Yes, it's a great book, and I've highly recommended it ever since. Here's the thread I posted in January on "Passing For Thin" in the "Media" area.

MomSharon's thread from January

It sounds VERY interesting. I would like to read it.


I realize that carbs are fattening, esp. sugar and foods that are high on the glycemic scale, but why is it that some people eat sugary desserts, candy, ice cream, potatoes, lots of bread, etc. and DON'T gain weight. It MUST be something other than just WHAT they eat. I have an extremely slow metabolism because of thyroid disease, but that in itself didn't make me fat because I started gaining weight decades before I was ever diagnosed with thyroid disease.

The fact is that for a long time, eating was fun. As a child my mom pretty much controlled what I ate by what she bought at the grocery store and by not letting me have many food treats or snacks except on special occasions. And of course I couldn't snack while in elementary school or high school. I was a real skinny kid.

But when I was finally able to make my own choices in college, I made the wrong ones. I ate whatever I wanted. We were even allowed to bring chips and cokes into our college classrooms. And the college cafeteria was open from 7 AM to 10 pm everyday. And then there were the vending machines in the dorms. Well that is where it all began with me and that was years ago. I developed some awful eating habits and that coupled with the gradual slowing of my metabolism over the years is what made me overweight. I ate when I was happy and I ate when I was sad. I ate when I was stressed out and I ate when I was just sitting in front of the TV (mindless munching). I pigged out at church dinners and I ate when I was at home because I was lonely. After I had kids I tried to express my love to them as well as my husband through food. My husband now has a weight problem and so does my oldest son and my daughter and I probably started it all in my family.

But I have noticed that I rarely really enjoy food now. Sometimes I overeat our of shear habit. I really believe it is not so much WHICH eating plan a person is on as long as it is reasonable, but what mindset a person has.

Now that I am really ready to lose all the weight I have gained over the years, my metabolism is my biggest enemy. Just at Dr. Atkins and others have said, for some people it is very difficult to lose weight because of metabolic or other physical reasons. That's me. And when I try and still can't lose weight I have a tendency to just give up and reach for something I shouldn't to console myself. Afterall, food is everywhere.

But as you mentioned about the lady in the book, sometimes we just have to accept the fact that for some of us weight will always be a huge problem in our lives and not just something we can "get over." For me anyway it is akin to alcoholism. Even if (and hopefully) when I get to my goal weight, I will always be a recovering overeater. If I take a bite of something that is fattening, one bite will lead to another. I will always struggle with my subconscious mind that tries to justify overeating. It will always be a struggle, but that is the price I have to pay to have good health after years of abusing my health by overeating and eating the wrong foods.

The reason why some people can eat things and not gain and I eat things and gain is because I am a food addict. I think about food all the time and when other people eat one or two cookies, I will eat a half a package. For every helping of potatoes they may have, I will have 2 or 3 and after everyone is finished eating dinner I will eat the leftovers while I am cleaning the kitchen. Yes I am a food addict and I admit it. Only when I really change my mindset about food will I really be able to lose weight and keep it off permanently.

I read an excerpt from the book in "More" magazine. One thing that sticks in my mind is the author saying that although she is at goal weight, she doesn't look good without clothes on and that her body isn't attractive, with lots of excess skin. I wonder if she has come to terms with that since the book was written and how her life is now?

I think that fluffybear made some really good points. Especially when she said that she does not often enjoy food anymore and that she can overeat out of shear habit.

The thing about being addicted to cigarettes or drugs or alcohol is that you do not need them to live. You decide to quit and you never have to have that again. I am not saying it is easy by any means to overcome an addiction like that. But the difference with being addicted to food is that everyone NEEDS to eat. And just like the aforementioned addictions, one taste can be enough to start that frenzy.

I just read this book. It is an excellent read and I highly recommend it!


Beth

[QUOTE=Kristine]

I do not believe in the myth of the magic thin person who eats whatever they want. Maybe they have a high metabolism, but that doesn't mean they're healthy or won't pay for it down the road. It doesn't mean they don't calorie count or starve themselves when you're not looking. The thin people I know eat like thin people. I believe there's no such thing as escaping the consequence of freely over-consuming North American crapola food.

QUOTE]


I was that person until my late 20's. I ate until I was stuffed. I ate anything I wanted. No extra pounds because I was active.

But after age 30, take away a lot of the activities, and add a desk job, and the pounds come on.

Now in my late 30's, I realize that I have to substantially change my eating habits or else I will be obese.

I don't blame the food industry. They will pretty much produce whatever we buy. Just like I don't blame the auto industry for gas hogs. If the consumer dollar picked gas mileage over horsepower and luxury, they would deliver it.

Who to blame? Ourselves, our peers, our parents, and the god that created us. But the only one we really have control over is ourselves.

Wonderful post, way back there Kristine. I share your outrage. But also acknowledge my own responsibility.

I also agree that our society's sedentary nature is to blame. I have always been sedentary and hated gym in school. I know that's part of the reason I got so fat.

I've discovered I can eat a LOT more without gaining when I am active (re: the skinny people myth). So I finally am off the couch and enjoying being active. LC really has changed my life.

I want more people to understand what they are doing to themselves. I have to grit my teeth when my girlfriend looks at me with pity because I'm "depriving" myself. She thinks I'm becoming obsessed. Meanwhile she refuses to consider that HER eating habits are the one that are screwy. She is a major sugar addict and refuses to see that it MIGHT even possibly be the cause of some of her health complaints.

And I find, even when I get hungry and can't eat right away, I don't have that gnawing, critical, frantic, have-to-eat feeling. I used to get to the point where if I didn't eat I was going to commit violence. Now, I'm just hungry.

And, Fluffybear, I'm sorry you don't enjoy food anymore. I find that I enjoy it even more now that I'm low-carbing. Food tastes fresher and it's more flavorful. And when I indulge in something that's high-carb, I am satisfied with just a taste because I'm no longer eating to stuff myself but rather eating to fulfill the esthetic enjoyment of the flavors. And actually, I don't care for very many high-carb foods anymore. I prefer a good cut of meat, grilled to medium-rare perfection and an artichoke or grilled eggplant and asparagus.