Support: Stay Awake

prohibitionJust because you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town. ~ George Carlin

“Mom, I don’t need Ruffles. If they hurt you, don’t buy them,” said my [at the time] 11-year-old daughter, who is so much wiser than her years.

Simplicity at its finest. No excuses. No regrets. No blame. Just the truth from someone who has my back.

That short, sweet sentence launched the beginning of the end of my addiction.

There, I said it. I’m a recovering addict.

And I’m being completely serious.

Addiction therapy gurus tell us that to overcome an addiction, we first have to admit we have a problem.

Diet coke? Chocolate chip cookies?  A mocha with whip to get your through the afternoon?

Are you still trying to deny that these habits, these addictions, don’t lead to destructive behaviors and results?

Yes, I was addicted to Ruffles. They are like a drug to me. I can’t even have them in my house because I will find some an excuse to eat them. If they are in my house, they taunt me, tease me, call my name. They wake me in the middle of the night. I get up thinking about them. I will use any excuse in the book to consume them. You’ve heard them all before:

  • “Oh, it’s ok just this once …”
  • “I can stop after just one …”
  • “I will give them up tomorrow …”
  • “It’s not like it’s a drug, what’s the real harm …?”

I even convinced myself I was being unfair to my daughter by not allowing her to have the snack she loved in the house. I went so far as to say to myself, “I simply must learn to live with them in my house because I don’t want to deny my baby girl something she loves.”

Yeah, I know. Pretty bad, huh?

When I finally admitted to myself that I had a problem, I mustered the courage to ask her if she’d be terribly upset if we never brought Ruffles into the house again.

In no uncertain terms she made it clear that a Ruffle-free life would be perfectly fine with her.

I am happy to say I have been Ruffle free since May of 2011!

And, yes, it gets easier and easier with each passing day. I am creating a new normal.  I know that my new habit creates new pathways in my brain. I’m getting out of the rut thinking that trapped me for so long. Sure, sometimes my addiction rears its head and tries to tempt me. But I now know that is nothing more than the repercussions of a destructive, old habit.

That circus has not left town, but that monkey is off my back.  ::giggle::

We are usually triggered by something when we fall prey to our destructive addictions.  Are you aware of your triggers?

Are you awake enough to your emotions to know when you get to the point of crossing the line and falling on destructive, old patterns?

The Bod Squad Program will help you become more aware of the things that trigger you into making a false step that will sabotage your weight control journey.

Why not give yourself a chance to learn new ways of handling addictive behaviors?

If you have any questions about The Bod Squad Program, just click here and I will answer them.

No pressure. No tricks. Just you and me having a conversation about something that I KNOW has helped others. Ultimately, your decision is up to you.

One Comment on Support: Stay Awake

  1. Marcia DesRosiers says:

    Ha I must be giving you fodder for your posts!! I am a carb addict – stress is one of my biggest triggers! One thing I have found is that I tend to go down the road a way before I turn around and THAT is NOT a good plan! Working on getting back on the wagon

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