kandi kernan's Journal, 18 March 2010

Weight Watchers is great, but it's like any other program in that you get out of it what you put into it. I have a food addiction, too. It has gotten better since I started allowing myself any food I want but in smaller portions, which is basically what Weight Watchers encourages. It's a great program, I definately recommend checking it out. 

on the pizza note - I have been getting those Kashi pizzas for when my son wants to eat pizza. I DO add pepperoni. They are YUMMY - and they will not trash you either! I had mass food addiction problems - I am getting over them slowly. Weight Watchers did not really work for me - mainly because they try to teach that the addictive things in food are ok in small quantities. (They in fact put them in their WW food - high fructose corn syrup among other things.) They are NOT ok - in fact I noticed that when I get rid of the corn syrup - the addiction subsides - but if I add it back in (even in small quantities) I start having cravings again. Try to see addiction as a mind game - instead of a prison - and you'll see the way out for you. The way out tends to be different for everyong;) (And this comes from someone who has struggled with addiction with more than just food.) Also understand when you release an addiction you need something to *fill with* ie - what do you want to do INSTEAD of eat? (sports, home repair? rediculous computer games??) It doesn't really matter - just find something you like and do it! 

I agree that WW doesn't really work. I am a food addict as well, and I can't just have ONE slice of pizza like WW would suggest, I want FIVE slices. So on the diet I have now, just simply no pizza. none. I can't slip up. It's like I am an alcoholic except with food... I really feel this way. so only if you're extremely good at portion control, is WW going to be good for you.  

I used to try to abuse the WW system - "hmmm this soup is 0 calories.. yay - I can eat enough for 5 people and still have all my points" ... doesn't work that way! 

I agree with the comments about being a food addict. I'm also addicted to eating. The one thing this site has done for me, is to log what i'm eating so I can see what a big mess I've made of my choices and in seeing what I'm eating, it is helping me to make better choices. I'm not going to say this is easy, its NOT! After I worked out today, I went shopping and then I was really hungry. I saw Taco Bueno and thought, Bean Burrito, that can't be too bad for the diet. I got one with a DIET coke, which I usually don't do, so that was a smarter change from what I was doing a few weeks ago. I got home and OMG, a bean burrito gave me 600 calories with "29" grams of fat for ONE burrito. One SMALL, bean burrito!!! I don't feel like a failure, I feel SHOCKED that I really didn't know how much was in that burrito. So you can look at this website that way. Monitor what you are eating for a while until you pick up on a pattern and try to change it. So far, its been a bit rough, not wanting to binge eat, or eat 3 or 4 of what I would usually eat, yes, thats been tough. But hang in there! You've got people who want to support you via this comment section! You can do it!! 

Getting in the habit of reading the nutritional values on the labels is very enlightening indeed. The amount of sodium is also important, as it tends to make you hold water. I'm happy to see someone (Phoenixrayne) mention the high fructose corn syrup ... I totally agree with you on that, but when I recently starting looking to see if a food had it, I was shocked at how many DON'T have it. I was thrilled last night when I went to buy my Oatnut bread that it doesn't have any ... woohoo! Also be careful of Aspartame, the sugar substitute. It's deadly and the less you use the better you'll feel, unfortunately it's also in many many foods and gums and even prescription drugs. I quit drinking soda pop and other sweetened drinks years ago and honestly do not miss them anymore. I drink straight up ice water or lite beer. Haha.