Getting Back on Track: Why Is It So Hard?

By
Jennifer DeMoss

I've been struggling with something.
REALLY struggling.
See, I have a little problem.
Like many of you, I am a food addict.
That means that, unlike others of you that might be reading this who don't have this issue, I do not have a healthy relationship with food.
Food and I go waaaay back.
So, when I had to "give it up" prior to my surgery, I had a little bit of a mental and emotional breakdown.
Come to think of it, I've had several over the last few years.
When the weight loss was happening, it was so much easier.
The first 80-90 lbs was a breeze. Literally.
I COULDN'T eat certain things like bread or rice or pasta, so the weight just slid off me.
But when I discovered that I could eat all of those things again, my easy weight loss flew away.
From the moment I started putting those foods back into my body, my weight stalled out.
Some might say, since it's been so long, that I am now in "maintenance phase".
But, to be honest, I don't WANT to be in maintenance.
Don't get me wrong, I like where I am now. I'm currently healthier than I have ever been in my life. I am able to do things physically that I've never been before.
But WHY am I content where I am?
I'm still not as healthy as I could be.
I'm still not eating as well as I SHOULD be.
I am going through physical and emotional changes that I never expected to have to go through right now. Physically, I'm not feeling great, to be honest. I'm tired a lot, achy a lot, and have digestive issues. Sound familiar? For those that have read a few of my past posts you'll see where I talk about gluten intolerance and sensitivities. Guess what I've been eating a ton of lately? Yep. Gluten. In the form of pancakes, waffles, biscuits, bread, crackers, tortillas ... Not to mention the additives and preservatives in the processed foods I've been eating.
Emotionally, I'm dealing with the prospect of my children going back to school, and I'm also trying to figure out how to handle a special needs child that's about to hit early puberty.
The thing is, I know for a fact that eating healthy will help me with all of these issues. I'll feel better, I'll have more energy, I'll be better able to handle emotional issues ...
But I just don't.
WHY??
WHY is it so hard to do this?
The answer - at least in my case - is so, so simple.
A D D I C T I O N
How many drug users go back to using? How many alcoholics go back to the bar? How many smokers go back to a pack a day habit?
Food is no different.
But unlike some of the above addictions, food does not have a rehab center.
THIS is why support groups for bariatric patients are SO important!
We also need that addiction support and we need mentors that have been there.
I want to encourage you all today, if you have not found a support group, to PLEASE go find one. If there are none in your area, I encourage you to look into starting one!

On a final note, in the next couple of weeks, we will be holding our first 14-Day "Back to Basics" challenge. This challenge is intended to help those of us that have gone off track to get back where we need to be! I know this will help me a lot, and I hope that it will be helpful to all of you as well!

God Bless!!