Pav, Thanks for the reminder about that gratitude thing :smile:! It has become such a constant part of my daily life to notice how 'things would be different (worse) if I were still drinking' that I haven't even thought to mention it in awhile. Like not drinking, being grateful is the new normal - and for that I am very grateful!!
OK, you hit on something that made it almost impossible for me to accept I was in the mess I was in. In most aspects of life I'm very self-controlled, self-motivated, and disciplined. I have 2 exceptions, though, although it is only in retrospect that I see more clearly what was going on.
I always preferred carbohydrates to other foods - especially breads, baked goods, starchy vegetables, ice cream, etc. I was pretty indifferent to protein or fat unless it came with the carbs or was in the form of cheese. Occasionally I overate foods like cookies until I was uncomfortable and could never understand why I did something so stupid. I never thought "addiction", however. I just thought I was a "pig" - and all the media messages pretty much supported that self-image. I wasn't as thin as I wanted to be (again, media messages) but I wasn't overweight so it never seemed like a huge problem. My taste for most of those foods decreased when I had to quit eating gluten because 30 years ago, the gluten-free substitutes were gross. But, I still ate ice cream, candy, and other sources of sugar UNTIL... some time in my mid to late 30s I started drinking wine.
My interest in sweets and starches decreased over time as my wine intake increased and while I ate the newly available gluten free breads, pastas, etc. that became available, I never overate them. When I found out several years ago that I needed to really restrict sugar and carbs to get my blood sugar down, it really wasn't difficult. I used L-glutamine sometimes but the real reason was... Daily wine drinking. I think my problem with alcohol escalated as I got my blood sugar under control by eating very little sugar/starchy carbohydrate. Unlike what is often written, red wine contains very little sugar so it does not raise blood sugar and I (stupidly) used that to justify continuing to drink it. However, it crosses into the brain where it is metabolized for energy and it strongly activates the reward system - it is like sugar on steroids so no wonder it wasn't so hard to give up sugar and carbs - I had something that was even "better".
So in retrospect, I think my eating behavior had similar addictive elements - it's just that it was at a lower level in terms of compulsion/reward and the consequences weren't as awful. It wasn't ruining my life and I didn't constantly hate myself (just if I ate a whole package of Milanos at a sitting or gained a few pounds). There is the thought that disordered carbohydrate metabolism is at the root of alcoholism, at least in some people. My experience certainly has been that they are connected. When I first gave up alcohol, on the occasions that I did eat sugary carbs, it set up an intense craving for alcohol the next day. Avoiding that trigger is an additional incentive to stay away from "treats". Interestingly, people who have gastric bypass are at increased risk of alcohol addiction post-surgery. They can't eat much at a time and are no longer getting the "hits" from the foods they used to eat that contributed to their obesity - but they can drink. And sadly, many do.
Given that I have no interest in other addictive substances and those I do consume such as caffeine are easily moderated and I hate most activities that are considered behavioral addictions (e.g. gambling, pornography), I really don't think I have an "addictive personality". I think I have a brain that likes the "hit" that sugar and alcohol provides so if I have some, I want (and think I need) a lot. If I have very little (sugar) or none (alcohol), everything is fine.
If anyone is reading this and recognizes themselves as a person who struggles with both food (carb/sugar) and alcohol intake problems, giving up both instead of substituting one for the other might be the way to go.
NS
PS: alcohol leads to insulin-resistance, which is at the root of diabetes and several other diseases so don't let the fact that it doesn't directly raise blood sugar fool you as I allowed to happen!
OK, you hit on something that made it almost impossible for me to accept I was in the mess I was in. In most aspects of life I'm very self-controlled, self-motivated, and disciplined. I have 2 exceptions, though, although it is only in retrospect that I see more clearly what was going on.
I always preferred carbohydrates to other foods - especially breads, baked goods, starchy vegetables, ice cream, etc. I was pretty indifferent to protein or fat unless it came with the carbs or was in the form of cheese. Occasionally I overate foods like cookies until I was uncomfortable and could never understand why I did something so stupid. I never thought "addiction", however. I just thought I was a "pig" - and all the media messages pretty much supported that self-image. I wasn't as thin as I wanted to be (again, media messages) but I wasn't overweight so it never seemed like a huge problem. My taste for most of those foods decreased when I had to quit eating gluten because 30 years ago, the gluten-free substitutes were gross. But, I still ate ice cream, candy, and other sources of sugar UNTIL... some time in my mid to late 30s I started drinking wine.
My interest in sweets and starches decreased over time as my wine intake increased and while I ate the newly available gluten free breads, pastas, etc. that became available, I never overate them. When I found out several years ago that I needed to really restrict sugar and carbs to get my blood sugar down, it really wasn't difficult. I used L-glutamine sometimes but the real reason was... Daily wine drinking. I think my problem with alcohol escalated as I got my blood sugar under control by eating very little sugar/starchy carbohydrate. Unlike what is often written, red wine contains very little sugar so it does not raise blood sugar and I (stupidly) used that to justify continuing to drink it. However, it crosses into the brain where it is metabolized for energy and it strongly activates the reward system - it is like sugar on steroids so no wonder it wasn't so hard to give up sugar and carbs - I had something that was even "better".
So in retrospect, I think my eating behavior had similar addictive elements - it's just that it was at a lower level in terms of compulsion/reward and the consequences weren't as awful. It wasn't ruining my life and I didn't constantly hate myself (just if I ate a whole package of Milanos at a sitting or gained a few pounds). There is the thought that disordered carbohydrate metabolism is at the root of alcoholism, at least in some people. My experience certainly has been that they are connected. When I first gave up alcohol, on the occasions that I did eat sugary carbs, it set up an intense craving for alcohol the next day. Avoiding that trigger is an additional incentive to stay away from "treats". Interestingly, people who have gastric bypass are at increased risk of alcohol addiction post-surgery. They can't eat much at a time and are no longer getting the "hits" from the foods they used to eat that contributed to their obesity - but they can drink. And sadly, many do.
Given that I have no interest in other addictive substances and those I do consume such as caffeine are easily moderated and I hate most activities that are considered behavioral addictions (e.g. gambling, pornography), I really don't think I have an "addictive personality". I think I have a brain that likes the "hit" that sugar and alcohol provides so if I have some, I want (and think I need) a lot. If I have very little (sugar) or none (alcohol), everything is fine.
If anyone is reading this and recognizes themselves as a person who struggles with both food (carb/sugar) and alcohol intake problems, giving up both instead of substituting one for the other might be the way to go.
NS
PS: alcohol leads to insulin-resistance, which is at the root of diabetes and several other diseases so don't let the fact that it doesn't directly raise blood sugar fool you as I allowed to happen!
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