Day 7: Food Addiction, it's not just me!

Posted on Yahoo! here:

Since May, Drew Manning has gained about 70 pounds on purpose. And he’s not done yet.

Drew is a personal trainer and has always been the “fit guy.” He’s now on a journey he calls Fit 2 Fat 2 Fit where he spends six months (he has about 4 weeks left) eating unhealthy food and not exercising, then he will take six more months to get fit again. Why? To experience for himself what it’s like to be overweight, how tough it is to lose weight, and ultimately show others how to get fit. But this is sooo extreme! And I hate that Drew is deliberately making himself unhealthy. I asked him all about it…

FFTV: Are you enjoying eating all those unhealthy foods?

DM: Yes and no. To some extent, all of these foods that I’m eating (sugary cereals, granola bars, juices, white breads, white pastas, sodas, crackers, chips, frozen dinners, mac n cheese, etc.) taste delicious. But then I feel like crap later on and I get hungry again and crave those same foods.


FFTV: You’ve gained about 70 pounds now since May – how do you feel?

DM: I’m to the point where I feel lethargic and uncomfortable. I definitely feel “addicted” to these foods. In the beginning, I did not like soda, but now I can’t go a day without, otherwise I’ll get the headaches, bad mood, etc. Emotionally, it’s taken a toll on my confidence level, even in my marriage. I don’t like the way I look in public; nothing fits right; bending over to tie my shoes or clip my toe nails has become so difficult. I’ve definitely taken those things for granted.

FFTV: You mentioned that you want to gain an understanding of how hard it is to be overweight – what have you learned so far?

DM: I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is how intense and how real these food cravings are. I think a lot of people associate the word “addiction” with drugs and alcohol, but I do believe this addiction (to America’s processed foods) is real and very similar. I know I’ll never know exactly what it’s like for every person that’s overweight and I don’t claim to, but at least I understand better than I did before when I never had to struggle with this. I hope to learn a lot more in the second half of my journey, from fat 2 fit.

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Wow. You can see a picture of the dude if you click on the hyperlink at the beginning of this post. I definitely don't feel so alone now with my food addiction.

You know I was thinking about this earlier today as I was eating lunch AT HOME again.

Addictions can effect anyone it just affects everyone differently.

It's really irritating to watch people eat whatever they damn well please, healthy or not, and not gain any EFFING WEIGHT, EVER!!! (I have a lot of irritable rage pent up inside about it).

But it got me thinking about food addictions. We, typical, healthy Americans, view all overweight people to have a food addiction. And perhaps that's primarily the cause of their excessive weight, I honestly don't know. Pretty sure having certain thyroid issues can cause serious weight gain regardless if you work 2xs a day, 6xs a week and eat super super clean and healthy. There are medical conditions that can cause you to actually gain some weight, of course I wouldn't think-- I don't know this to be true or not, just my ignorant assumptions-- that these types of rare medical conditions don't cause you to gain significant weight if you exercise and eat smart.

So these overweight people, right, we ASSUME they all have a eating addiction. But what about those of us who aren't overweight? I exercise regularly, I eat smart 80% of the time, but I can honestly stand up and say I have a problem with eating. It's taken a lot of fights with myself and a lot of hunger to conquer 80% of my diet to be healthy eating but that 20% still lingers and still rules over the 80% when it wants to. I think my genetics have a major role in why I am not overweight. And I believe this because when I was not exercising, at all, like none. The ONLY exercise I'd get would be walking to and from class or to and from the dining halls on campus when I was in college, therefore I was consuming excessively amounts of fat, carbs, sugars, and calories every day and not burning off adequate amounts daily to maintain a healthy weight. So eventually I reached 165 pounds. Then 173.5 pounds and that was the last time I stepped on the scale for quite some time and got my fat ass to the gym.

Ok technically someone my height, 5'8 can weigh between 128-165 pounds and still be considered healthy. So flirting with 165-175 pounds isn't scientifically that bad for me. But I certainly looked like shit. My point here is, it took me 3 years of NO (intended) EXERCISE what-so-ever for me to finally reach my overweight mark for my height. That was ages 18-20. Sure I know I was young and had a high metabolism and all the good shit, but I've seen younger girls, ranging ages from 2 or 3 years old to 20 years old being not just overweight, but obese to morbidly obese.

So I partially blame my parents for me not becoming obese during those 3 years. Thanks mom and dad.

Just because I didn't become obese doesn't mean I didn't accumulate a dirty food addiction. Just because someone's never had a DWI/DUI or blacked out hammered doesn't mean they're not an alcoholic.

Food addiction can happen to anyone. Alcoholism runs in my family. I've been able to keep clean from that, but unknowingly I developed this other addiction. I can't say if it runs in my family or not because I'm not inside my parents/ sisters/ grandparents heads so I don't know and I don't think anyone does know until one day it hits them in the face and comes full frontal attention. I didn't know until I started this 21-day challenge. I've got 23 years without knowing. Well at least, 5 years.

But now that I know. Shit's got to stop. I'm too much of a control freak to let something else, take control over me.

It's day 7 and I've successfully made it through without purchasing food. I didn't even really think about it today. Sure right now, as I sit here on my couch, home from Crossfit, getting hungry. I really don't care to cook anything and I don't have a go to meal ready so I'd LOVE to just run down to Subway and get a turkey sandwich, but luckily I haven't taken a shower yet and I'm not going out in public like this and I'm too hungry to eat after I take a shower. :) Good thing I'm logical and a planner. Otherwise I'm not sure this challenge would be successful thus far.

Cheers.