I just love (insert food here)

Let's face it.  People like me, who suffer weight problems have "issues" that need to be addressed.  Some would say we have an emotional issue, others a food addiction and others say it is a behavioral issue.  There's just too many different scenarios and actions to be able to look at someone and say exactly what their problem is.  But one thing I have noticed is that we place too much power in the food.

You love your spouse, parents, children and pets.  Loving a food or a number of foods places too much importance on that food.  What is it about that food to love?  The taste?  Well lots of foods taste good so why not love all of them?  The ingredients in the food?  Again you will find those in other foods that you don't "love".  One of the things I am working hard on is changing my mindset towards my "love affair" with food.  I try the hardest to remove the phrase "I love" followed by any food.  I cringe when I hear someone say it, especially if it is someone within the bariatric community.  I immediately feel sorry for them because I feel their psychiatrist/psychologist didn't give them the tools to change their mindset.   Either that or perhaps they aren't practicing them.

Emotional eating is another problem.  Eating in celebration, or eating because of a disappointment.  You can call it what you want it is still eating because you have an emotion that is at either end of the spectrum.  When thinking about why we do this I often think society has ingrained it into us.  As kids when our team wins the big game, what do we do?  We are taken to have pizza to celebrate.  Think about all the different ways we celebrate with food.  The promotion at work, a birthday dinner, announcing a pregnancy and the sex of the baby.  The classic I broke up with my boyfriend, so I must commiserate by eating ice cream that so many women/girls subscribe to.  So many of life's challenges and joys involve food.

Is it an addiction?  Perhaps.  Let's look at what an addiction is.  From American Society of Addiction Medicine :

Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.

Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.

 So am I addicted to food?  Do I have issues with food?  Do I eat emotionally?  Yes.  To a certain degree I am all of these.  With no offense to my family and friends but almost everyone I know is too, at least to a certain degree. That is one of the many things we have in common.  If I can do anything positive with my weight loss maybe I can help them have a different attitude towards food.  A more healthy attitude.  Maybe I can lead by example.  Not that I want them to be like me and strive to lose weight.  I want them to be alive longer and to be as healthy as they can be.

My weekly weigh in made me a much happier person this week:
Weight: Total lost: 34lbs  Amt since surgery:  22 lbs (it has been 7 weeks since surgery)
Total inches lost since surgery:  18.5  (bust, waist, hips, arms and thigh)