ARE YOU A COMPULSIVE EATER?

I’d like to address something today which is a slight detour from the alkalinity theme. But it definitely has to do with good health. I want to include this for people struggling with yo-yo dieting and compulsive eating as I have. This is something I had to come to terms with before I was truly on the way to permanent health and mental healing. I can tell you how to find excellent health, but until you deal with this issue, you won’t find long-term success. Eventually, you will “fall off the wagon.”

First of all you need to identify IF you are a compulsive eater. If you can say yes to any or all of the following, you are probably a compulsive eater like I am.

• Have you told yourself, ‘my eating is out of control right now, but someday soon I’ll muster the strength to start eating healthy again, and then I’ll keep it under control for good?

• Do you always take another serving of something, then another, then another, while others just take one serving?

• Once you get started eating a certain food, do have trouble stopping until you are good and uncomfortable or even sick?

• Have you been on several diets, only to gain the weight back each time, plus extra weight?

• Are you obsessed with food?

• Do you feel out of control with your eating habits?

• Do you hate your relationship with certain foods? Do you hate the food for what it does to you, but can’t stay away from it?

• Have you done a lot of crazy things to stop the weight gain – fad diets, starving, over-exercising, or purging?

• Do you tell yourself, if I could just get to the right weight, life would be great?

• Do you eat to satiate fears, anxiety, anger, disappointment?

• Do you eat to alleviate the pressures of problems?

• Do you have a serious illness, such as diabetes, but keep eating the bad foods that your doctor says you must stay away from? You can’t seem to stay away – their draw is too powerful for you?

• Do you tell yourself, ‘NO, I’m NOT GOING TO EAT THAT!, then within a minute, you are stuffing it into your mouth?

• Do you make a batch of something for your family, such as brownies, then eat the whole thing, piece by piece, all day long?

• After a cycle of binging and weight gain, do you berate yourself with words like, ‘what the heck is the matter with me, I’m such an idiot?’

• do you lie to others when it comes to food?

• do you hide food, to get into it when you are alone?

You won't have ALL these symptoms, most likely. I could answer 'yes' to enough of them to be convinced that this was me.

There IS a solution to all this insanity. It is called a twelve step program. It begins with admitting that you can’t fix the problem alone. You must admit defeat and admit that you will never be able to pull yourself together without additional help. You have to come to realize that the cycle will continue and will worsen as the years go on – you will never muster the strength to finally overcome. This is the basis for any twelve step program. And it works every time if you follow all the steps with a humble and willing heart.

Once you’ve identified yourself as a compulsive overeater you can begin on your road to recovery. Don’t be afraid at the realization that you fit into this group of people. It is liberating and exciting to know there is finally an answer. All people have defects. This is OUR defect.

The first step of action is to find your local OA (overeaters anonymous) or FA (food addicts anonymous) group. Start going to the meetings. Find a sponsor there. Find one that will allow you to eat in an alkaline way. You may need to educate them along the way. Send them to my blog to help with that if you want. I like OA better than AA, because they don’t subscribe to any particular diet, or plan of eating.

My hope is that if you see yourself in this group of people, you will be persuaded early in life that you can’t go it alone. I hope you don’t have to live through the despair for many, many years until finally coming to the conclusion that you need other kind of help. After reading this, you will probably still attempt to do it on your own. You may go through the cycle a few more times, before you are willing to look at the possibility that I’m right. That’s okay. There is a twelve step program out there for whenever you are ready.

Know,too, that changing to a more alkaline menu will curb your cravings significantly. For me, the combination of the pH Miracle eating plan and the OA program has been extremely powerful. I’m so excited about the future now when it comes to my health, my weight, and my sanity. What a relief.