15% of heroin addicts who detox by themselves stay off the drug for at least 3 years afterward.

only 5% of people who diet can keep the weight off for three years after achieving goal weight. (only .5% for seven years)

amazing comparison, isn't it?

sobering and very sad.

The 5% success rate statistic was in the news at New Year's, when so many people (including myself!) begin diets or new WOE...

But I resolved as soon as I heard it, as God is my witness, I WILL be part of the 5%.

Donald

good attitude, donald! I confess, my first thought was, "hmm, maybe I'll switch to heroin."

Yep! It really helps you lose weight! Tad on the pricey side though.

What I find interesting is how many recovering alcoholics and drug users end up in 12-Step programs for compulsive overeating. It's like food becomes the end of the line for addiction, but food is also the great healer.

Karen

I had lost around 100 lbs. and kept it off for over 10 years. It can be done. It can be done. But I think you have to always always be vigilent.

I gained weight again when I had kids. For some reason I really believed that eating for 2 stuff. And have been battling that weight (90 lbs) ever since.

Karen, true! Also, right after I posted that, I realized I couldn't imagine my mother feeding me heroin starting at age three to quiet me or help deflect my pain. She was a little odd, but not THAT odd, not a perfect parent, but not THAT imperfect. Nor would they have served it at the end of Girl Scout meetings, at the school lunch room, etc.

Funny how normalized sugar is--my comparisons sound so ridiculous...but are they really? Some people can take or leave sugar...I suspect I could take or leave heroin (I loathe codeine, so that's my best guess, one I will not test out!)

It's kinda the same addiction, actually...as you say, Karen, it's easy to substitute one addiction for another and mistakenly think you're cured. But getting to the roots of it all is hard--so I understand why people would choose that route of substitution rather than staying on the hard road to healing. Bless their hearts--at least they are trying and probably minimizing the damage somewhat. (So far, at least, I've never heard stories of someone waking up in a stairwell in a strange town, covered with M&M vomit...though people have probably killed someone else in auto accidents while reaching for the Krispy Kreme bag.)

True!

But it does cause people to isolate, become depressed, close the blinds, have secrets, shame, guilt and binge out-of-control. How life destroying is that?

I've never heard of anyone going on a meat binge or an oil binge, but I'm willing to be proven wrong.

"I hate myself! Why can't I stop! I've just drank a liter of olive oil!"

Karen

lol, karen, about drinking olive oil! (and blech, come to think of it!)

You're right about the effects of sugar addiction, of course. Also, what sugar/flour addiction has done to me is made me surly, more likely to yell rather than practice good assertiveness skills, suffer withdrawals. So I know it's not an innocuous drug at all! As *itchy as I got as a carb addict, I suspect some domestic violence is even attributable to our particular addiction...hmm, I don't think I've smacked my dog's butt or grabbed him in frustration by the ruff of the neck in almost two years now...and guess what's been different in those two years.

That really IS interesting to think about.

It's funny out the most addictive stuff in the world is refined from plants.

he he! a meat binge!

oh no I've eaten 35 steaks - I don't think so!

Amen, razzle! About the anger management, and the ability to step back from confrontive reaction and using the brain to sort, ponder, and be deductive. That was the best part of eating this way, is I got my rational self back (not that I am suggesting that rational part is wise, just that I got it back as an active member of the decision making team). With more sense, I became less insensed, and less sensitive (to criticism, etc.).

I used to rationalize my past dieting failures by thinking, "Giving up smoking, drugs, or alcohol (fill in any addiction) has to be easier than a food addiction because you can live without those things, but you can't live without food."

Then I learned about the sugar/flour connection. Guess what? I can live without sugar and flour -- very well!

I can live without sugar and flower - what I really miss is an after dinner glass of wine.......sigh...and the summer cocktail by the pool......

but wines do not disturb ketosis. they just provide substitute fuel, and a little wine is fine on Atkins, I think just not a good idea during induction. once the fuel found in wine is burned off, the body directly returns to burning fat.

Right - but you do stop burning fat until you burn off the wine.....or the spirits... Rum, tequila, vodka, burbon etc contain no carbs - but they do provide the body with fuel. Wine does have some carbs depending on if it is white of red etc -