This is the furthest I have worked through the 100 days. I'm committed to working this process and making healthier choices that help me be healthier.

I struggle with the 2 bites concept. I have noticed that if I eat with intention, and don't allow myself to focus on something other than eating, I enjoy every bite I eat. They all taste wonderful. I don't find that the 12th bite is less satisfying than the 4th. So, I now know that I have to be diligent on portions so I can intentionally enjoy every bite knowing that I'm not over eating because I controlled the portion.

I'm enjoying working through this together, Jenn; new insights every time!

Jeanne, it's great having someone who is working these also. It is so much better when you can discuss, or see new views, so you can broaden your own view.

I don't remember this one so I took more time on it. I have had some ice cream binges of late and I must say that this message really hit home. I sit in addiction mode eating and eating but I am eating in mindlessness ... not happy ... not sad. Just eating to feel the coolness of the ice cream, the texture but the taste and the value is sort of gone. I know that having a whole tub of ice cream over a short period of time is destructive and I realize from reading this that the pleasure is really not as strong towards the end of the tub the the desire to eat til its gone is really the only feeling that I am feeling. Because once its gone, well the addictive desire is also gone. WOW... where did that come from. I must reflect on this one

Anna,

My food addiction is sweet candy. Not all candy, but it does have to be sweet. I can sit and eat Twizzlers like no body's business. I fall into the waste/waist food category when sweet candy is around.

The first couple of bites are so GOOOOOD, but 20 minutes or more later, I'm not tasting it, but I am eating it.

I was never given candy at home as a child. I would take my lunch money, in all grades starting in 5th grade, and buy candy either at lunch break or after school. Once I got to high school the foreign language teachers imported candy from Europe and sold it between classes. I would spend so much money buying this. Just recently I learned eating candy is a way some undiagnosed ADD children/adults try to self medicate. I was diagnosed in 1999.

So interesting Jenn! We think some of our attributes are ours alone! I completely relate to your story and I guess yours mine! I see myself just sitting eating and eating more of the same thing. And at the exact same time... wondering why I am eating it and wondering why I cannot or do not want to stop. Like I am not myself but feeding myself. Uckkk. Hopefully saying it out loud will make me remember how insane it is when I go to do it the next time.

Something that I have made my mind's eye realize is that the chocolate bar special sign is a trigger. I can go past bars if they are not on sale (well not all the time but most of the time). I can never go past them if there is a sale sign above them. I have aknowledged this myself and refuse to bow to my addiction when I allow myself to check in and register that thought. I will have to do this with the wasteful eating binges...

I have always thought I had ADD as a child --- before it was a mainstream diagnosis. My kids say I still have it... So I am intrigued by what you wrote on the correlation between the two...and self medicating.

I totally relate to these experiences! How interesting the connection with the ADD. Given my small town and how long ago my childhood was, no one was labeled at the time. I have always had a sweet tooth (candy in particular) and do see that I self-medicated with it. I was the nerdy artsy creative kid who didn't know to come in out of the rain. As an adult, I get a lot of loving ribbing from my chosen family about my "adult ADD." I need my village of logical and efficient loved ones to balance me out.

I'm 51 and as a child was diagnosed with ADHD. I was put on Ritalin until my dad walked into the kitchen to find me standing up against the refrigerator sleeping and he immediately took me off of it. I still have ADD and actually think it may be getting worse as I get older. LOL I have never correlated it with food, I need to think on this and see if there is a connection for me, maybe I have been self medicating without even realizing it.

For anyone interested...Dr. Daniel Amen is world recognized as a brain specialist. He has several books on out ADD and Healing the Brain that are wonderful references. I had to read some ADD books to get my oldest son diagnosed. That's how I realized I had it too. I was on Ritalin for a while, as an adult, and it really helped me retrain my brain to track time and projects so I don't get side tracked as easily.

If you can read the Healing ADD book by Dr. Amen, you may find how much food impacts our ADD brains and what you can do WITHOUT medications to help your brain work better.

Self medicating depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, OCD, and others......happens all to often. Our society doesn't want to help those suffering. It makes people realize they are vulnerable and imperfect in a society that views perfection as the end all be all of life.

The "food products" made in the US are very addictive and only cause other issues, such as obesity and health problems.

If you take a product from the US and compare the ingredients to the same product in Europe, the US has allows so many chemicals and non "food" ingredients that it is almost impossible to eat health from manufatured "food products" in the US.

One person working to change this is the Food Babe who has worked for years to get certain ingredients removed from American "food products" to help us get healthier. I do not support all her concepts, but there is much to be learned from her information.

If you haven't read a book called "Salt Sugar Fat" you need to. It talks about how the American food industry strives to get us addicted to their "food products" by how the add sugar, fat and salt to what they make. It's available on Audible, Kindle or check your local library.