June 15th, 2019 What A Relief!

June 15th, 2019 What A Relief!

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

Reader email/question: "Sean-I've been reading you for years. I sometimes fall in and out, so I don't read every single post. Every time I come back, you're here and I always find that consistency and commitment inspiring. I hope your mom gets well soon. That situation sounds stressful. I'm on the fence about whether or not I'm a food addict and that brings me to my question. How do I know for sure? I don't know because I have periods of doing really well followed by periods of not doing well at all. When I'm doing well, I feel like maybe I'm not. But then, when I'm struggling I think, I'm totally an addict. I once read a post from you about your own denial and I could relate a lot. How do I know for sure?" -Jenna in New York

Jenna, thank you for writing to me. In my opinion, denial is fueled by the enormous stigma that feels attached to the word "addict" or "addiction." It's tough to admit I think because it suggests there's something wrong with us, a flaw that runs deep in our internal code...and maybe if we can somehow control our behavior, then we're not an addict... and what a relief that would be! There comes a point--and it's a point unique to the individual, and sadly, some never reach it---but there's a point where the truth and consequences overpower the denial.

Most everyone is familiar with the term "rock-bottom." That's the point where the truth asserts itself so strongly, it's very difficult to deny. It's completely unique to the individual. My rock-bottom might be just getting started for someone else, or mine might be several layers deeper than someone else's experience. The shift in perspective needed, in my humble opinion, is this:

I'm an addict; what a relief! Great!!! Because now I know. It explains a lot! Once that personal declaration is made, without question, the measure of self-honesty needed to connect the dots of our behaviors becomes available. Denial keeps us on the merry-go-round of chaos and insanity. Once we embrace our addiction, we have a brand new opportunity to jump off that ride. Suddenly, we're not on another diet plan. Instead, we're inspired to create a recovery plan. Creating that all-important daily practice of things helps keep us fresh, one day at a time--because the merry-go-round is always sitting there waiting--and its deceptive allure offers a million false promises. The more we're immersed in our daily practice of recovery, the easier it becomes to see through the falsehoods offered by the merry-go-round. Here's the deal:

I'm not an expert in any way, shape, or form. My personal daily practice isn't perfect and I have a lot to learn. There are many things I must do to strengthen my recovery. I'm working on those things. All I have is my experience and a willingness to remain open to the possibilities. I listen to those who have much more experience than me--I study and learn from the experts with an open mind.

The experts, including Phil Werdell at Shift-Recovery By Acorn, have put together a serious of questions to help you determine if you're a food addict. Here's the link: https://foodaddiction.com/am-i-a-food-addict/
 
I hope that helps, Jenna! Thank you for reading!

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Last night included another round of late-night weather coverage at the studio. Usually, by this time of year, it starts slowing down considerably. Hopefully, the stormy pattern will slow soon. I did get home and took delight in not setting an alarm clock. I slept in very well. I needed it!

Mom is doing fairly well this morning. Her biggest issue so far was not getting coffee with her breakfast. Lately, that isn't the type of thing we're discussing. So, that's a good thing. She's pretty much the same as yesterday as far as her condition. She obviously still has the infection and side effects of the infection happening, but the care continues--and they're constantly monitoring her, and that gives me a large measure of comfort.

It's Father's Day! I'm not sure what the plan is for today, just yet. But I'm ready for whatever it becomes. My morning foundational routine is complete, I'm about to prepare a good meal, and I have plans to get a good workout today. Mom and I will not be doing our weekly Sunday outing, although that was also a topic this morning during our conversation. She's always ready to go, sick or not, oxygen tank or not--let's go!! But no, not a good plan and we're not doing that until these health issues have passed. I will go and spend some time visiting with her later today.

If you're a dad, have a wonderful Father's Day!!

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Practice, peace, and calm,
Sean

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