Addiction

I told you this would be my own version of the ABC Challenge, so I'm deciding to do more than one word for some of the letters.  For me another part of my weight-loss journey is dealing with addiction.  Addiction can be described as the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is habit-forming to such an extent that its cessation causes sever trauma (dictionary.com).  There are several forms of addiction; alcohol, gambling, promiscuity, shopping, and food are just a few.  Instant gratification is a large part of addiction (at least for me).  We live in a world filled with instant gratification, indulgence, over abundance, and lack of self control.  Our world says " If it feels good do it!" (eat, drink, have sex etc...) and "If it doesn't feel good you can hide from it!" (in a bottle, in a TV show, on the internet...)  In my case my "it feels good do it!" part is food.  Food is AWESOME!  It tastes so good!  All those sweet starchy yummy things calling my name!!  It is instant gratification at its finest.  The problem with instant gratification is that it leaves as quickly as it arrives and you are off looking for the next instant of gratification.  Thus we enter part two "it doesn't feel good hide from it".  So, I would eat that greasy meal from McDonald's or KFC or Burger King or any number of other places and I would feel GREAT...for the amount of time it took me to finish the meal.  Then I would feel horrible, disgusted, and self loathing.  Did that feel good?  NO!  What would I do?  I would hide from it.  Where did I hide? In my fridge, at a fast food restaurant, in the bakery section of the grocery store...  I would hide and search for my next instant.  Obviously I found a great deal of gratification!  It is a vicious cycle that seems to never end.  Most people will tell you that with addiction you have to hit rock bottom before a change can be made.  What that rock bottom is though is an individual thing.  For me, rock bottom was actually a positive time in my life.  I had a new job in a new city and I moved to Savannah with my family.  It really felt like a fresh start.  So, why not start fresh with my weight loss goal?  As a bonus, now I am a little older and wiser than I was 10 years ago and I also have some more practice with my spiritual life.  I know that for me food is an addiction and , like most addictions it has stolen my time, money, health, and joy.  But I know that with the help of friends, family, and God all things are possible.  I can beat this addiction.  I can take back my life and my joy.  There are people in my life who have beaten addiction and they are my inspiration.  I will overcome this!