I am addicted to potato chips!

[lardpuppy]

I am addicted to potato chips. If they are in the house I'll eat them.
The easy answer is don't buy them, but I don't live alone. The wife
says she should not be forced to give up chips just because I have a problem
with them. She does not have a weight problem. How can I break this addiction?
Yes this is much more than a bad habit.

Lard.

[VitoVino]

I think this post, advice given to another member of this site in the SAME situation, pretty much sums up all the advice you need to embrace and then internalize:

Originally Posted by cjohnson728

Granted, my middle name is Personal Responsibility. Not that I always have it, but because I believe it is the only key to success.

You can ask for help, but you won't always get it. You're right, you don't have to eat it, but if you're flagging, there are a few things you can do. Find what works for you. Make yourself drink two glasses of water before you eat it; make yourself wait 20 minutes and see if you still want it. Go journal on FD or otherwise the pros and cons of eating it. Leave the house. Go in the bathroom with a book till the others have eaten theirs. Ask them to buy flavors for themselves that aren't particularly tempting to you. Ask them if they will hide it, keep it in a locked car trunk, etc. Call a friend. Post on FD and say it's happening, then agree to report back to be accountable, put the scale in front of the fridge, tack your bathing suit to the pantry door. Make a deal with yourself by which, if you eat it, you have to do some sort of onerous exercise. Tell your family they are free to do/eat what they please, but you are setting limits and you will stick to them (you would like their cooperation but will do it alone if you have to)...the list goes on and on. I've done each and every one of these things.

As the addicts would say in the meetings, there is no easier, softer way to do this. If there were, it would have been done by now. The more excuses you let yourself make, the longer it will take. It takes a while to break habits; if you have to beg, borrow, or steal your way to two or three weeks of white-knuckling food sobriety, so be it. Just do it. Focus on yourself and what you need.

[lardpuppy]

if you have to beg, borrow, or steal your way to two or three weeks of white-knuckling food sobriety, so be it. Just do it. Focus on yourself and what you need.

What I would't do just to make it through ONE DAY.

Lard.

[VitoVino]

I'm sorry to hear you struggling like this. It really sounds like you need to plead with the Mrs. to at least give you a few weeks of not having this temptation around the house. After that, you'll employ the suggestions above.

[RunbikeSki]

You might also try a substitution. The old saying "I bet you can't eat just one" is so true. Pretzels are a little better, or buy your own baked chips. I know not quite the same thing, but we're talking small steps forward - right?

[VitoVino]

Sound advice, RBS. Substitutions are always the right step forward. And your post reminded me of else something I 'read' this morning...

Originally Posted by VitoVino

Bottom line: "Think of food as fuel for the body instead of feeding emotions"

Until one transitions into this way of thinking, rewires the way one thinks about food, there will always be a struggle with "cravings".

FYI, I'm not 'there' yet, but I'm well on the way. 51 years of habitually eating poorly cannot be overcome overnight.

Meditate on the words in blue, LP. Think on them hard, for they are the KEY to overcoming.

[wildbeanerz]

Maybe you could try no salt added potato chips. Don't laugh. They are pretty good and in moderation are not that bad.

[cjohnson728]

Can she hide them or keep them locked in her car?

I swear I've done this. Anything in a pinch.

[VitoVino]

Originally Posted by cjohnson728

Can she hide them or keep them locked in her car?

Good idea. Put the chips where the sun don't shine.

[frenchhen3]

Originally Posted by lardpuppy

I am addicted to potato chips. If they are in the house I'll eat them.
The easy answer is don't buy them, but I don't live alone. The wife
says she should not be forced to give up chips just because I have a problem
with them. She does not have a weight problem. How can I break this addiction?
Yes this is much more than a bad habit.

Lard.

You are totally within your rights to ask her nicely, "Hey honey-britches, I've got a big hurdle to climb and I need your help." then just tell her, what a lucky man you are to have her, and that you are really trying to be a good guy, and keep to your diet but it is really difficult with the temptations all around and that you love being at home but when the temptations are there too it is just really hard to succeed. If you are sincere and thoughtful, I think any decent person should oblige.