Abstinence versus Control- Not Sex! Food

I get so mad sometimes. Alcoholics can quit drinking completely. Drug users can quit taking drugs completely. But we cant give up food completely! I know this because over the years I have tried. I have been so upset about being overweight that I have completely stopped eating. I have gone two, maybe three days then I got so lightheaded I would faint. Not fun.

I have figured out that abstinence is an easier skill to carry off than control. At least for me - especially when it comes to food. It is easier for me to give up all fried foods than to try to eat less fried food. There are two reasons: First how do you try to eat anything. You either eat it or you don't. Secondly, what is less to you. It depends on what is usual for you. If you usually eat fried foods three times a day, you would think that eating it once a day would be less. (Smile- but you can eat the same amount in one sitting as you would normally eat in two!) The problem is that I am using vague terms. If I am serious about doing something, whether it is cleaning the house or eating less of a food item I probably won't succeed unless I am more specific about what I am attempting to do.

What I have found is, for me it is easier to just leave out a food type all together than to try to control it. Bread is an example. If it is around, I want to eat it. For the past few months I have been "back on the wagon", i.e, cutting my calories to 1200 a day and walking at least 30 minutes a day. Notice I didn't say "watching my calories and trying to walk more." Cutting calories to 1200 a day is specific. Walking 30 minutes a day is specific. At the end of the day I can say yes or no. Did I eat 1200 calories or less? yes or no. Did I walk 30 minutes? yes or no. The same thing is true for the food types. Did I eat fried foods? yes or no. Did I eat bread? yes or no.

I have speaking engagements about 2 days a week. I allow myself to eat bread only during the meals where I am the after dinner speaker. See, I am using abstinence, rather than control. I abstain from eating bread 5 days a week. That means I don't buy it, don't keep it in the house, don't pick up a sandwich at the airport, don't have toast with breakfast, etc.

Our minds are funny things. We can find a loophole in a good plan better than a high priced lawyer when we want to get away with something. Here's what I mean about being specific. For some of us, saying that we get to eat bread during 2 meals a week is pretty clear. For others, we start plotting... "she didn't say how big a piece! A loaf! She didn't how many! Ok I can eat 4 rolls!"

Only you know you. Can you be trusted? Or will you search out the loophole and squirm through it?

20 pounds down and counting... Bobbie