wearycobra252 said:Well, I think it’s because everyone has their own weird little way of dealing with stress. Some people find instant relief in food—at least, in that exact second. And in that moment, they aren't even thinking, "Oh, I'm eating this to cope." They just feel this massive, overwhelming urge to eat. If you look back at what I wrote about how I cut down on sugar, it made sense. At first, I started logging every single sweet thing I ate, and only then did I realize *why* I was reaching for them. Like, when I head straight for a pint of Ben & Jerry's, I'm not doing it consciously to manage my anxiety. I'm doing it because I have this intense, almost uncontrollable craving for sugar. It's like somewhere along the line in my life, I started linking sweets to comfort way more than most people do.
The other day at Target, I saw this woman with a kid who was absolutely losing it—just screaming his lungs out. To get him to quiet down, the mom told him, "Stop crying right now and I'll buy you some chocolate."
See, that kid viewed that chocolate as a reward. And if that kind of pattern keeps happening, there's a really good chance that as he grows up, he'll spend a huge chunk of his adult life rewarding himself with chocolate, without ever truly understanding the reason behind it.
My parents made certain mistakes with my brother and me; we didn't even have to cry to get what we wanted, because there was always a cookie, a piece of chocolate, or some ice cream nearby... 😢 For much of our lives, we were raised to believe that breakfast, lunch, or dinner wasn't complete without something sweet, because we were taught to "scavenge" for treats while waiting for the main meal...
I have managed to distance myself from sugar somewhat, though certainly not entirely, as I found myself eating half a Kinder Bueno just this morning. A year and a half ago, I would have polished the whole thing off, followed by ice cream, perhaps a large chocolate bar, or even a whole pack of cookies. When my doctor informed me there was a high probability I would develop diabetes, I felt as though my world was collapsing... after all, how does one find a way to quit the very thing that sustains your happiness?
I made a clean break almost overnight.
I didn't keep a log, even though that is actually a very effective method for self-reflection and awareness. I told myself I would try to go four days without any sugar, then seven, eventually setting a limit of ten days. This meant that after ten days, I could permit myself, say, one chocolate bar or some biscuits. This period of discipline lasted several months and required constant vigilance, as the temptations in the aisles were relentless. Nowadays, when I walk into a store, I might think about grabbing a bite, but instead of reaching for chocolate, I opt for almonds, cashews, or fruit... occasionally I'll treat myself to a juice, as I’ve successfully managed to move away from those as well...
The reality is that sugar triggers a sense of mild euphoria that is often missing when we feel stressed or anxious. Back when I used to head to campus in Chicago and tell my best friend how depressed the city made me feel, they would always respond with, "Just make some pasta, eat some chocolate..." However, one can also hop on a bicycle and allow oneself to be flooded with a wonderful surge of energy that provides a satisfaction quite similar to eating chocolate. Or perhaps running? My current tactic for dealing with melancholy is to put on my sneakers and run for at least one minute longer than I did the previous day...
One must set a goal! That goal should be the individual themselves and their own internal satisfaction, which may happen to be accompanied by improved physical appearance. A diet, strictly defined, cannot function if specific habits are constantly undermining it. A diet can only succeed if it becomes a lifestyle—a decision to eat healthier, punctuated by the occasional, measured reward...