Ex drug addicts dieting woes.

[JaKob]

Brief history. Before i get flamed. I know how idiotic i have been in the past. I regret it and have done my best to ammend it. As a young naieve man i used amphetamines to cut, become dependent, got stuck in a cycle of addiction for about a year. Prior to that my diet was progressing and reacting well to simple calorie reduction. I felt fine in a calorie defecit... both low carb and moderate carb. However post drug addiction i have been having constant problems.

When i detoxed i continually binged, never felt quite myself, and found it hard to distinguish boredom, depression, craving from genuine hunger. I wasn't and still am not quite in touch with my senses. I find it very hard to determine when i am genuinely hungry. I felt drived and compelled to eat sugar in its most refined and harmful form constantly during this initial detox period. Subsequent to this i started making an attempt to get a healthy diet plan together but the progress stopped there. I understand the basic concepts in regards to insulin sensitivity, caloric defecit, 7 rules when it comes to attempting to cut weight. However i just cant apply them with consistency.

I can avoid the pizza, the fatty takeout, the fried chicken.... i cant however avoid binging on sugar. At times in the day im stable, content, and eating well. And then suddenly i crash. I feel lethargic, weak, irritable, light headed, and im drawn to eating sugar. Once i start i cant stop. I binge terribly. I can't explain it. I was never a fan of sweet food originaly, i still dont actually LIKE the taste. Ill fight to eat cleanly for 2-3 days... then the feeling like shit and overwhelming sugar craving will hit me and ill mindlessly binge on sugary snacks. Ill feel better afterwards... and then like complete shit. It's driving me nuts, and im constantly anxious about when this is going to happen which doesnt help. I've been to the doctor and routine tests at the local clinic show my fasting bloodsugar is not high and im not a diabetic. But im sure the huge constant sugar intake during months of straightening myself out set off some kind of imbalance that i have struggled with since

. I've considered hypoglycemia also, but wouldn't my diet (an example at the bottom)... of small portions of lowgi carbs, protein, good fats and veges on a regular basis eliminate such symptoms. There are days where i feel good.. but there are always shaky periods especially after meals. Im so frustrated and tempted to try the atkins diet which my doctor has advised against strongly... his reasoning being if theres any problems with blood sugar and balance and extreme of any sort should be avoided.

Any Thoughts are much appreciated.

9.00 am

Oatmeal, Whey, Blueberries, Half a tablespoon almond butter.
12.00

Chicken Breast, Small portion brown rice, Steamed veges

3.00

1 whole egg/5 Egg White omelette, steamed veges, whole wheat tortilla.

6.00
Chicken Breast, small portion brown rice, steamed veges.

9.00
Cottage Cheese, Half a table spoon almond butter.

Total Calorie intake About 2200 cal, Carb intake 110 g.
Resistance training 3 x week, cardio 3 x week, lots of rest and sleep. I must note i often wake feeling hungry and unable to sleep at strange hours. I know im not in a large calorie defecit at all. Im between maintainence... few hundred calories below.... and extreme fat storing mode when i fuck up eating crap every 3-4 days.

 

[IDRISCKY]

Do you have a sponsor? Do you go to meetings? How long have you been sober?

I'd almost be willing to bet you traded one addiction for another. While anecdotal, Primal Mind Primal Body does point out some staggering correlations between former addicts and what they use to fill that addiction. Just take a look around you at a AA/NA meeting. Coffee, donuts, cigarettes. Most have unknowingly traded their former addition(s) for caffeine, carbohydrate, nicotine. A low-carb diet may be beneficial for you. But hard to adopt.

You may want to try and contact Nora Gedgaudas. She has helped quite a few people in situations close to yours with a holistic and neurofeedback type approach. She also actually answers her e-mails herself, quite fast too.

Sorry, that's pretty much all I have. I've never went down that path myself, nor have I ever been in the situation where I've been permitted to try and help someone with their addition and recovery.

Congratulations on sobriety though. It's a hard lifelong thing, but at least you're willing to ask and get help. There's a girl I desperately wish would get sober. Hanging out with her for a few months after 7 years just about broke my heart. Seeing her addictions, health problems, depression, lifestyle... I wish she was willing to get help.

 

[JaKob]

Sobriety achieved in Feburary 2008. I binged on sugar, drank coffee, and drank alcohol heavily following that... so yes i did trade one addiction for another. However i did consult with professionals and i am confident i have broken all psychological addictions. I dont think about sugar like i do a drug... i hate the shit. I dont like the way it tastes. I dont like Sugar based foods at all. Im confident there is a physical component here. I feel impaired, slow, sluggish after eating... during these impaired periods in a brain fog i often feel jittery and go on autopilot eating sugar. I wakeup in the middle of the night and automaticaly go and eat. I think during that detox that lasted many months, the extreme binges have caused some kind of imbalance i have yet to get a handle on.

I have empathy for you're situation. People must take responsibility for their actions, however drug addiction hijacks you're brain chemistry and alters the very judgement a person needs to easily gain control and be rational. You can use you're mind and willpower to systematically recover from a debilitating physical injury. But when you have an imbalance in you're brain you have compromised the very facility you need to be rational and recover. Its a frustrating situation to say the least. Takes alot of patience, determination and often an initial extreme course of action to get them over the first hill... snap them out of it... get them to realise the reality and implications of the situation at hand.

 

[IDRISCKY]

Sobriety achieved in Feburary 2008. I binged on sugar, drank coffee, and drank alcohol heavily following that... so yes i did trade one addiction for another. However i did consult with professionals and i am confident i have broken all psychological addictions. I dont think about sugar like i do a drug... i hate the shit. I dont like the way it tastes. I dont like Sugar based foods at all. Im confident there is a physical component here. I feel impaired, slow, sluggish after eating... during these impaired periods in a brain fog i often feel jittery and go on autopilot eating sugar. I wakeup in the middle of the night and automaticaly go and eat. I think during that detox that lasted many months, the extreme binges have caused some kind of imbalance i have yet to get a handle on.

I have empathy for you're situation. People must take responsibility for their actions, however drug addiction hijacks you're brain chemistry and alters the very judgement a person needs to easily gain control and be rational. You can use you're mind and willpower to systematically recover from a debilitating physical injury. But when you have an imbalance in you're brain you have compromised the very facility you need to be rational and recover. Its a frustrating situation to say the least. Takes alot of patience, determination and often an initial extreme course of action to get them over the first hill... snap them out of it... get them to realise the reality and implications of the situation at hand.

You haven't had any relapses since 2008? I'm not trying to be Dr. Drew or anything(I'm not hot enough), but if you eat an equal amount of quality carbs to the amount of sugar you eat, and you still have uncontrollable binging. You may want to look into an addiction.

Your diet looks ok. I'd add more fat, red meats, whole eggs, etc. Checkout the zero carb thread on the front page. Even if you don't try a Zero carb diet, there is a lot of great information there that can be used for a low-carb diet.

 

[JaKob]

Yup thats right havent touched speed since. Yeah i have looked into addicton. And ive had help in every way. I know and feel what psychological addiction is. I've been there. I just dont think this is it. I dont think about food in the sameway, i binge subsequent to physical symptoms. When i get sad and depressed and angry i dont gravitate towards sugar at all. I fixate on memories and cravings of amphetamines instantly though. The sugar thing is a reaction to the brain fog and disorientation. i think im going to make an attempt at cutting grains, dairy, starches. Just Protein/fat/veges/nuts. See how my body adapts and from there maybe slowly reintroduce carbs and carefully observe the reaction and tolerance. Its the only thing i havent tried.

 

[IDRISCKY]

Yup thats right havent touched speed since. Yeah i have looked into addicton. And ive had help in every way. I know and feel what psychological addiction is. I've been there. I just dont think this is it. I dont think about food in the sameway, i binge subsequent to physical symptoms. When i get sad and depressed and angry i dont gravitate towards sugar at all. I fixate on memories and cravings of amphetamines instantly though. The sugar thing is a reaction to the brain fog and disorientation. i think im going to make an attempt at cutting grains, dairy, starches. Just Protein/fat/veges/nuts. See how my body adapts and from there maybe slowly reintroduce carbs and carefully observe the reaction and tolerance. Its the only thing i havent tried.

That's cool. I'm not going to try and argue with you, just keep in mind that when you start to think you know exactly what's wrong/going on, you leave yourself open. It's REALLY great that you have been sober since Feb. 2008 though. So many people slip up.

Sounds like you're pretty much going Paleo. So you may want to checkout Marksdailyapple.com, RobbWolf.com, primalbody-primalmind.com, grab Robb's podcast, pick up The Primal Blueprint, Primal Mind Primal Body, checkout Good Calories Bad Calories, etc. Lots of information out there. Robb's book comes out later this year also.