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there's a three letter F word that I
really don't like I have been called it
a lot I've also been called the Michelin
Man and the Pillsbury Doughboy I
remember I was about 30 some young kid
asked me why are you so fat okay I said
it what I will talk about today is just
a piece of the weight-loss puzzle
however I hope that it's enough for
somebody to give them hope and a place
to start ten years ago I had sleep apnea
major depression brain fog high blood
pressure I was hospitalized twice for an
irregular heartbeat I had diabetes fatty
liver and neuropathy I was scared to
death of Alzheimer's something that runs
in my family and is sometimes called
type 3 diabetes I'm now a recovering
crap addict that's craap and a
recovering binge eater according to the
diagnostics and Statistical Manual or
DSM food addictions don't exist but
anyone who has one knows they do for
most of 30 years I was morbidly obese at
my heaviest I was close to 300 pounds I
kept a belt just to remind me how big I
was I don't usually wear it but this is
it I've lost a few pounds since then
without surgery or without any weight
loss medication for the past six plus
years my blood glucose levels or a1c
have been between 4.8 and 5.2 that is
almost perfect I'm really not trying to
brag I just want to give somebody hope
well not the whole story food cravings
destructive food cravings come from four
primary sources number one is food
insecurity I'm not talking about not
getting enough food to eat I am talking
about not getting enough of the
essential nutrients as long as you're
mine
do not get all the nutrients they need
you will be food insecure as long as you
were food insecure you will crave food
even if you were to eat a gallon of
macaroni and cheese every day even if
you were to eat two gallons of macaroni
and cheese every single day if that's
all you ate you would be food insecure
I actually had a college roommate who
tried that it didn't work out too well
for him he ended up becoming really sick
he ended up having to have vitamin shots
to regain his health he was actually
lucky it could have been much worse for
some it is some of you may be on a
similar path according to the World
Health Organization and perhaps for the
first time in history there are now more
people in the world who are malnourished
and obese than malnourished and
underweight let me repeat that there are
now more people in the world who are
malnourished and obese than malnourished
and underweight some believe it's too
expensive to eat healthy that is a myth
for most it is cheaper to eat healthy
and be healthy even on food stamps if
you know how many can even eat more than
they usually eat and still lose weight
if they eat the right foods the best
solution is to eat a well-balanced
healthy diet every single day number two
crap if you eat crap you will crave crap
period also if you eat crap you are
going to feel like crap if not today
eventually if you live long enough
there is simply no getting around the
law of the harvest most of you have a
pretty good idea what crap is the best
solution is to avoid crap I know that
may sound a little bit harsh but
remember I'm a recovering crap addict
think about it this way and this is a
question how much alcohol can a
recovering alcoholic safely consume how
much
ix exactly number three
emotional distress first a story
last summer my then three year old
granddaughter and two of my grandsons
were on a trip with me we were returning
one of my grandson's to his mother my
granddaughter was wearing a sequin dress
she decided it would be a good idea
to remove a sequin and stick it up her
nose okay how many of us have stuck
something up her nose and gotten it
stuck there is that it I did when I was
a kid it was on the weekend and it was a
hassle for my parents to find somebody
to take it out
well I tried to remove the sequin from
my granddaughter's nose but I couldn't
even see it when we got back to the back
to town we went to the doctor the
receptionist of course asked us why we
were there I said somebody stuck a
sequin up their nose the receptionist
smiled and said now who did that
my granddaughter beamed with delight and
patted herself on the chest sorry about
that and said me the receptionist and I
laughed when we got in to see the doctor
she was able to locate the sequin but
she wasn't able to remove it either she
referred us to an ENT she then offered
my granddaughter a sucker sometimes when
children are in distress we give them
comfort food
and usually it's crap as we grow older
sometimes when were in distress we seek
comfort in food and usually it's what
crap even if it's healthy we weigh too
much
and it only makes the situation worse
okay another question how many of you
have eaten a whole carton of ice cream
or a whole box of donuts or a whole bag
of cookies after a breakup okay the best
solution is to learn to manage stress in
healthy ways and seek appropriate help
for trauma number four habitual response
to cues and triggers they are everywhere
businesses and organization
have become quite expert at using smells
images and social pressure to separate
us from our money some of these cues and
triggers almost compels some of us to
eat though difficult change is possible
for almost anyone the human is the only
animal that can plan fully and
purposefully reprogram how we respond to
cues and triggers it's not easy but it
is possible I've done it I've helped
other people do it the best solution is
to avoid difficult queues and triggers
however that's impossible most of the
time the National diabetes prevention
program and other programs and resources
may also help one last tip for anybody
who may be a binge eater as with almost
any addiction it is more difficult to
make healthy decisions when you're tired
or stressed how many of you have heard
an old commercial that says you
can't eat just one
well when I'm tired of stressed I can't
eat just one of anything because of that
I rarely eat after 5 p.m. that strategy
has helped me immensely for years
perhaps something similar may help some
of you remember you do not have to be a
slave to cravings there is help and
there is hope you can't choose to love
yourself more fully you can choose to
live life more fully you can choose your
own personal optimal health whatever
that is thank you
[Applause]
