Those with food addiction can benefit from meditation, as can many other folks as well. Yoga and meditation are ancient practices that might be of help to you in getting your life in balance—both food-wise and in other areas. I myself practice Buddhist meditation and Buddhist principles, which has had a positive impact on being a food addict. Now mind you I said Buddhist meditation, I did not become a religious Buddhist – not that there is anything wrong with that of course. My first lessons were through an Internet site at www.wildmind.org . I can recommend them as a good non-religious type information source about Buddhist meditation. I took all their courses.

Food Addiction – You Don’t Have To Be A Buddhist

After doing the Wildmind work, I purchased “Insight Meditation” which is a 12-month Buddhist style meditation program that is delivered by a manual, CDs and a meditation instructor who reviews your exercises from each of the 12 lessons sending you feedback by email or regular mail. This is an incredible bargain at $199.  You can learn more details about the course and buy it if you have a mind. I heartily recommend it as another “non-religious” approach to learning Buddhist Meditation. If you are a “thinker type” like me, you could read Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor that is a national bestseller. The book description begins as follows: “Those with an interest in Buddhism will welcome this new book by Stephen Batchelor, former monk and author of Alone With Others and The Awakening of the West. But those who are just discovering this increasingly popular practice will have much to gain as well – for Buddhism Without Beliefs serves as a solid, straightforward introduction that demystifies Buddhism and explains simply and plainly how its practice can enrich our lives. Avoiding jargon and theory, Batchelor concentrates on the concrete, making Buddhism accessible and compelling and showing how anyone can embark on this path – regardless of their religious background.” Now Stephen takes a secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism so not to worry I am not trying to convert you or something so learn more about Stephen Batchelor’s work if you have a mind.

Food Addiction and Holistic Medicine

Of course, you could look into the “mindfulness” approaches that are now very much a part of modern medicine that came from the Buddhist tradition. The Dalai Lama has fostered this type of “non-religious” use of Buddhist meditation work as well by attending and hosting conferences for scientists. The first and foremost authority to bring this type of work to medicine and psychology was a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School named Jon Kabat-Zinn Ph.D. You can learn more about him with his books, tapes, etc. as well that are priced very, very reasonably to say the least.  Well there you go.  The last of my 50 approaches to food addiction recovery.  Trust they make a difference for you.

Food addiction recovery is not the only option. You may actually decide that you’re fine as you are. The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a good resource if you decide that you would prefer to remain overweight. This can be a very rational decision. Don’t believe me then look at their booklist.

Here is what NAAFA says about themselves:

“Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit, all volunteer, civil rights organization dedicated to protecting the rights and improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through advocacy, public education, and support.”

That having been said, I don’t agree with all they say any more than they would agree with all I have said or the whole notion of a food addiction. I do know that few people are able to take the weight off and keep it off for the long term. I am committed to you having all the information you can to make an educated decision about how you want to design and live your life. Neither NAAFA nor I should make that decision for you. 

I certainly have no problem with the overall purpose of NAAFA and I think you should sort through all of the options and all of the potential consequences of the decisions you make. If you elect this option, you can count on my support in making this option work for you. After all one can indeed lead a very great, happy life and be overweight and maybe morbidly obese. Like most things in life, decisions have upsides and downsides and this is one of those situations.

  Sometimes it is really the best decision to wait before declaring yourself a food addict and trying to lose weight until you have sorted out everything. You certainly have to be realistic and rational about your chances of success, your personality style and your reasons for wanting to lose weight. Yo-Yo dieting (losing weight, then putting it back on, and then repeating the cycle repeatedly) is worse for you than just staying overweight in the first place.  So let’s assess very carefully, what is really in your best interest before embarking on the path of losing the weight. 

The truth is declaring oneself as having a food addiction and then planning to lose weight requires consistent, persistent, and targeted rational thinking and vigilance with constant work – even after you have successfully lost the weight – so you want to make the right decision for you. Your quality of life is a factor and the costs of losing (or trying to lose; or failing to lose; or losing and gaining it all back) a large amount of weight may not be worth the impact on your quality of life. We can sort these issues out together if you desire, so take advantage of my food addiction free resources.

With my food addiction, I was a fairly complex “case” in my early twenties. I had multiple problems. During the period, I was losing the weight I was going to my family doctor – see Henry’s story. I went to a licensed mental health professional for counseling not long after I lost my weight to see what might be “wrong” with me as I was having major problems maintaining my weight-loss and many social and psychological issues. Perhaps you are like I was and wonder if you are in need of counseling. Fortunately, today there is not as much of a stigma about seeing a licensed mental health professional. It might even be fashionable in some circles. If you suspect you might need this level of help, find a licensed professional who can help you determine if you can benefit from counseling or your food addiction recovery will be in jeopardy is my experience.

Particularly consider this option if you had a difficult time growing up in your family, experienced abusive trauma in your life (physical, emotional or sexual abuse), or you suspect you have or had an alcohol or drug problem (prescription medications or illegal drugs). If you are in doubt it is likely you do need to go see a licensed mental health professional. If you want to talk it over with me do contact me and we can sort it out and determine what is in your best interest. Some websites you can go to and locate a qualified counselor near you are as follows:

National Board for Certified Counselors

American Psychological Association

National Association of Social Workers

With food addiction, I have found you need to become something of a lifelong student. No, I have not found you have to attend meetings for life (now some might though) and I view being a food addict as a lifelong issue that needs continual learning. Here are some great books I particularly endorse to add to your library via www.amazon.com (or check out your local library):

 Breaking The Food Seduction, by Neal Barnard, M.D.

            Andrew Weil, M.D., says this fellow is “…one of the most responsible and authoritative voices in American medicine today.” I can only agree with that.

 The Rules of “Normal” Eating, by Karen R. Koenig, LICSW, M.Ed.

            This book covers a lot about emotional and psychological issues related to food addiction recovery. This one is a real must in my thinking. 

Mindful Eating by Jan Chozen Bays, MD

            This book also is on my “must” list. It even includes a CD ROM with 14 exercises and meditations. Such a bargain for any compulsive overeater.

 The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight-loss, by John A. McDougall, M.D.

Dr. McDougall teaches a low-fat vegan diet: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. He emphasizes that you can eat all you want of the right kinds of foods and still lose weight. Well I have not found that to be so as I can gain weight on healthy foods as a person in food addiction recovery. That said it is a good book.

Eat To Live, by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

This book is one of my personal favorites. The key to Dr. Fuhrman’s plan is the idea of “nutrient density.” Nutrient-dense foods are those high in nutrients and low in calories. When you center your diet on these nutrient-dense foods, you will automatically be consuming fewer calories, and the calories you do eat will be better for you.

 Get With The Program, by Bob Greene

            Bob Greene, perhaps best known as Oprah Winfrey’s personal trainer, recognizes and addresses the emotional components of food and weight-loss. He goes into emotional obstacles and then adds exercise and dietary changes.

The Quest for Peace, Love and the 24” Waistline, by Deborah Low

            This book emphasizes the spiritual and emotional aspects of food and weight-loss, and shifts the focus to happiness and well-being rather than dropped pounds.

 Eat More, Weigh Less: Dean Ornish’s Life Choice Program for Losing Weight Safely While Eating Abundantly, by Dean Ornish, M.D.

            Dr. Ornish’s plan is similar to Dr. McDougall’s, but with the addition of low-fat dairy products.

The New Pritikin Program

This book is an update of the classic 1970s book by Nathan Pritikin who in many ways is the forerunner of Dean Ornish, M.D., and Harvey Diamond (see book below). This book really does not focus on compulsive overeating and still is great information.

Fit For Life, by Harvey Diamond and others

            This is another classic book that focuses on whole, nutritious, high-fiber and water-rich foods but really does not talk about food addiction or compulsive overeating. The authors believe that body functions have a daily cycle, and that you should eat based on these cycles. The book includes lots of meal plans and recipes.

 Unitl next time!

For food addiction recovery, you need to look into support groups at least in the beginning. There are others of course and you can learn more about Overeaters Anonymous (OA) and find a meeting near you on their website. Alternatively, call the main OA office at 505-891-2664. OA is not a diet and calories club at all. In fact, they do not even talk about food at their meetings. The program is based on the same 12 Steps used by Alcoholics Anonymous, which have been quite successful for millions of people since the mid 1930s.

OA is NOT a religious program, although it is a spiritual program (more on that later in in this series). The OA program does require that you believe in some form of “higher power”—not God, necessarily, but some power other than yourself that will help you succeed in dealing with your food addiction. That “higher power” can be the OA program itself if you desire—the point is realizing that you alone do not have all the answers.

There are plenty of people who understand how the OA program works, are quite friendly, and have been where you are today. They will teach you how the program works and see that you get the books you need. If you call them, they will be happy to talk with you about the program over the phone, or have a volunteer come out to your home or office. OA meetings last about an hour and cost nothing. They do “pass the hat” to cover their expenses at meetings so maybe a dollar or two would be fine if you can afford it but is not required or expected. Don’t want to go to a live meeting then go to an online OA meeting.

OA is not for everyone of course. There are alternative options that still use the twelve steps but have a somewhat different approach from OA. You can learn about Food Addicts Anonymous by going to their website.  There is also Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous and you can lean about them on their website.

There are other options that are not 12 Step oriented likeTOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) and Weight Watchers that are not at all like OA—they focus much more on the mechanics of weight-loss. You may wish to look into them as possibilities. TOPS is at www.tops.org and is a non-profit with the membership fee being $26 per year and local dues are usually under $5 per month and Weight Watchers ($65 for 3 months membership online ) is at www.weightwatchers.com and is a for-profit company.

While not a live support group, you could go to www.eDiets.com and see what they have to offer.  They have a wealth of information and tools for you to use. You also might want to check out www.dietitian.com.  Therefore, there is plenty of help with food addiction if you are ready to move on it.

For food addiction recovery I recommend reading a couple of classics titled Your Erroneous Zones and Pulling Your Own Strings, by Wayne Dyer, Ph.D. These books are available at most bookstores, online at www.amazon.com and probably at your public library. Highlight parts of the books that have to do with you if it is your book. Once you have read them, you will be looking back frequently to refresh your memory on your personal erroneous zones. Dr. Dyer has created books that are designed for the general public based on the work of one of the most important psychologists of the late twentieth century, Dr. Albert Ellis.

Dr. Ellis created a form of psychotherapy call Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). It involves controlling your feelings and behavior through controlling your thoughts. Feelings and behavior come from your thoughts and beliefs not from the events that happen in your life. You can go to the Albert Ellis Institute website and read more about his work and what they have available to the general public. I would also recommend food addicts read his book The Art & Science of Rational Eating.

Dr. Ellis and his team back in the mid-1970s trained me, and I can assure you they know what they are doing. I’ve spent a great deal of time reading, training and using the work of Dr. Ellis in my life, with my food addiction recovery and with other people. I certainly know his work can make a big difference to you. If you want more help in this arena, feel free to contact me.

Food addiction folks probably don’t have any more issues with resentments than other folks as far as I know anyway. That said there is probably a sub-set of food addicts that have had a very bad time indeed. Maybe in their families there was emotional, physical or sexual abuse? Maybe in childhood and adolescence there was over the top teasing and bullying. Whatever the source of the resentments they need to be handled. Philosophers, religious leaders, and theologians have been saying for centuries that forgiveness is divine. Now scientific studies have been verifying this is indeed the case. Those who can forgive have higher levels of well-being and improved interpersonal relations. According to counselors Denton & Martin in the American Journal of Family Therapy, 26, p. 281-292, forgiveness involves the following:

“..two people, one of whom has received a deep and long lasting injury that is either psychological, emotional, physical, or moral in nature. Forgiveness is an inner process by which the person who has been injured releases himself or herself from the anger, resentment, and fear that are felt and does not wish for revenge.”

One of the key things one has to know about forgiveness is you DO NOT have to forget the injury itself, nor does it mean the other person does not have to face the consequences of his or her actions. A couple of good places to learn more about forgiveness are http://www.forgivenessweb.com/ or http://www.forgiveness-institute.org/ . Exercise forgiveness instead of eating because of resentment, anger, fear and revenge.

In addition, remember—forgiveness includes forgiving yourself. Beating yourself up will only make your food addiction recovery efforts harder.

Food Addiction Recovery – #43

Folks with a food addiction at least in the beginning need to avoid tempting people, places and things so they don’t engage in compulsive overeating. You would not bring a newly recovering alcoholic to a bar. So don’t put yourself in similarly tempting situations. Don’t get together with your old “eating buddy.” Don’t walk past the bakery with the hot doughnuts in the window. Don’t buy the chips you can never have just one of. Eventually, your habits and lifestyle will change to the point that the old triggers will lose some or all of their power for you. However, at least in the beginning, make a point to stay out of temptation’s way if you want to stop food addiction.

If you just want to lose a few pounds, this is not a very big deal for you. You can probably accomplish your goals just by making better food choices. If you are significantly overweight it might take more knowledge and effort and still very doable. If you are obese (medically defined as 30% or more over your ideal weight or a Body Mass Index of 30 or more) or morbidly obese (medically defined as being 100 pounds over your ideal body weight or a Body Mass Index of 40 or more or a Body Mass Index of 35 with severe health problems like high blood pressure or diabetes related to being severely overweight), though, we are talking about a different arena. You need to get people around you to understand you are a “food addict,” just as an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. Unlike an alcoholic, however, a person in food addiction recovery can’t simply give up all food—you need to learn to give up or limit certain foods as I talked about earlier with binge foods and modified binge foods.

Food Addiction Recovery May Mean Explaining Yourself

For this reason, your loved ones and friends need to understand that just as they would not push a drink on an alcoholic, they cannot push certain foods on you. If your family has a problem and can’t or won’t support you in food addiction recovery you might want to share this blog with them so they have a bit of education in the matter. If that does not work, I suggest you and your family members seek counseling from a licensed mental health practitioner. If they won’t go then you might want to go alone. 

An honest conversation about the “addiction issue” can also work for friends, family and co-workers. You may still be able to go out to lunch with them or whatever, just order sensibly and eat less even if they are compulsive overeaters. They won’t think twice about your eating habits after awhile. If they continue to give you a hard time about your eating, then maybe those are people you need to take out of your life – family or not.

With a food addiction if you don’t learn how to say, “No, thank you” to offers for food you are going to be in trouble. It is not unusual to find folks “pushing” food on you at work or home. In our society, food is often used to express love and/or to decline to eat something with folks can be interpreted as an insult or you “don’t belong” in some way. Think saying no to the donuts at the office or all or parts of a home-cooked meal. Chocolates on Valentines’ Day. Being offered an alcoholic drink at a party (too many empty calories for me). It is important to remember in food addiction recovery, though, that it is possible (and best, in most cases) to accept the love and decline the food. People will foist food on you in a way that they would never push alcohol or drugs on you. So learn to say, “No, thank you,” in a gracious way so no one is offended. You don’t need to offer an excuse if you don’t feel like it—just be firm but polite and no one will question you. If you need to give a reason or have an excuse to get by then I am sure you can think one up. Something along the lines of eating healthier might work or my doctor wants me off the sweets maybe. In my middle to later recovery I began to tell folks I am a food addict and don’t eat certain types of foods. That usually results in an interesting conversation. I also remember my mother looking at me at my wedding reception and saying “You’re not going to eat cake on your wedding day.” Her tone of voice indicated I must be nuts. Hey, it happens and she was happy I had lost 150 pounds. Folks just don’t understand.

Love In Food Addiction Recovery

With food addiction recovery it is equally important to remember the “food does not equal love” when you are by yourself. When food is calling to you and you are not physically hungry, chances are that it is not food you are hungry for. Maybe you want to be entertained, or hugged. Don’t “love” yourself with food any more than you let others do it. Remember, it is not likely what you want in life is available from food. Get out and make things happen in life.

In food addiction recovery, charting your progress in a visual way is a good thing. By that, I mean putting calorie charts or weight-loss goals on a chart that you and everyone can see. Put stars on your calendar on the days you exercise. Even though it may seem silly, little motivators like this can play a big part in keeping your motivation levels high.

            Most folks in the USA and not just food addicts like me sit around too much. We drive to work, sit around for eight or more hours, and then drive home. We eat dinner, sit in front of the TV, and then go to bed. This is not what our bodies were designed for, and it is a huge part of why so many of us are overweight.

In addition to the exercise program I talked about earlier in this series, just moving more will help you greatly in your weight-loss efforts. Pedometers will measure how many miles you walk in a day or a step counter. It is a tiny monitor that clips to your belt and counts how many steps you take. Experts recommend that we get in at least 10,000 steps every day—most of us get considerably fewer – I sure do. By being aware of how much you are falling short, you can make an effort to become more active. There are several brands of step counters available of course.  Try checking out Amazon.com for instance searching for pedometer or step counter and you will find many with nice reviews on them to consider.  Until next time I trust this is helpful so you stop food addiction.