Breaking the Addiction

It doesn't matter who you are or what diet or lifestyle you are driving towards when you cut out processed foods, sugar, and empty carbs your body and mind are going to let you know about it. I don't think anyone will argue with the fact that sugar, carbs, and artificial sweeteners all have addictive properties and in many people they are downright brutal. This makes complete sense in an evolutionary context. Simple easy to burn calories would have been scarce and only seasonally available. It would have served us well to take in and store as much as possible during these brief periods of availability. In a modern context these foods are available 24-7 and in many cases a majority of our calories. We are being setup for a vicious cycle of addiction and slow steady weight gain.
Here's the good news. While peoples food addictions can be pretty intense I have found that the first two or three weeks are the hardest. People find it hard to believe they can break their addiction this quickly but most who have tried and failed have not taken the key steps necessary to break the addiction.
Here is a quote from my post A brief history... back when I first started the blog, "When I started Paleo the first two weeks were the hardest. I wasn't eating enough, our grocery shopping habits had not evolved to adequately cover what we should have been taking in. I was very hungry, sluggish, and generally uncomfortable. This was clearly a combination of too few calories and the transition off of the heavy carb load I had been used to."
JT's post Facepalms really hit the nail on the head and you can see that he is going through this tough spot as we speak.
Here are a few steps I believe are critical to break the addiction and set you on the path to success.

1. Clean out the Pantry
There is nothing worse than coming home hungry and irritable and not having anything healthy to eat. If you haven’t already done so, get rid of all the processed crap in the pantry and stock up with as many healthy snacks as you can. A few almonds, an avocado, an egg, a banana, an orange, some carrots. Anything that fits the template is better than the processed packaged foods you had been eating. If you have others in the house that are not eating like you, setup a special spot in the pantry for the food you will be eating. Early on my wife established the Paleo basket in the pantry where I put all my Paleo foods that were not in the fridge.

2. Don't Cheat with your Addictions
If you are factoring in a few cheats per week make sure they are on the healthy end of the spectrum. Three cheats per week shouldn't include cake and cookies or a full day binge with all your strongest food addictions. You need to avoid those foods that invoke the strongest desire for as long as possible and 30 days are probably a good rule of thumb.

3. Eat More
It is so easy for people starting out to under feed themselves. I have stated this a number of times and can't say it enough. It is imperative that you eat enough food. Don't obsess about how much you are eating. Keep things balanced but if you are hungry then eat. You can spend time fine tuning things after you get through this initial rough spot. Generally people cut out all the grain and processed food and eat about the same amount of meat and veggies they traditionally would have. This creates a hypo-caloric situation making it twice as hard to break through the initial withdrawal.

4. Hold on, It's only a Few More Days
It is always darkest just before the dawn. While you are in that initial 7-10 day range and just about to go insane you are only a day or two from making that break through. Stay focused, it's only going to be a few more days and you will emerge with new energy and vitality to carry you forward.

5. Pick a Support Person
Pick someone who has been there and done that, someone you can reach out to when you are weak and need a little pump in motivation and confidence. Pick them and then actually check in with them and let them know how you are doing. If you can't find someone that will work then email me.
Here is another quote from A brief history... "Week two was the game changer. As week two started I began to feel a change. I started to feel energized almost tingly. My energy seemed to be increasing and my mood was much better than the week before. I also felt like I was sleeping much sounder. My hunger issues and cravings of week one also seemed to vanish, partly do to the additional food but I had also got accustom to this new way of eating. At the end of week two I jumped on the scale and had lost a couple more pounds and could not believe it."
Most people fail at breaking the addiction because they don't cut all the addictive foods long enough to get there. The worst part is they are likely only a day or two from success and a whole new way of looking at food. Sticking to all natural whole foods within this philosophy will ensure you are rid of the addictive foods. Then it is time to hunker down and drive through the first few weeks. Follow these key steps to set yourself up for success and hold on tight.

Let me know how you are doing or how you did!

Thanks
Chuck