Cravings

To clarify, I did not intent the FD to suggest eating to address cravings. I agree with Nora, and Beth. But without eating something like 3 times a day, hunger becomes an issue, which when combined with either cravings or obsession, is a receipt for a run-a-way. Cravings, obsession, and addiction are all different, at least in my mind. Cravings seem to result from sub-clinical deficiencies, or the like, something physical. Since starting an the dose of supplements that I take, these have reduced to only occasionally. But the cravings, obsessions, and addition are just laying there, waiting, for an opportunity to arise and give me troubles. 

Phil Maffetone's Two Week test convinced me to give up most carbohydrates. Rolls and later Davis convinced me that wheat is evil. I have been mostly off sugar for most of thirty years.

Exercise helps if I have above average blood glucose, but not if the BG is less than about 5.0mm/l, 90 mg/dl, other than as a distraction. Exercise does help with impaired fasting glucose or high glucose. In my case, exercise does not seam to raise my blood glucose as it does for some (Jimmy Moore). I must use all glucose that I produce.

I still have some issues with stress induced cravings, but they come with the stress. Indecision or agonizing over decisions has a similar effect. These are identifiable by the time of onset. Either way, I still must eat 3 time/day. 

Protein supplements did not seam to help, which are often recommended. Off the top of my head, I do not remember which supplements Nora suggests, but when I read her book, I tried the ones I had not tried. (Nora came after Julia Ross) I could not notice any difference. Heavy doses of Multi-vitamin helped, so I started through the vitamins and minerals one at a time. Those that seemed to make a difference, I stayed on. Those which did not seem to help, I passed by.     

The obsession is the worst, when I cannot get my mind off the lunch bag that is within reach, or that banana on the counter that the wife is saving for tomorrow. Any thing that I like better than eating would distract me, but there is little left in my life that I like better. Work no longer interests me. All my hobbies just sit there while I pick away at this weight/eating/hunger issue.

Schwartz's four step method of overcoming obsession/compulsion : Relabel, Reattribute, Refocus, Revalue, 
and the OA program help, but the compulsion is still there, and some periods of time, I just lose it, what ever it is.

Food addiction is not the problem now that sugar, grains, cheese, and nuts are mostly out. Some days I am just hungry, that physical gut feeling that no one seems to able to define the cause of, that occurs about the time that gluconeogenesis must start.

Mediation does help, but I also need to do a few thing. I can mediate myself into inactivity, lack of urgency to get anything done, and just live in my head. It is not a bad place to be, living in my mind, but the pay is kinda poor. Walking mediation is good until my hip starts to hurt, but I can easily over do it. Bitch, bitch, yeh, I know I am full of myself. Time to get back to work.