Certainly there are major differences between heroin and sugar addiction. What’s also true is that obesity is more than just unattractive: According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity and overweight together are the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. (Heart disease is first.)

Hi Wy!

Thank you for sharing your experience with this. There are definitely pros and cons to the 12 step approach to food. It’s different than alcohol, as you have to find a way to manage the addiction. I know that there are people who love FA. And other people that don’t find a match with it. It’s about finding what works best for YOU.

Knowing about asking for Help makes a huge difference, as then the Divine can help lead you to the best path for you. For me, understanding my relationship with sugar was key, in or out of 12 step programs. Like you say, it’s one day a time. And we always have Help. Praise God!! 🙂

XOZ

Thanks for writing this. I needed to read it. I had been on the no sugar wagon for over 4 years through FA and jumped off said wagon last summer. I did it to see where I could go with my addiction. What I mean is I wanted to clean house. Now, when I clean house it initially looks a lot worse than it did before I started. I’m at that point right now, but I feel like I’ve made some headway. In program it was cushy and comfortable. I had a strict plan to adhere to and I was just cruising along. “It works if you work it.” But something was missing, and I don’t mean just flour or sugar. Emotionally I wasn’t growing. I didn’t really get IT. Anyway, I am starting to get IT now, and with God’s help I am working through it. I don’t know if I will go back to FA. For now I’m not. We will see. One day at a time.
Xo, Wy

Hi Nathan,

There is something to be said for profound and legal. I think that every one of us knows what we need to do in any given circumstance. Sounds like you, like a lot of the commenters here, are aware of what they are needing to do, given their individual circumstances. Sending you love and blessings. 🙂

XOZ

Hi Katherine,

Thanks for stopping by! And thanks for including the link. There’s lots of good information in that graph/article – much food for thought, so to speak.

Also, you make an important point by mentioning processed and unprocessed foods.

One reason that I can keep sugar out of my diet now is that I eat primarily unprocessed foods – fruits and veggies and grains, with meat occasionally. When I go out to dinner, I might have bread, but I don’t make it a regular part of my diet. And bread is not a trigger food for me, as it is for some. As a lot of the commenters on this post have said, it’s about finding what works best for each person.

Thank you for your comment. Stop by again any time! 🙂

XOZ

My sister sent me the link to this post…do you think she’s trying to tell me something? 🙂

Actually, she doesn’t need to tell me, I know I have a sugar addiction, and have had since my teens. And, a sugar binge can lead to eating salty foods as well. They cause me to I wake up feeling like crap; bloated; my eyes all swollen; headache; dry mouth; now where’s the sexy in that?

Kudos to you for kicking the habit! It’s a challenge to eat foods that don’t harbor that nasty little substance, because even the rice chips I buy to avoid gluten have sugar. Being mindful in the grocery store helps, but some items still get by me.

Sticking with fresh, unprocessed foods seems to be the best option. Juicing has helped to fulfill a need for nutrients, which helps me to limit the amount of sugar I eat, some days. 🙂

http://foodbeast.com/2013/10/01/an-unforgiving-breakdown-of-how-much-sugar-america-consumes/

The link above will give people an idea of how much sugar we eat…the amount is staggering, and because it’s hidden in so many food items we can be completely unaware of how much we are eating.

Just looking at the graph makes me want to kick the habit completely.

Thanks for the post…I enjoy your writing, and look forward to reading more.

Many Blessings,
Katherine

Hi Karen,

So sorry about the broccoli addiction for your sweetheart – sounds really tough! 🙂

I love the solution you’ve found for your sweet tooth. I especially love that you avoid the Grocer Clerk Fish Eye – always one of the most dreaded things about being a sugar enthusiast.

I also concur with Abe – it’s all about feeling good about what we put in our bodies. When we can get to that place, everything just flows. Even broccoli!

XOZ

I definitely have a sweet tooth, but I’ve found a way of soothing any cravings by eating Baker’s Chocolate squares. As a result of good old Baker and his squares, I’ve let go of cookies, donuts, cake, candy, you-name-it, except on special occasions. I don’t even think about them. Four small squares at a time cause me to feel full and indulged. Relatively low calorie and low sugar — and antioxidant rich, I reckon.

Also, they’re portable AND when you buy a stack of the red boxes at the grocery store, the clerk assumes you’re a baker/cook of some sort and admires you rather than giving you the fish eye, as when you check out with a case of M&Ms.

The main thing that I’ve learned from Abraham-Hicks about food is to be a happy eater. When we’re relaxed and feeling good, we’re inspired to eat what’s good for us, whether it’s Baker’s chocolate or broccoli or a combination thereof. 🙂 And when we’re in that good frame of mind, whatever we eat will tend to have the effect on our bodies that we want.