SlashTheScale
Finding New Anchors: Trading Addiction for Better Coping Tools
Jun 22, 2026
Hi everyone,
I’m opening up today about something that is incredibly heavy, but it's a battle I know many of us are fighting in silence. As I continue my journey to find the right weight loss surgery tool, I am forced to look at the root of how I got to over 500 pounds.
For years, I have been battling addiction. In the past, it was drugs and alcohol. When I put those down, the addiction didn't just disappear—it shifted. It found a new home in food. Food became my coping mechanism for my ADD, my stress, and my emotions.
Replacing one substance with another is a vicious cycle, and it’s how the weight snuck up on me. But being over 500 pounds is a wake-up call. I am done letting addiction run my life, and I am actively working to retrain my brain to find healthier ways to cope without turning to a plate.
My New Coping Tools
It isn't easy to rewrite your brain's habits, but I've been focusing on three major things lately that give my mind the focus and escape it craves, completely separate from food:
Walking and Music:** When my ADD kicks in and my brain feels chaotic, hitting the pavement with my headphones on changes everything. Loud music gives me that intense mental stimulation I need, and the walking lets me burn off that restless physical energy.
Journaling: Getting my thoughts out of my head and onto paper keeps them from turning into an emotional storm. It allows me to process my cravings and my bad days constructively.
Building LEGO Sets:** This has been a massive game-changer for my focus. Building complex sets requires deep concentration, precision, and hand-eye coordination. It keeps my hands busy, locks in my attention, and gives me a huge sense of accomplishment when a set is finished. It’s the perfect distraction when a food craving strikes.
We aren't just fighting to lose weight; we are fighting to heal our minds and break a lifetime cycle of addiction."
If you are out there trading one addiction for food, please know you are not alone, and you don't have to be perfect. We have to learn to forgive ourselves, find healthy anchors that keep our hands and minds busy, and keep looking for the medical tools we need to save our lives.
We can beat the cycle. One walk, one journal entry, and one piece at a time.
Stay strong and keep fighting!