addicted to sweets

Question
Hi! I'm 5'2" and weigh nearly 200 lbs.  Dr put me on cholesterol medicine because it was 225 and bad cholesterol was high too. My highest weight was in 2001 at 255 lbs and cholesterol was 250! I'm only in my mid 30s.  I'm worried that I am headed back up to that weight again. I battle with depression everyday so I guess I use sugar/sweets because it makes me feel good and tastes awesome.  I am addicted to sweets to the point that I don't want to eat regular food it just doesn't look good to me.  For example, last night at midnight I went thru the drive thru a couple blocks away and I ordered a medium milk shake and 3 chocolate chip cookies.  I also like to drink those blended coffee drinks that are loaded with sugar, caffeine, whip cream, etc...
I don't know whether to try to quit sugar "cold turkey" or what. I don't even know if I want to stop.
I already see a counselor but she is overweight so I feel like she can't help me with it.  I've also seen a dietician 2 times over the past 15 yrs.  In 2007, I got down to 160 lbs because I was happier and keeping busy.
Anyway, I appreciate any advice you can give.

Answer
Hi Josie,

I'm sorry to hear about your predicament. I have a few suggestions:

First of all, there are no two ways about it: Losing weight takes effort. You may be in a position right now where it's not worth the effort for you because you're putting all your energy into trying not to feel bad. If you are battling depression and seeing a counselor, it's probably important to let her know that you aren't seeing the results you'd like and find out if there are other options.
There are chemicals in sweets and chocolate that do help people feel better, so you are right about that.

Secondly, what you can do is sit down and think about what your priority is right now. What are some reasons you would like to lose weight; what would it do for you? If you decide you just don't care what you look like or feel like right now, or your health problems are just too overwhelming to focus on, you won't be able to find the energy to pass up a craving. If you can find some good reasons (more energy, more self-confidence, fewer health problems, fitting into pretty clothes from when you were smaller, etc) then it's worth giving it a go.

In order to lose weight I'd recommend for starters keeping a food diary. People tend to eat less when they record what they eat, since it makes them think twice before just giving into the urge.

Give yourself some goals. They don't have to be "eat 1200 calories a day" or "exercise an hour a day" or "never eat chocolate". But something that makes sense for YOU. Perhaps it is "next time I want some chocolate I will go for a walk around the block first". This will give you some time for the craving to go away and burn calories at the same time. Maybe you'll drink a glass of water before reaching for a snack. Keep track of every snack you ward off this way, and have a reward system in place to give yourself some positive feedback!

Check out lots of articles about weight loss on my website at www.mycoachlaurie.com. Read an article or two every day to keep you in the mindset of losing weight.

And, finally, remember that you've lost weight before, so you have what it takes! Think about how you did it then, and even if you can't do it all at once, try to bring back a few of the habits you had when you were a successful loser!

let me know how you do, I'd love to hear back from you :)

Laurie

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