Get Back in your Crate!

Saying no to whims to stay abstinent from compulsive overeating

Self-discipline with regard to control of my impulses is central AND essential to my continued abstinence. Here’s how that works.

I believe, consistent with the teachings of my religion, that there is a part of my spirit that wants, wants, wants, with regard to everything. Its favorite focuses are food and spending on things that I don’t need. (That list used to include alcohol, too, but I’ve been sober in AA quite a few 24 hours.)

I compare that part of my soul to a very smart dog that will resort to every trick in the book to get me to give it that yummy steak on the counter. And it watches me to see if I’m not paying attention, and if I’m not … it grabs the steak.

Here’s what a typical hour or two looks like if I am NOT doing anything to restrain my impulses:

“Hey, going to the beach next month sounds like a great idea!” So let’s spend an hour, RIGHT NOW, looking at hotels on Booking.com while there are more important things I need to do.

Am I in a cash crunch this month? Yes, I am. “But what about that course on Quranic interpretation I heard about last week? It’s only 40 pounds. That’s not much!” CLICK goes the Pay Now button. Never mind that there are three books on Quranic interpretation on your shelf, purchased last year, that remain untouched.

(Walking down the street) “Hey, a filtered coffee with Guatemalan coffee beans sounds AWESOME.” (Swerves suddenly into a café, orders coffee, and spies the trigger food in the case near the cashier.) “That trigger food would go GREAT with the coffee. Cashier, please add that to my order!“

And if all of these sound like someone acting on a food thought to you, that’s no accident. I believe that all these sudden impulses come from the same place, and it’s that part of my soul.

These different impulses can feed into each other, too. For example, the other night I went on a small travel planning binge. Thank God it didn’t take an hour, and I didn’t make any purchases. But I noticed later that food thoughts were on the uptick too.

So what do I do in response?

I recognize that I am not in control of anything, including impulses from that part of my spirit.
Every morning I ask God to help me to restrain me from acting on my impulses, especially but not only with regard to food and spending.
When an impulse comes up, I’ll say back to that part of my soul, “Not right now,” or “Nope, you’re cut off,” or “Get back in your crate!” (That last one comes out when there’s a food thought.)
If the impulse is very strong, I’ll pray for God’s help on the spot.
I follow an abstinence definition that provides for three meals a day, nothing in between, and a weighed and measured food plan. This signals to all parts of my soul that eating “on a whim” is not to be tolerated.

If I do not turn to my God for guidance and support when I’m faced with these impulses, I’m doomed to follow them. Thank you God that I have a way out today. May God show you a way out, too.

-Submitted by Rabi’a B

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