As an overeater, shame erodes our true identity. We identify as fat, unappealing, and a failure. Our attempts to diet have failed over and over enforcing the belief that we aren't strong enough.

Our inner critic reminds us how inadequate we are, we self-criticize resulting in more shame and self-hatred. We attempt to take matters into our own hands and diet. We label certain foods "bad" and begin our restriction as a punishment for who we've become.

The intense pain caused by dealing with our addition in this manner, after a time, causes us to break our diet and binge with our favorite forbidden foods. We binge in a daze of peacefulness that is temporarily created. When we emerge we are ashamed and horrified at our actions, further enforcing our addition and further eroding our true identity.

In Step 7 & Key 4 https://forwardreset.com/steps.html : We eliminate our shame and begin to rebuild our identity to emerge other than an overeater. By step 7 we have reviewed our true intentions, sought to eliminate bad behaviors and characteristics, sought the help and guidance of those who have recovered before us, and Key 4 we took action.

We find a new way of living, happier and healthier for today. Like the butterfly we transform from an identity of shame and overeating into our true selves, we are becoming.

Wherever you identify on the spectrum of food addictions, you are welcome, please join us at FORWARD RESET.

Homemade Seitan

 

Seitan is made from Vital Wheat Gluten (VWG).  Wheat gluten is the wheat protein that is left when all the starch has been washed away.  VWG is available in many natural food stores and can also be purchased online.  Here is the link to our favorite products on Amazon: 

http://forwardreset.com/favprods.html

Here is my favorite recipe for Seitan.

4 c vital wheat gluten

1 c potato flakes

4 heaping T of onion powder

3 heaping T of garlic powder

1 T black pepper

1 T of salt

1 T poultry seasoning

1/2 c nutritional yeast

Mix well

2 c hot water and dissolve 1 heaping T "Better than Bouillon" vegetable paste/

Pour this into dry mixture.

Add 2 more cups of water.  I find it easier to mix with my hands at this point.  Dough should be kind of like rubbery cookie dough.

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts.

Tear 6 sheets of non-stick foil about 12-16 inches long.  

Place a share of dough onto the shiny side of the foil.  Roll up like a summer sausage and twist the ends closed.  Fold twisted end over. 

Place onto rack in Instant Pot, add 1 c water, secure lid and cook on high for 60 minutes natural release.

Experiment with more or less spices, hot spices, etc.

 "...having lost over 200lbs I felt very successful. I was living life happier and healthier one day at a time. It was easy to forget that gratitude is what got me here and without it I'd be right back where I started. In time that's exactly where I found myself, back in the old habits of control, resentments and stress longing for something to ease the discontentment that had re-entered my life. That longing re-created an emptiness that I eventually began filling with food. So now after regaining the 200+ lbs I find myself starting all over again... starting with gratitude."

 

Often we take ownership of things that don't  belong to us.  It isn't for us to take ownership of the person speeding down main street, that's on them.  We might easily become irritated and carry that attitude throughout the day but it isn't really ours to carry.  

In those times of irritation, discontent, and emotional stress, we as overeaters have turned to food for the temporary comfort that comfort-foods, binging and overeating can provide.

As we begin our journey to living happier and healthier we want to put down the burdens we carry that aren't ours.  We want to program our brains to see the things in our lives that we can be grateful for and use that thankfulness to fill a space in ourselves that overeating was being used to fill.

What are you grateful for today?

Today I am grateful for  _________________________.