Addiction

Back when I was involved with Weight Watchers, another member had lost over 100 pounds. As everyone was celebrating her accomplishments during one meeting, someone asked her whether she ever "cheated" along the way. She then began discussing how she did not cheat, because cheating was how she'd gotten where she was. She talked about how she couldn't bring herself to "cheat", because, "one bad meal can take me right back to the start." Her statement stuck with me. She is right. One meal is the trigger. One meal can cause my whole day, week, month, to spiral out of control. This is an addiction; a food addiction. 

Plenty of people are addicts who have found the strength to abstain from their "substance" of choice. The problem is, a food addict simply cannot abstain from consuming food. Food is an essential part of living. Could you imagine if an alcoholic had to sip a few ounces of alcohol several times per day, but was unable to help themselves to the six-pack in the refrigerator? Could you imagine if a former cigarette smoker was forced to take one drag off a cigarette three times per day, but couldn't touch the rest of the pack of cigarettes sitting on the counter? 

Think about it. A food addict must eat several small meals throughout the day, while fighting a mental battle with themselves to not consume more than what is necessary for survival. For someone who has never had a weight problem in their life, this may seem foolish because all you have to do is stop. Well, the problem isn't that I don't know that I need to stop eating, it's actually making myself stop. I know where I need to be and I know how to get there. Now, I must conquer this addiction in order to become a healthier me.