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Thousands Now Have Quit Binge Eating Who Never Thought They Could!

                              
                            

I know what it is to be in need,

And I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,

Whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

~Philippians 4:12

 

I’ve written Heal from the Inside Out: Release the Obsession with Food, not for notoriety and fame, for my name in lights, or for recognition—but to help free you from the obsession with food. My goal is to share my journey from active food addiction to spiritual recovery—and lead you away from compulsive eating.

My mom and Ma (grandma) were not as fortunate, and died never to know the freedom of spiritual recovery or that their defeat in the battle to lose weight was not their fault. My story compares two adjacent worlds: food addiction and spiritual recovery. It is my hope that this book helps you to recognize, deal with, and resolve compulsive eating—to heal from the inside out. If my journey lifts you from the pure hell of obsessive eating, I will have accomplished my goal. I write for my mom, I write for Ma, and I write for you.

 A Piece of My Story

By 22 years of age my mother had given birth to six children. When Mom was 17, my sister Christy was born, followed by a set of twins eight months later, Michael and Michelle; one year later another set of twins, Daniel and Debborah; and 19 months later (with a miscarriage between us), I was born. My mother was knee-deep in diapers for what must have seemed like an eternity while she was only a kid. I learned early on to comfort myself with a bottle and food. Although I was a scrawny child who was on iron drops for anemia, my dysfunctional eating behaviors were already developed. I remember climbing up on the kitchen counter to retrieve chocolate syrup and pouring it down my throat until I felt the sense of "ahhhhhhhhhhh" that food addicts are so familiar with. I was barely five. I hid in the dark coat closet and stole change from my parents’ coat pockets to buy stashes of candy.

Once, I was so desperate I stole my father's pouch of parking lot change—hundreds of dollars—from the third drawer of the china cabinet and took it to Pennies to buy candy. I was seven and the bag was awkward and heavy to carry. I dropped the bag—coins flew all over and the store owner turned me in to my parents. It was the first and only time my dad ever spanked me.

Does this ring true for you? How far back in your childhood can you trace the start of your compulsive eating? If you have a history of binge eating I can assure you memories of overeating are there—with a bit of digging you have a story that might sounds similar to mine. Knowing where it began gives clues to how to quit addictive eating.

 

 

 Drlisaortigaracrego.com

 

New Year’s Resolution: Stop Dieting and Start Winning in Weight Loss Control!

Mary, a fairly new patient, bolted through the waiting room sprinting to my office like she was running a 10 K marathon. Breathless, she plopped down sinking deep into my hunter green couch, perspiration trickling down her face, and announced, “I’m starting a 500 calorie diet to get rid of this weight once and for all!,”  as she grabbed a fist full of fat from her expanded waist.

 As I listened to Mary promise with such conviction on how she would lose her weight—that she owned the "secret" to drop weight quickly, I felt Mary’s pain and urgency.  Not only do I understand Mary,  I lived her desperation—starting and ending every fad diet inmaginable for over 30 years of my life.  I promised to lose the weight—that I had the quick weight loss secret. One hundred pounds heavier after a series of diets brought me to my knees begging for a transformation.

I couldn’t help responding abruptly to Mary, “Stop, don’t do it! Do not make another New Year’s resolution to diet as it leads to yo yo dieting.”

When I explain to patients what’s really going on with desperate dieting followed by binge eating I often see a twinkle in their eye as they nod, bobbing their head like a dolphin dancing on the ocean top delighted direction is coming.

Mary is a food addict. As she begins to “get it” she has an Oprah “light bulb moment!” realizing that her up and down weight loss is not her fault, but rather from years of dieting and addictive eating.

Today, especially the first day of January, promises of food restriction, clamping teeth shut determined to eat 500 calories a day is a recipe for disaster.

Let’s be clear: There’s no such diet or trick or secret as losing 20, 40, 60 or whatever number of pounds you want to lose in a few short weeks and or months. Mary’s 500 calorie diet sets her up for quick weight loss followed by quick weight gain. I know, been there done that a million times.

Where to begin?  Let’s start with four points:

 

Ø  Admit you are out of control with food. This first step is not easy but it’s a start point to release the obsession with food.

Ø  Understand sugar, flour, and wheat are drugs to many binge eaters. Mary reminds me of the addict who promises they’ll never take another hit, snort, or shoot up again, without admission to the addictive components. Coming from a "will power" frame of mind is sure to fail.

Ø  Develop a spiritual connection to something greater than yourself. Call it God, Yahweh, or Lucy, whatever—just connect to your Divine Source. Mary is two hundred pounds overweight. She is a prisoner in her own body. Addictions are stronger and bigger than our will to stop using, we can’t do it alone.

Ø  Take one day at a time and practice recovery. Mary must let go of the "quick" fix ideation. When humble and focused she can work a whole, natural food plan free of sugar, flour, and wheat. In the here and now, working her program one meal at a time with progress not perfection, I think she’ll make it to the other side: thin and healthy.

 
When I was in the food I promised I would stop. I too vowed to lose the weight and never binge again. I meant it! Once I dropped some weight and started looking good I fell deep into a binge. It wasn’t until I realized I had to let go of the addictive foods I became free of the obsessions and cravings. It’s not a question of will power but rather of letting go of an addiction to specific foods. As simple as it sounds it worked. My weight corrected and I am free of cravings.

 Many patients I work with also are free from cravings and have returned to their normal weight. I wish I could say they all followed my path, but truth be told, many are on the same ride as Mary, believing there’s a quick fix often losing only to gain more weight than what they started with.

Successful patients have a clear understanding it’s a process and that it takes time if they want to enter long-term success.  Eat balanced meals one day at a time is the ticket to recovery.

Although I did not hear specific talk about spiritual recovery, Mary is beginning to echo thoughts regarding some Higher Force to carry her through the process. She grasps it’s not about the food, nor is it about the weight, it’s an addiction to food. It is about turning to a physical, emotional, and spiritual recovery.

 

 

Photos taken by: Dr. Lisa Ortigara Crego

 

*Weightcontroltherapy.com, founded in 2001, offers the public an opportunity to explore  why you eat what you eat and to better understand why food can cause your moods to swing, your cravings to soar, your weight to increase, your self-esteem to plummet, and your fatigue to rage. I blog posts to share experiences, light the flame of hope for all to conquer their poor relationship physically, emotionally, and spiritually to food.