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A is for Abstinence

A is for Abstinence

Lisa Eirene

About Lisa Eirene Lisa lost 110 pounds through calorie counting and exercise. She swims, bikes, runs, hikes and is enjoying life in Portland, Oregon. Her weight loss story has been featured in First Magazine, Yahoo Health, Woman's Day and Glamour.com.

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17 Comments

  1. Jill

    C is for cereal! I still cannot control myself with cereal. If I allow myself 1 serving it turns into 5 or 6 for some reason. Then the guilt and anger comes. Then the start of the binge begins. I wish I could solve this problem as my husband and daughter should be allowed to have cereal. There have been times when I have told them that it needs to stay out of the house for a little while. Thankfully they are understanding and supportive. When there is cereal in the house- I just can’t have any. Not even a nibble. *sigh* so sad……

    1. Lisa Eirene

      I totally understand! Pizza was like that for me. I couldn’t have ONE piece. It was too hard to resist.

      Cereal is sneaky. A serving is often 1/2 a cup. Which is NOTHING!

  2. Beth @ Beth's Journey

    I never had anything completely off limits, but I did try really hard to stay on track and “be good.” Now that I live alone, I don’t like to have trigger foods in my kitchen and try to keep snacks and things that are easy for me to overdo it on at a minimum. If I want ice cream, I’ll go get a serving or go to an ice cream shop, rather than having the tub in my freezer. The temptation is just not worth it!

    1. Lisa Eirene

      That’s the way to do it, Beth! Go out for ice cream once in awhile instead of having it in the house. Good idea.

      It is much easier living alone to control the foods in the house. Michael used to buy those Costco sized bags of M&M’s and I HATED having them in the house. That humongous bag taunted me.

  3. Maren

    Hi!
    I’ve just started my weight loss journey and this post hit home with me. I’m also the kind of person that needs abstinence… I’ve quit candy and chocolate, and the beloved junk food. So far I’m 6 days in and no problem. I know it’ll get hard, but it’s really the only way until I can be in charge – and not the food!

    Thanks for a good post 🙂

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Hi Maren, I’m glad you stumbled onto my blog and found this post helpful! It sounds like you are doing all the right things to be successful. It’s hard at first but trust me, it does get easier.

  4. Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun

    This is such a cool idea! I love it! And I definitely think sometimes it is best to avoid ALL temptation, especially if it’s having to relearn eating healthier. I couldn’t imagine giving up pizza and icecream though. Those would be my two big things as well.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      It was hard for the first few months but then it got easier.

  5. Karen

    So true about abstinence giving you clarity. I’m losing weight with Take Shape for Life/ Medifast (45 down and 20 left to go) and you are so right about not missing bread when you don’t have it for awhile.

    Trigger foods for me are many- but sweets (Peeps, smarties, kettle corn, etc) and some salty foods like potato chips are very much triggers for me.

    Thank goodness for clarity! Time to get to the root of the overeating and to change my habits for good.

    Great post.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Hi Karen! Thanks for the comment. I’m glad you could relate to it. It sounds like it’s working for you too. Congrats on losing 45 pounds!

  6. jane Cartelli

    Milk fat and sugar. Both trigger my addiction. Not having them has enabled me to keep off 220 pounds. I can have the in the house and not eat them. But it I put a bite of either into my mouth I find myself in a pit of struggle. I do not have them in my mouth – no struggle.

    Some days I ask my family not to parade the food around the kitchen but for the most part it is a peaceful co-existence.

    Jane~
    Keepingthepoundsoff.com

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Yes, that’s a whole other issue–the family and such eating those foods around us!

      1. jane Cartelli

        Lisa,
        This might sound strange but it is and it isn’t. If I KNOW I cannot have that first bite and I truly accept it and have turned my will over then I could live in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and not want a nibble. It is only during those times when the squirrels are dancing in my head and I get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired, ot act out of feelings of entitlement and start to forget what I KNOW and think I should be able to eat what other’s have – then the food of family and friends becomes an issue.

        Jane~

        1. Lisa Eirene

          No I totally get what you are saying. I had the same mentality for 2 years when I was losing the weight. I knew I couldn’t have “just one bite” and I didn’t. And it was MUCH easier. I just accepted the fact that I wasn’t going to have a bite of dessert and pizza. It was actually very empowering. I had willpower of steel. Potlucks at work did not phase me. It worked.

  7. Karen@WaistingTime

    I love this post! Because I can relate to it and because it gives me hope. I have abstained from a whole bunch of trigger foods. Peanut butter – over a year. I don’t keep bread in the house any more. And the list goes on. Like you, I found that if they are not here and I go without, I don’t crave them. And, mostly, don’t miss them. I have had some of the foods when I’m out, when moderation is a given since the whole loaf or box or jar isn’t at home tempting me. My long term vision for maintaining is that I CAN someday return to moderation of certain foods. But I also know that it might be a slippery slope so I need to tread lightly and slowly and see which, if any, should just never come into my house. I know that this is controversial. Maybe subscribe to the “anything in moderation” theory. But for some of us, that just doesn’t work.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Everyone is different and I wish I could say that “everyone” can someday get to that point but there might be some people that can’t. I think what helped me was having time to “digest” that I couldn’t eat certain foods. For 2 years I avoided trigger foods and then stopped thinking about them/craving them. It took a long time eating in moderation to realize that I could have SOME of those foods in moderation and be ok.

      1. Jane Cartelli

        I think it is awesome that you have found a path for you that works for some of the foods. My addict mind thinks in all or nothing terms.

        Jane~

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