like it is. P.S Thank you for making me laugh.

Thanks Gabbz !

I just saw your 8 month post tonight..... Awesome !!!

You so got this !

frisco

I don't really know anything about addiction - food or otherwise. I just know that I was fat. I overate. I ate the wrong foods. I was stupid. I abused my body and got hypertension and diabetes in return. Was on my way to high cholesterol and statins were definitely in my future.

I had WLS to help me fix my stupid. It is hard but as my sleeve namesake (I named my sleeve Bob) says in his signature, failure is not an option. As you say Frisco, if I don't succeed in this then there is nothing else. "I am going to get dead".

And addict or not, I don't want to get dead. So whatever.. there are no excuses. Life is hard. Everything is hard. You just have to do what you have to do.

On March 5, 2013 at 12:45 AM Pacific Time, Wantmylife wrote: I don't really know anything about addiction - food or otherwise. I just know that I was fat. I overate. I ate the wrong foods. I was stupid. I abused my body and got hypertension and diabetes in return. Was on my way to high cholesterol and statins were definitely in my future.

I had WLS to help me fix my stupid. It is hard but as my sleeve namesake (I named my sleeve Bob) says in his signature, failure is not an option. As you say Frisco, if I don't succeed in this then there is nothing else. "I am going to get dead".

And addict or not, I don't want to get dead. So whatever.. there are no excuses. Life is hard. Everything is hard. You just have to do what you have to do.

WOW you really did name your sleeve Bob. I am so proud. Than you. Know I have a room when I get to Switzerland.  😜