Day 2 of abstinence and I am surprisingly miserable!!!!

[Marybg]

Please forgive me for complaining. This is day two for me and I am VERY surprised that I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms. To be honest, I am not totally convinced that this is a disease or allergy however I do admit that I am not able to handle my overeating on my own. So..... to be so miserable with a pounding headache that wont go away and feeling exhaustion is a surprise for me. This makes me lean more to belif that maybe this is a real disease if I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms. I am wondering if this headache could be from going cold turkey from diet pop. (I had one in my hand ALL day). I am not so sure that going cold turkey from the pop is a good idea. Anyone else have experience with this?

Mary

[nevertoolate]

you don't have to go cold turkey...slow withdrawal from some of this stuff is easier on your system and works better for some of us....diet coke has a lot of caffeine in it and just stopping all at once can sure give you headaches.....maybe you could take a week or two to slowly go off it? the exhaustion may also be from caffeine loss, caffeine of course is a big false energy booster....be good to yourself, Mary, no one is expected to be perfect...easy does it is one of the 12 step mottos....keep coming back...we are all just like you:redface:
Marilyn in Ohio

[here42da]

There seems to be varied amount of differences in the way a person is affected when trying to stop eating the foods and drinks that used to be a part of our everyday functioning. It can be from going off everything immediately, to doing it slowly one thing at a time. Naturally the longer this goes on the longer you will be dealing with the side effects and withdrawel from the sugar, flour, and wheat. I am thankful for me to have had little effects, however that is probably rare. Also made me wonder if I was really a food addict. However doing the steps, answering the questions I certainly do have the behaviors characteristic of food addiction.

Something that had been shared often is just taking it one meal at a time. Later add a whole day to that, then seveal days, and so on. Something to build on, and do make contact with others, as well as go to meetings, of any type to hear the experience, stength, and hope.

[Athiria]

It gets better! :)

My experience is that cold turkey is the only thing that works for me - or I'll find excuses to continue eating sugar.

[nevertoolate]

Whatever works for each person.:redface:

[Athiria]

Yeah trial and error isn't it? :)

[nevertoolate]

yeah, trial and error, but keep trying, I tell myself every day in the mirror, don't quit, it's worth it not to feel crappy all the time.
Marilyn

[Athiria]

"a try at a time" lol:D
I should try that.

[step3]

Please forgive me for complaining. This is day two for me and I am VERY surprised that I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms. To be honest, I am not totally convinced that this is a disease or allergy however I do admit that I am not able to handle my overeating on my own. So..... to be so miserable with a pounding headache that wont go away and feeling exhaustion is a surprise for me. This makes me lean more to belif that maybe this is a real disease if I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms. I am wondering if this headache could be from going cold turkey from diet pop. (I had one in my hand ALL day). I am not so sure that going cold turkey from the pop is a good idea. Anyone else have experience with this?

Mary

Dear Mary,

Days 2 and 3 can be the worst for withdrawal symptoms; I don't think it's complaining to share how miserable you were feeling! Many of us can relate to that. In my case, I had a raging headache for days, debilitating fatigue, and pretty bad grouchiness. But something really great happened after a week on the suggested FAA food plan: the cravings disappeared!

The FAA Guide to Abstinence says this:


10. Caffeine is an addictive stimulant and should be avoided. Suggested drinks are decaffeinated coffee, decaffeinated tea, herbal tea, carbonated water, and water.

You can see the Guide to Abstinence here:

http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/catalog

Since I've been in FAA, I've known several food addicts who got on the food plan but didn't let go of the caffeine, and they found they kept relapsing. Once giving up the caffeine, though, they were able to achieve and maintain abstinence. I don't know if giving up caffeine at the same time as going on the food plan is an absolute necessity since there's so much already involved in letting go of s/f/w, but if the caffeine is coming from diet soda, then I highly recommend letting go of that because they all have a form of sugar in them, so we're not actually abstinent yet while having diet sodas. Also, diet sodas with caffeine have the double-whammy of caffeine and a form of sugar.

It's not really a lot of fun going through withdrawal, but it's possible (and a lot easier with support). I found that it wasn't so bad once I had detoxed and was no longer craving s/f/w.... sure makes it easier to stay abstinent when I'm not craving!

Finding out that food addiction is a disease is not the news that everyone wants, that's for sure! Finding out more about it was helpful for me, to learn what exactly it was I was dealing with here. There's a great booklet that FAA has called: Understanding Food Addiction and Why Abstinence is Necessary. It comes as part of the Newcomer's Booklet, or you can get it separate. All the FAA literature can be found in the FAA Store on the main website, or you use this direct link:

http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/faa-food-plan

Keep coming, keep sharing, Mary. We're glad you're here! :smile:


(http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/catalog)





(http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/faa-food-plan)

[belle26]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum. Ive been sick with this disease for years. I'm convinced this is the ONLY solution for me as my attempts to manage sugar and flour have NEVER worked. The only thing is I'm terrified of withdrawal. In the past it's been so painful and has lasted for a long time. What was it like for you? How long did it last?

i'm prepared for fatigue, joint pain, emotional instability, even brain fog. eeeeks. help! day one!!

[shines_so_bright]

What helped me a lot while going through detox was to call FAA members. I was able to get their numbers by going to FAA phone meetings. During the last five minutes of the meeting, phone numbers are exchanged and you can leave your number and also write down numbers for those who leave them. I got lots of numbers and made a lot of calls, which was very helpful. I also went to phone meetings every day in the beginning of my abstinence. Another helpful thing is to say the Serenity Prayer when things seem particularly rough... ask your Higher Power for serenity to accept the things you can't change (withdrawal is something that just has be be gotten through, there's no way around it) and for courage to change the things you can (if you need a nap, be gentle on yourself and take one. Go for a walk to get a breath of fresh air. Read some FAA literature. These are just a few ideas...)

Congratulations on Day 1 :applouse:
Keep coming, belle26. This does work!

[JustForToday]

My withdrawal from the sugar, flour and wheat was tough and I felt like I had the flu - ached all over and slept every chance I got that first 7-10 days. I also had a terrible headache most of the time. I had already given up the artificial sweeteners and the soda pop and the large mugs of coffee and cream before I even started on this abstinence. I tried switching over to the decaf coffee and found that even that little bit of caffeine kept leading me to want the cream again, especially when I was eating out and there it was on the table within my easy reach. I haven't indulged in any artificial sweeteners after I became abstinent from the s/f/w - it was sooo hard to stop drinking that soda pop - I was truly afraid to go back down that path. Eventually I felt that way about coffee and the decaf coffee also - it became all to obvious to me that I was on that slippery slope when I drank the decaf coffee. I am sure that I'm one of those sensitive ones and not everyone has the same problems with the decaf coffee as I do - we each have unique body chemistries and for me it really is about staying vigilant about how I'm feeling after a meal. Most of the time I feel very satisfied and that never happened on any of those other "diet plans" even those that were well balanced like the diabetic food plan - I truly do need to remove all the s/f/w so the cravings will stop. FAA believes that this is a biochemical disease and that when s/f/w is eaten, it sets off a reaction in the brains of those who suffer from this disease and those food addicts do experience the cravings for more, more and more of the s/f/w and it's wanting "more" that is the hallmark of addiction is what I've been told. And it certainly makes sense to me, never could let one cookie go lonely....

[Abinsten08]

I went through a withdrawal where I experienced a weird shuddering feeling going up my body each time i took a step. very strange! Brain fog .. yeah! But I don't worry about things like that if I know I'm doing the right thing. What you need is courage and you can give yourself courage by reminding yourself you only have to do it once!! hopefully! Following the food plan will make your body and mind stronger and more able to deal with anything life throws at you. Read the FAA promises they are very inspiring. If you get talking with other more experienced members they will give you words of praise and encouragement. 'This too shall pass' is a good motto to think about. Don't be afraid of a bit of suffering because it's so rewarding when you reach a place where there are no more uncontrollable cravings for the wrong foods. You are avoiding a lot of suffering in the long run.

[nevertoolate]

GOOD MESSAGE, ABINSTEN!
Marilyn:redface:

[gettingitright]

I am achy in my joints and muscles. I was so out of it and grumpy(according to my daughter). It was worst than yesterday. My thinking isn't clear so I am glad I measured out my food yesterday otherwise it wouldn't have been done.
Today I had
Day2
Breakfast --I had 1 cup wild rice, 1cup +2oz lima beans, 1 cup raspberries
Lunch --1 cup brown lentils, 1 cup salad, 1/2 cup cucumber/celery juice, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Dinner--1 cup wild/brown rice, 1 cup salad, 1/2 cup celery/cucumber juice, 1 cup brown lentils, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
MA--1 cup raspberries, 2oz lima beans

I didn't really get much accomplished today. As my day comes to an end I am starting to realized how much I depend on food when I'm stressed.

[here42da]

Hang in there, you are going through the worst, but it will get better. Someday you will look back and be able to say it was worth it. Keep coming and prarticipating, and sharing, as well as getting on meetings, and connecting with others in program. Keep going over the Guide to abstinence, where you are given a lot of tips about our way of eating, and the amounts as well as why we do it the way it has been provided. It certainly changed my many health conditions, and can do that for you as well if you have any health concerns. I believe I shared the link for the above, in a post earlier.
Blessings for another abstinent day.