Gray Foods not on FAA Food Plan

[step3]

Eating foods not on the suggested FAA food plan (even if they don't have sugar/flour/wheat in them) can cause cravings. Foods not on the plan like this are called "gray foods" and eating them is dangerous because it can lead the abstinent food addict back into active addiction. Some examples of foods like this are cheese, potato chips, nuts (including peanut butter and others like almond butter), popcorn (with or without butter), cream, sour cream, butter, olives, avocadoes, etc. Notice that these are all high-fat foods. Many food addicts are addicted to not only s/f/w, but also to high-fat.

There are also certain high-carbohydrate foods not on the FAA suggested food plan because they trigger cravings in food addicts. Some examples of these are bananas, mangoes, raisins.

Also, there are food items on the suggested FAA food plan that might be personal trigger foods for certain individuals but are OK for other abstinent food addicts. For instance, I myself found after following the food plan for a while that I needed to let go of rice cakes and then later, grapes. Some other foods I've heard abstinent FAA members had trouble with and gave up for their well-being are cherries, corn, or watermelon. We're all different and have to find what works for us within the parameters of the food plan.

Finding your personal trigger foods (they "trigger" cravings in you) takes some experimenting, and I suggest working with your sponsor on this... at least that's what I did and it was a huge help. As you're probably also finding, clean abstinence is going to take "H.O.W." = honesty, open mindedness, and willingness. Some people are able to come to FAA and find this from their first day, other FAA members don't "get it" immediately and achieving clean abstinence is more of a process for them. Whichever type of person you are, you are very welcome in FAA and we're glad you're here. Don't eat s/f/w, go to meetings, and ask for help. FAA does work!

[DivaInHopkins]

I have wondered about Cheese and Nuts because none of those are mentioned in the plan or in the information with the menu.
Any suggestions on how I can not lead myself into temptation with those? I'm not addicted to them I just like variety.
Di

[step3]

When I was new in FAA and new on the food plan, I did wonder about cheese as well. Nuts weren't hard for me to let go of because I had ended up having a real problem with peanut butter. Other nuts, while "OK" in my mind, weren't something that called to me tooooo much.

I never thought I had trouble with cheese (had never binged on it), but for a short while in FAA I wished that I could have it as a protein alternative, for variety. I stuck with the suggested food plan, doing the plan and the program one day at a time, and I eventually lost the wistfulness I had felt. As time has passed I have become quite happy with the FAA food plan and the foods I eat and have available to eat.

I was so broken down by the time I got to FAA, that I was willing to have faith that even though I didn't agree with everything I saw, I did have faith that the people I heard on phone meetings who had the kind of recovery I very much wanted, did follow the food plan as it's written did and were working the FAA program. My sponsor taught me in those early days that if I wanted what they had, I'd have to do what they did. That kind of surrender wasn't easy for me, but I was so desperate, that I became very willing. Slowly, I am recovering from food addiction!

I'm really glad you've found FAA, DivaInHopkins, and I encourage you to keep coming back!

Smiles,
step3

[step3]

Whoops! To answer your question about not leading yourself into temptation with cheese and nuts~

If at all possible, the best thing to do is have them out of the house altogether in the early days of withdrawal and afterward. "Out of sight, out of mind." If you have family members that insist on it, what worked for me was to have separate shelves in the cabinets and in the fridge for "my abstinent food". These shelves were hand-picked by me to be the most convenient. I didn't want to be staring at my former binge foods at eye level when I opened a cabinet door.

If you're at work and a party situation comes up, what works well is to have a piece of FAA literature with you. If the temptation gets too much, the important thing is to remove yourself from it physically... a suggestion is going to the ladies room or your car and reading some literature. I've done that, and I've also called FAA people on my phone list. Prayer, if you are a praying person, is always the first best thing to do.

Most important, is to know in your heart of hearts is that cheese and nuts are not options for you. There's a good reason they're not on the food plan, and people who stray toward them do seem to have more trouble remaining abstinent. If/when a food thought (for gray foods, s/f/w foods, or personal trigger foods) comes up, what works for me is to not allow it to stay in my mind. I simply treat it like it's a pesky host at a party who keeps offering me something I don't want. I firmly say to the thought, "NO, thank you", and 99% of the time, the thought goes away. Allowing it to stay without confronting it has often led to more and more thoughts, and the next thing you know, I've found myself in an obsessive state over some food substance. Once that happens, it's really rough not to surrender to the obsession and pick up the food after all.

You can do this, Diva. There are many people here in FAA to help and support you, so keep coming back!

step3

[DivaInHopkins]

Step3 Thank You for your words of wisdom. I took my bag of almonds and put them in the container my 79 yo father has for his snacks, HE can have them. I've only added a minute amount of feta cheese on my salads. Less than an ounce, I add just for flavor. There have been two bags of potatoe chips in my kitchen since Friday. I haven't touched them, they are now only half of one bag. My husband and father have been eating them.
Today I spent with my Grandkids and have to admit I did quite well around my trigger foods. I have resisted many foods and temptations this weekend. I brought my own snacks when we went to a friends house and could eat without pressure.
I'm here to learn and grow. I do need to find a meeting soon though. I have many questions that pop up during the day.
Blessings,
Di

[step3]

Sounds great, Di... good going! Yes, I agree that the meetings are a real life-line. At least they've always been for me. I love that there are 5-6 phone meetings each day, so that anyone can basically find a phone meeting that will work with their schedule. The face-to-face meetings are something special too, if you have those in your area.

At the phone meetings, phone numbers are exchanged during the last five minutes of each meeting. When I was new (and I still do this) I developed an FAA phone list for myself of numbers I got from the meetings. I made Outreach Calls for extra support and for help with questions I had before I had found my sponsor. I still make Outreach Calls to keep that important connection with other food addicts in recovery like myself. I'm so grateful to have found FAA! Glad you're here now, too, Di... Keep coming back!

[dragonflies434]

I was wondering about ham and banana's? I always thought ham was a good source for protein and it makes for an easy item to take for lunches, a few slices of ham and some raw veggies. Also, what about hummus? That is something I enjoy with raw vegetables. Is it ok?

[step3]

Good questions! I have not personally been able to find ham that wasn't cured with brown sugar or some other sort of sugar. This was a disappointment because I too liked ham very much.

Bananas aren't on the suggested FAA food plan because the natural sugar in them is highly concentrated and is known to trigger cravings in food addicts. Some other fruits not on the food plan for this reason are mangoes and all dried fruits (raisins, etc.)
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Here's a recipe for hummus. I haven't personally tried this:

1 c. canned garbanzo beans
lemon juice, sea salt and garlic powder
1/2 T. (1 T.) olive oil*

(Mix in food processor)

Stir in 1 c. chopped, cooked red peppers

Serve with 1 c raw baby carrots

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*1/2 T oil is half a day's oil allotment for women. 1 T is half a day's oil for men.

Food plan equivalent: 1 protein, 1 c cooked vegetable, 1 c raw vegetable
This is a complete lunch for women following the suggested FAA food plan. Men, please add a starchy vegetable, a grain, or a fruit for a complete lunch.

More recipes can be found in FAA Online Support in the forum called, "Abstinent Recipes".

[julbrown2]

What about avacados? I love those in my salad. Thanks!!

[step3]

Ohhhh... no, avacados aren't on the food plan. The reason is because of their high fat content. Another food not on there for that reason is olives. Have you seen the suggested FAA food plan? It is part of the Guide to Abstinence and can be found in some of the FAA literature (like the Newcomer's Booklet and the FAA Green Book) and also on the FAA website:

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

The food plan has the lists of foods we can safely eat, along with the weighed or measured amounts to eat. Alongside the food plan are the lists of the forms of sugar, flour, and wheat that trigger cravings in food addicts.

Thanks,
step3