clevermanka | Seasoning

While I don't always like the topics of conversation that come up on ModernPaleo, today she has a lovely little tutorial on seasoning a cast-iron skillet. I'll be doing this to mine (which has lost its seasoning somehow, and now stuff sticks to it) this winter. No way I am doing this when we've got heat indexes of 108F.

Also found on the internets today was one of the cutest LOLCATS entries evar. Click the photo to go to the larger version on the I Can Haz Cheezburger site.

*ded*

Yesterday I made a pact with

miischelle to go grain-free for a week. For me, the actual going grain-free is sort of...normal life. But her post contained the phrase "I'm not going to buy it, order it, ask for it, and I'm going to try very hard not to stare at it longingly." It was the stare at it longingly I placed as my hurdle. Because I'm still craving that god-damned Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Keeping my brain and hands equally occupied helps me forget about food when I'm not hungry. So I pulled out the visual journal and made an entry about food cravings. As I was writing my feelings and thoughts, I realized something. I mean, I knew (in the back of my mind) but I hadn't ever acknowledged that I have an eating disorder/food addiction. News flash, right? But last night, I realized that whoa, this has been a life-long thing, and over the past couple years it's gotten worse (a lot worse). I'm going to do some research on dealing with food disorders and food addiction. If I don't find resources that work for me, I might look into some sort of one-on-one therapy or maybe even hypnotism. Some friends of mine used hypnotism with various levels of success (for smoking, panic attacks) and I've always thought it sounded cool--even regretted that I had nothing to use it for. Ha! Oh, silly girl-in-denial.

Edit: Okay, fuck all the internet information (I almost put that in quote marks because really it is no helpful information at all) on compulsive eating and food disorders. What a load of annoying crap! Jesus. If this is what it's like for alcoholics and drug addicts, I understand why people are loathe to enter treatment. "Distract yourself!" "Find God!" "Come to our meetings!" UGH. What a bunch of fucking annoying bullshit. This is supposed to help...how? I mean, is this approach seriously beneficial for some people? o_O

In a moment of serendipity, Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint Insider newsletter this week contained some terribly appropriate links. How To Break Bad Habits, How To Develop Good Habits, as well as Ten Baby Steps to Going Primal.

Also, this morning's email delivered to me Trainer Chris D's first workout. It starts...with jumping rope. *cringe* He said he'd be targeting all my weak areas right off the bat. We never even discussed jump rope, ever! How did he know?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't have any articles or books, unfortunately. Maybe I did at the time, but I just don't remember.

I think the danger of coping mechanisms is that they're just that, coping mechanisms. The motivation behind them is still food, so I only worry that the majority of your actions become driven by trying not to eat.

That said, I don't really have experience with the exact thing you're talking about. My impulses were all about avoiding all food and controlling all intake in a ridiculous way.

I think the danger of coping mechanisms is that they're just that, coping mechanisms.

True. But at the moment, working in my journal or sewing a new skirt seems better than burying my face in a bag of gem doughnuts, horse feed-bag style.

I can definitely understand why! And I've heard good things about hypnotherapy. It's worth a try, but I would also think trying to dig through whatever issues might be there with a behavioral or cognitive type of psychologist is worth a shot.

trying to dig through whatever issues might be there with a behavioral or cognitive type of psychologist is worth a shot

Our neighbor across the street does counseling for...something. Not sure what. But I bet he can give me some recommendations for people who specialize in eating disorders. Good idea! Thanks.

Knowing is half the battle.

I'd recommend that too. The digging through issues part. Anytime I've eaten, and am full, and still want more, I try to analyze why I want more. It usually falls squarely into my (I don't like to talk about this) impulsively-self-destructive brain place, which is very closely related to my "I'm so freaking bored" brain place. If I catch myself and think through it, I can usually get past the craving/impulse.

I don't think I'm self-destructive, but this recent wake-up-call has me thinking perhaps I'm mistaken about that.

I'll definitely email my neighbor about psychologist recommendations. I'll also look into how much, if any, my insurance might cover.

I wasn't trying to imply that you were - just that I...can be. If I'm not careful. Sometimes.
But still....it comes from weird places. Wouldn't be the worst motivation.factor to explore.

I wasn't trying to imply that you were

Eh. I wasn't insulted by it, and it's definitely something to consider.

Self-realization is fun!

I think eating issues can come from all sorts of strange places. I was several years past the most extreme phase of my anorexia before I identified one of the major events in my past that played a huge role. It's not that there's one cause, but being able to name and think about them constructively was a huge help for me.

And you know me...knowing the why of something is very important to my understanding (and getting over) of it.

Are you familiar with Gymnema Sylvestre? It is an herb that blocks the taste of sugar on your tongue. Since it is *sweet* tasting things that seem to be your bane, you might have total success with using this herb for a week or two and then letting yourself 'give in' to the cravings for doughnuts and things. A week or two of going "ew!" every time you taste something you've been mentally salivating for might just be enough to break the mentally salivating habit.

It is -- in related principle -- the same way Chantix works for quiting smoking. It breaks the reward cycle.

How interesting! I might give this a try just for the experience of eating something and having it not taste the way I think it should.

I used it when we used to go to the buffet once a week because at the buffet there is one thing and one thing I have no will power to resist: bread pudding.

Is there anything more craptastic (in the there's-not-a-single-good-for-you-element-here way) than bread budding?

I take the gymnema sylvestre and then think "eh, it's going to taste like crap so why bother" (this after having already tried it and having it be soggy, lumpy bread gunk with no taste. ew.)

Edited to add: It is also reputed to actually block the absorption of sugar by your body, as well.

It's a head trip, for sure, and so worth trying if only for that.

Edited 2010-07-22 20:18 (UTC)

Is there anything more craptastic (in the there's-not-a-single-good-for-you-element-here way) than bread budding?

No kidding. And man oh man can I make a mean bread pudding. My recipe uses something like a half cup of brandy and I swear two cups of sugar. Horrific. But as an annual treat? Delightful.

It's a head trip, for sure, and so worth trying if only for that.

So cool that you understand that appeal, too. Ooo! Chemistry! What'll this do? =D

This makes me want to buy Miracle Fruit.

I think that would be counter-productive for me. I'd wind up eating lemons by the bag or something. =D

Not to eat all the time! Just to fuck with my tastebuds for a day. At a party.
Though the one and only miracle fruit party I went to....it's easy to make yourself sick drinking things like vinegar.

A fucked up taste bud party! That sounds awesome. Sign me up!

Seasoning

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Cheaper than therapy and you can do it at home:

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: Cheaper than therapy and you can do it at home:

no subject

no subject

no subject