The daily stoic

Well not daily yet; but that could be a objective, just a trap set for failure. We start where we are.

MA 9.40  yes in old english

 40. Either the gods have no power or they have power.

If, then, they have no power, why dost thou pray to them?

But if they have power, why dost thou not pray for them to give thee the faculty of not fearing any of the things which thou fearest, or of not desiring any of the things which thou desirest, or not being pained at anything, rather than pray that any of these things should not happen or happen? for certainly if they can co-operate with men, they can co-operate for these purposes.

But perhaps thou wilt say, the gods have placed them in thy power. Well, then, is it not better to use what is in thy power like a free man than to desire in a slavish and abject way what is not in thy power?

And who has told thee that the gods do not aid us even in the things which are in our power?

Begin, then, to pray for such things, and thou wilt see. One man prays thus: How shall I be able to lie with that woman? Do thou prays thus: How shall I not desire to lie with her?

Another prays thus: How shall I be released from this? Another (thou) prays: How shall I not desire to be released?

Another thus: How shall I not lose my little son? Thou thus: How shall I not be afraid to lose him?

In fine, turn thy prayers this way, and see what comes.  
 http://www.bartleby.com/2/3/9.html




Not all the stoics were god free. Many still used "god" concepts like prayer, as well as saying god, nature, was the creator of all, and the divinity in us is logic, reason, and the directing mind, consciousness.

Well that is one version spaced out, and the modern version, G Hays, said it much nicer, but the concept is similar. Pray for that which is within our power to do. This is not entirely compilable with "praying for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out" but is much more rational. 

We Stoic know what is with our power; choice, decision, assent or rejection of a concept, an impression within the directing mind, our belief system, and all things directly and exclusively dependent, like desires, the impulse to move, stewardship of life and body. Little else. We stoics also know to limit our efforts and measure the outcome of only that which depends solely on us. It is our duty to carry out our natural role. All else has the hand of Fate on the rudder, Providence overlooking every move, and is beyond our control.

So how should I stop desiring to overeat? By thinking "processed food is unfit for humans, and specifically this human." ah, but this is god free and within my power. It is my duty to not eat carbage.

God, as a concept

First, let me say that my belief system does not require anyone to believe as I do. Having said that, unless logic and rational thought become the dominant thought processes, there is no hope for world peace, or even a few days without war going on somewhere. Oh well. shit happens.

The stoic used "god" as a handle for a group of concepts. They considered consciousness and reason, logic, as a sliver of divinity, part of the vine of the whole of logic. Also god was the forces of nature that had created all. The word was used, for also Roman Empire required that all citizens honor their god, and use of the word, without saying god does not exist, was enough to keep out of trouble much of the time. The stoics concept of god was very different that the Roman's, who attributed power to the gods. 

The stoics saw prayer as speaking to one's self. Giving the self a lecture, if you like. They saw it as being useful to reset our own attitudes and beliefs, not for asking for favor. One should look after that which is within our own power, ascent, judgement, decisions, desires, impulses, to influence our life and body, for we are three, body, mind, and life. Is this similar to the holey trinity?

Non-thesis belief seems most logical, rigorously honest, and most likely to be correct. With separation of beliefs and facts, separation of what is within our power, what we can influence but not control, and that which no one influence or control, we gain a great deal of understanding. Defining  what is important in to us in life, also builds recovery capital.

This is forming part of my morning prayer, but what do I know?

Rub a dub, three concepts in a tub... MA 12..3

"Your three components: body, breath, mind. Two are yours in trust: to the third alone you have clear title." Red bird addition.

We are entrusted with our body and our life, to act as stewards, only our consciousness is ours. With consciousness we can only accept proposals, and thereby control our beliefs, our desires, our impulse to act, but not our actions. We are not responsible for our memory, as this is body. We are not responsible for our desire to consume for this is body. We are responsible for allowing our life to get in the state where we can consume, for this is stewardship of our life. It is stewardship of our life together with our facility of ascent that gives us successful stewardship over our body, or not?

Thus endith the lesson for today. Say what.

Combined with what we have control over, and what we have influence over, and what we have no control over, how does this all help the situation?

And thinking makes it so. Some we win, some we lose, and something are just irrelevant. My belief system does not require that you believe as I do. Rational. Say what? And once more we have a trilogy. More real than the father, son, and the holy ghost.

I worked for a company where we called the partners the father, the sun, and the wholly ghost. One was bright, one was never where he was supposed to be, never finished anything on time, and would give away work, and left the rest of us to figure out how to do it with a too small budget. The other always had to have everything his way with no waste. I was young then, life was fun then.

Now life is to be lived before we die. And when all this makes scene, let me know. But what do I know?

Fostering a Change in Lifestyle

What exactly is a change in life style, and how does one bring that about for one's self, in a lasting and meaningful way?

So there is some element of life our style that we need to change, and replace it with something different. Removal of part of our life requires replacement, something removed leaves a unfulfilled void of time, space, desire, impulse, energy, or was there just too much to start with.

Three moderate meals each day frees time and uses time differently. Net change, small. But I was using eating as something to break up torpor - or boredom or disinterest or something to do... due to lack of interest in many things. Why the disinterest? That is a self protection method of growing up without, if I had anything, it was taken away and given to others or used. It was a form of abuse. It is easy to not care, not want, not desire, and disappear into my own head, into a world of unreal thoughts, a fancy work where I did not need to deal with doing the things I did not like, that gave me no satisfaction, and caused pain, distress, frustration, and the like.

What is within my control? Choice, Epictetus says, but then enters reality. Somethings just need to be done. We can do what must be done willingly or with resistance.  

Isolation is the other condition of my childhood that I have never yet overcome fully. Or is it fear of people? No, I can deal with people. Isolation is comfortable to a point. Then I need people around, but I need to be able to be alone among people.

But what do I know?  

Food Addiction 1 4 Hyperpalatable foods

Hyper palatable foods, as defined by David Kessler, The End of Overeating, are manufactured foods which one is too much and 100 are not enough. These are designed to meet our bliss point with fat, sugar, salt, flavoring, and leave us wanting more. These are not foods suitable to humans but for training addicts. For anyone looking for understanding food addiction, this book is a worthwhile read. The evil food scientists are killing off the human race for profits.

Any good cook knows how to do this with some food stuffs, and these we addicts must not eat. This often becomes a family - cultural - social - environmental thing. Keep in mind that addicts do not occur in isolation, we were trained to overeat. We "food addicts in recovery" may be the thin edge of the population static with respect to food addiction, but we are not alone in being addicted. Other addicts, not in recovery, will be pushing us to eat, out of group think, group do, call it proper, and all do it pear pressure. Mob mentality is really what it is. Society does not like individuals who are eccentric, or are free thinkers about some of these subjects.

We suffer from lack of satiety, and are unable to control our desire for intake after sampling some foods. We are often preoccupied with food thoughts. The alternative is to be occupied with something, diet, exercise, work, hobbies, whatever, but not food. The culture, our environment, society in general does not have our interests in there mind, rather they are out to sell us food, the evil bastards. Even grannies push food on us, likely as their way of doing for, regardless of whether we need it or want it, or are trying to avoid it. Then they act like they are offended when we tell them to FO. It is this mob characteristic of humans that cause much of the problem, the desire of 'do as I do', control freaks.

Now there are those who will overeat on most anything. Hyperpalatable would be preferred, but may be rejected due to cost, calories, whatever, but the desire is already started. The cause may lie in a emotion, a situation, or something that we do not know how to deal with, or the way we dealt with it was less that ideal, some fact of life is giving us an angst. Overeating has been our past habitual method of dealing with the problem. Now what? Some people want to talk about it, other of us want to find a solution to _______________,( 'other peoples stupidity' or fill the space)  or some other unsolvable problem. There is no solution to some problems, situations, places, people, things. Thing are the easiest to deal with: it is not there fault, they cannot act on there own, other than to follow natural forces. Fluids drip, cylinders role, gravity sucks. Nothing happens unless I do it. 

Perhaps we need a more useful definition of food addiction: continuing to consume a damaging food product which you know is damaging, when you have a choice to use an alternative safe food produce. Or is that a definition of insanity?

But what do I know?

Food Addiction 1 2

Second Post of today

Obesity is a physical problem caused by overeating. Overeating is caused by a environmental, physical, habitual, chemical or mental issue that drives us to eat. If we can define and remove the causes, the problem should become much smaller. First, we must identify the causes, remove the cause and/or devise solutions, where we are unable to remove the cause.

To start, we can divide the causes into four big groups of issues; your problem may be one, some or all of these. Physical group of  issues, that is body function including: hyperinsulinemia, leptin issues, adrenalin issues and the like. We  can have the Normal Overeaters where food, portion control, eating environment,eating times and the like are out of line with our needs. Next there are the Maladaptive Behaviors including eating disorders, emotional eaters, control frustration eaters, boredom eaters, stress eaters, relaxation eaters, isolation eaters, whatever,  where we need to look at the situation and organism response. Finally Food Addiction, where there is a chemical issue, either endo, from inside or exo, from outside the organism. It may be easier to detach from ourselves and look at ourselves as an organisms, and consider ourselves as stewards of this organism. To split ourselves in two, based on the function. This body mind separation is useful for a number of functions.

Normal Overeaters likely make up the largest percent of the overweight population, but few are  grossly obese. Maladaptive behaviors are the next largest group and frequently are the cause of food addiction. Food addicts and people with causal physical issues are likely the smallest portion of the general population; however, one type of hunger is caused by food induced hyperinsulinemia aka insulin resistance, and can be treated with the typical food addiction food plan; elimination of sugar, grains, fruits, acellular carbohydrates in general. Food addiction is often secondary issue developed as a result of maladaptive overeating, but must be treated first.

The start of treatment is to put oneself on a food elimination addiction diet, (put the plug in the jug) and then identify the emotions, feeling, behaviors, issues that arise. Withdrawal (physical discomfort may require weening off acellular carbohydrate), cravings, desires, hallucinations, vivid dreams etc. may be experienced.  We need to first recognize that it will not be one issue, but many. It is like pulling on a spaghetti in a dish of long spaghetti threads; we just do not know where it will lead.  After we get one out and straight, there will be another, and another, until we are returned or cured. After the first few issues, the process becomes easier and less painful, more satisfying.

Temptations 1   3

Temptations are one of the first things we need to deal with. If we were putting a lab animal on a diet, it does happen, we would not leave extra food in their reach, nor would we leave food in their sight, or smell range. That would be torture. With the idea of stewardship, why do you do it to yourselves?
Are you using the excuse of 'for others'? Brutal honesty is a principle of the program. Are you being honest with yourself? Are you being fair with yourself? Are you being just with yourself?

Next, we must not permit others to do the same to us, that is lead us into temptation. That is a tough one, and may require isolation, separation, insistence, whatever for a bit of time until your temptation issue is relieved by various methods. If others are not willing to cooperate with you for what you need, they do not have your best interests at heart; therefore, a tough decision may be required. This really shows up when two or more food addicts are living together, and one chooses to go into recovery or action stage. Food addicts need not be overweight. Food addiction is being unwilling to give up a food item(s) that give others problems. A private stash lock box or private cupboard for the active addict may be required. You may need to name them as an active addict, along with yourself. Hopefully, soon, you can call yourself an addict in recovery. 

These age pig problems, problems of immediate gratifications. These also may include priming or cueing where a smell of sight causes the desire for some of a forbidden substance, in essence, a slow acting poison. These things become not real proper human food . They may be suitable to prevent starvation, after weeks or months of no food, but not suitable for normal human food.

But what do I know? 

food addiction 1 1

A summary without any extended unsuccessful experience of food addiction:
http://authoritynutrition.com/food-addiction-treatment-find-help

The problem with OA, FA, FAA, all 12 step, is they rely on a god concept, but most god concepts are not rational nor take into account modern education. So how effective are these programs?

The wash out rate, those that come in, look around and leave, without figuring out the program is high, I would guess over 90 percent, having hung around for quite a few years. That leaves less than 10 percent that come and stay active in the program, and at time 0. For success, there must be recovery in the group.

Those that stick around for a year and get some recovery, then go out and maintain their recovery is like around 25 percent of those that leave, and about the same come back. Many of the others fall back to pre-contemplation and are lost from recovery. The program can have a lasting effect on those that have emotional, stress, boredom, inactivity, anger, control, issues as well as food addiction. It does not help normal eaters with no portion control or lack of food knowledge, food environment issues, but may force a closer look at the situation.

Those that come in, get a sponsor, believe in and work the steps generally recover, that is learn to live with their problem. It is not a fix, but is dependent on maintenance of a suitable attitude and behavior, which previously, we did not have. I would like a complete fix for the problem.

I go to program because it is a extended social network of people with eating/food issues and it seem to help. There is  much information in those rooms about food and the problem, some understand the problem as well, other just what they did to get recovery.

It is my opinion that the program will fragment further. The program need to get current, and provide a real cure.I accept that if we had a real cure, but we may need a lifetime of additional support,  updates, as we resolve additional issues. We also need to recognize that some people talk their problems to death, looking for a softer easier way.

but what do I know?

God as an unknown

In Bill and Bob, God is a all powerful unknown something. But we have learned a bit more, we have evolved a bit more, we collectively know more, and the unknowns of god has been reduced in size, or splintered off.

So when reading the BB and other publications, we need to remember that what they refer to as god is not what I understand as god, but what they understand as god. That could be described as Nature, logos, philosophy, psychology, and much smaller unknowns in my belief system, as a non-thesis logic seeking person.

I need to learn more self management skills, and reduce my dependence of a god concept further still. I understand this food urge as a food supply adaption of the D2 sensors, along with leptin and bio-chemistry of carbohydrate rich - fat poor food supply, and much much more.

But what do I know?

Exploring what is God?

First this is a definition for myself: I need to write my current definition, as my definition keeps changing.

First I will look at what other say:

noun: God; noun: god; plural noun: gods; plural noun: the gods

1. 1.

   (in Christianity and other monotheistic religions) the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.

   synonyms:

   the Lord, the Almighty, the Creator, the Maker, the Godhead; More Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh; (God) the Father, (God) the Son, the Holy Ghost/Spirit, the Holy Trinity; the Great Spirit, Gitchi Manitou; humorousthe Man Upstairs "a gift from God"

2. 2.

   (in certain other religions) a superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity.

 Yah... No. I am only interested in reality. Creator... we were created through evolution. Life, animation, now we are not so sure about the animation part, but some day we will understand. But this is the biological forces that exist. Animals, all life is opportunistic, with a desire to breath, eat, shit, grow and reproduce. That is natural.

First god does not exist physically. It is a name for a nebulous concept, that we each must design for ourselves. Having said it is a concept, how can I say it does not exist, therefore god exists.

There is no point praying, a concept cannot do anything. All was created by the sum of the forces of the universe and matter. It is often said that god is the creator. Ok, so he is a personalization of the forces of nature.

To the stoics, god, was all the unseen but felt forces including logic, reason, consciousness, and similar parts of the soul, as well as natural forces. They believed that logic, reason, and consciousness all came from one source, and was one, not disconnected, from each other, but somehow a connection, since logic is logic for all. That force of reason was god, so we humans are part god, part animal, and we should feel gratitude for being part god or god like.

That is the ultimate link to god, as Soc said, we cannot do anything without god (our consciousness) knowing or permitting (others consciousness, or the world forces).

If we assent or accept that god is the forces of nature, and reason, then we are forced to accept god's existence as a concept, but not as a concept that can do anything, but rather a logic, that if we could describe it would be the logos. With time, we can split god into laws, and codify the logos.

But this definition of god is not in keeping with any religion, especially christian. They have no definition that can be real, as there is no intelligence out of humans, just natural forces and matter. Logic and reasoning is natural laws also, but exist only as mathematical expressions of natural laws, the search for more and better, virtue, and desire for comfort.

God has no wrath. Nature has no intent, just what happens, happens. It is up to us to adapt and go along with nature, but not necessarily other people, yet we are born to cooperate, within the direction of reason, virtue, and the like to aid comfortable survival. We have needs, but our wants and possibilities are out of control. All desires should be let go of, and only motivate toward the the basic utility functions. 

So now how does this fit with the 12 step god? Not well. 

But then what do I know?

From ACORN

from  http://foodaddictioninstitute.org/fundamental-concepts/normal-eater-emotional-eater-food-addict/2011/01/   (Blue text)

NORMAL EATERS may have problems with weight (even obesity) if they do not eat the appropriate number of calories (and exercise moderately) to maintain an ideal, healthy weight. The problem for normal eaters is primarily physical: If they choose to eat a balanced diet, exercise moderately, and get support for lifestyle changes, they can lose unwanted weight (or gain weight) and keep their weight in a normal range. Basically, willpower works; just put down the fork and push away from the table.

EMOTIONAL EATERS often have similar problems with weight but find themselves powerless to follow directions to lose (or gain) weight and restore their health even when they want to. For those with diagnosable eating disorders – i.e., anorexia, bulimia or binge-eating disorder – the underlying problem is mental-emotional ( also religion/philosophical of a fucked up cult family) : It’s not what you are eating but rather what is eating you. Problem eaters use food to numb or medicate their feelings. What works for problem eaters are a moderate food and exercise plan, as well as developing skills to cope with feelings.

Beyond that it can be a unresolvable situation that trained us to using food as a maladaptive method of dealing with the problem, if food was available. It may have been also a parent that pushed food as a solution  but that got out of hand... often the cause of the addiction. We need to learn coping skills to deal with the problems: religions forced isolation, location forced isolation, social isolation, (I became comfortable alone, then was forced into school, with many familiar restrictions) emotions, pain, lack of philosophy, or replace bad philosophy or religious bull shit, forced behaviors, control freaks, whatever: 
 
FOOD ADDICTS become chemically dependent on specific foods or on food in general. The way their body processes food is bio-chemically different that that of normal eaters and emotional eaters. Many food addicts are predisposed to becoming addicted to food – especially to sugar, flour, wheat, fat, salt, caffeine, and/or excess volume to any food – just as alcoholics are predisposed to being chemically dependent on alcohol and drug addicts to heroine, cocaine or prescription drugs. As the disease of addiction progresses, food addicts become powerless over physical craving and develop distortions and obsessions of the mind that keep them in denial. 

So the only hope is to abstain completely from those foods. The automatic response to any unsuitable food: "That looks wonderful, but i fear it will raise my insulin level too much. " 

It is my opinion that emotional eating is the first cause of my addiction, along with subconscious habit keeping it alive.

Addiction is likely a continuum, from those who are unwilling to give up a hyper-palatable 'treat' to those who want ... crave ... need... . 

Teachable, the willingness to learn and accept new concepts, along with persistence, and a desire for temperance are likely required to move from percontemplation, through contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance to termination in the new improved self.

But what do I know?

Learning to live, sanely, in an insane world

Learning to live, sanely, in an insane world, is a simple description of what this total reprograming is really all about.

We need to define, for ourselves what constitutes living sanely, and what insanity we are exposed to and have been exposed to. Cultural, environmental, social sanity must be explored, along with behavioral insanity. Culture of our ancestors, and even our extended family, co-workers, and our neighbors may not be sane. First we need to define what sanity means to ourselves.

The world and her people are in a state of flux, rapid flux. Stop the world, I want to get off, is the cry for help. Now I must make sense of all this change and upheaval in my world and consolidate my views, rid myself of cognitive dissonance, and come to peace with nature, world nature, human nature, my specific nature, cultural nature, environmental nature, economic nature, social nature; the total world outside myself that I live in, and then within myself, the mind, reason and logic. All else is just the world insanity. None of my business.

So  I was wandering the net an found

http://foodaddictioninstitute.org/in-the-news/ 

http://www.foodaddictioninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/video/UFPhilipWerdellFRC.mp4

Werdell viedo

http://foodaddictioninstitute.org/in-the-news/