Embrace the Suck: Why Food Addiction May Be the Hardest Addiction to Break

How doing hard things like fasting, sardines, cold plunges, and facing your feelings can set you free and onto a path of health. Embrace the Suck!

This Is Not Just a Keto Diet Course ~ It’s a Recovery and Healing Process

Most people think a ketogenic lifestyle is just about weight loss or carb restriction. But what we teach inside Journey to Healing goes far deeper than macros and recipes.

We walk clients through a process of recovering from food addiction, breaking the cycles that have been running their lives for years ~ sometimes decades. This isn’t just about nutrition.

It’s about freedom. It’s about healing at the cellular level.  It’s about building generational health.

And to get there, you’re going to have to embrace the suck.  Embrace the suck and DO THE HARD THINGS! Sometimes we have to do this even when it don’t feel good.  Even when our inner spoiled brat is throwing a fit!

My Truth: Oxycontin Was Easier to Break Free From

A Survivor’s Story

For 18 years, I was prescribed 120 mg of Oxycontin every single day—around the clock—for neuropathy pain caused by chemotherapy. I never abused it, never took more than I was supposed to. Never crushed it, snorted it or any other abusive behavior. But nonetheless, my body was fully dependent and addicted to this prescription.

That medication was in my system every 6 hours, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—for 18 years.  I could not be even 1 hour late on taking this medication or a sickness would come over me that could not be ignored. I would be nauseous, cold, sweaty, and shaky.  My eyes would turn glassy and bloodshot.  I would want to throw up.  My only remedy was to lay perfectly still, curled in the fetal position for 1 hour, while this next dose would get into my system.  THIS is the withdrawal that I would go through every 6 hours, faithfully!!!

My entire world, schedule, family, business and life revolved around this happening.  Blocks of time were lost, multiple times a day, just to get through these withdrawal symptoms.  It was like clockwork.  You could set your watch by the bloodshot eyes, and the nausea. My world stopped when this withdrawal hit.

Yes, the withdrawals were awful. The symptoms were horrific. Nothing seemed to help. But when I learned to shift my chemistry into nutritional ketosis, this helped stabilize my body chemistry, lesson my symptoms and gave me the strength to get through it.  This allowed me to embrace the suck of withdrawal and be able to come out on the other side with a new outlook on life.  I’ve been able to break the addiction that my body craved for this medication and get past any desire to ever need this medication.  Prior to this withdrawal period, I had to work on reversing the neuropathy that I took this medication for.  (I can share more on that later). When the neuropathy pain began to fade, so did the need for the pain meds.

Still, I can tell you with full honesty:

Food addiction has been harder to conquer than oxycontin.  

Food cravings persist after years of obedience.

Learning to Lean into Withdrawal is The Change Needed to Heal

Leaning into the hard times is definitely a challenge.  But this is where the real growth and healing began.  Staying in the “easy” part, changed nothing and was not going to get me any closer to my goals. Embracing the suck and pushing through the hard times is what got me on the path to turning my health around.

Addiction Is Addiction—And Food Is the Silent One That’s Encouraged

 

What Makes Food Addiction So Dangerous?

Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, sex, or gambling, addiction is defined as a compulsive behavior that brings short-term relief but causes long-term damage.  

I’ve always been pretty disciplined with food.  Never been a binge eater, and have never really over indulged in processed foods.  Even though I ate fairly clean, I still have addictions and cravings I needed to break.  Fruits and veggies were my vise and snacking was my weakness. That eating every 3-4 hours was my truth. But yet, the struggle is real. The addiction is real. The mind-shift is real.  Many addictions needed to be broken and a new mind-shift needed to take place.

But here’s what sets food addiction apart:

• It’s socially acceptable ~ Even encouraged.

• There’s no intervention ~ No one stops you from ordering fast food or eating sugar daily.  Snacks and treats are as close as your kitchen.

• It’s built into everything ~ We use food to cope, reward, mourn, celebrate, and avoid.

• There is no shame ~ no one shames you into not eating or eating unhealthy foods.
• No one says a word ~ if you eat processed foods, foods so high in sugar that your body is on instant overload
• No one cares if you drink sugary drinks until your blood resembles syrup.
• No one says a word ~ if you go through the fast food drive thru for your daily nutritional needs.
• Society will allow you eat all the carbs and sugar you want, and watch you inject insulin or even amputate a limb and still encourage you to eat more.

You don’t have to hide food like other substances—so it hides in plain sight, controlling you without you even knowing. Food is everywhere. 

The Science of Food Addiction

Let’s break it down:

• Sugar triggers dopamine—the same pleasure chemical activated by sex and drugs like cocaine or alcohol.

• Ultra-processed foods are engineered to override your hunger and fullness cues (your fat-based hormones), creating compulsive overconsumption.

• According to the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, sugar has been shown to activate the mesolimbic dopamine system (reward pathway in the brain), the same brain circuit that responds to addictive substances.

• Withdrawal from carbs and sugars is just as real as the withdrawal from other addictions.  You must work through the symptoms to break free from the addictions.

So when you think you’re just craving a cookie, your brain is actually searching for a dopamine hit—not fuel.  This is your addiction knocking on the door.  This is the feeling you need to work through to build a new neural pathway.

How to Recognize Food Addiction in Your Daily Life

Ask yourself:

• Do I use food to feel better emotionally?

• Do I often think, “I just need a little something”?

• Do I snack even when I’m not hungry?

• Do I hide or justify my food choices?

• Does food lead most family events, holidays, or emotional milestones?

• Do you get irritable if you do not give into your cravings or wants?

If the answer is yes ~ you’re not alone. And you’re not broken.
You’re addicted.
But there is a way out.

Embrace the Suck—And Do It On Purpose

Healing starts the moment you stop chasing comfort and start standing in your strength, and begin building resilience.

We CAN do hard things ~ on purpose and rewire your brain, rebuild your health, and reclaims your power.

“Easy” Isn’t Working

Let’s be real:

• Injecting insulin isn’t hard ~ learning self control is.

• Eating sardines isn’t hard ~ chemotherapy is.

• Skipping dessert isn’t hard ~ missing your grandchild’s graduation is.

• Not eating pizza isn’t hard ~ being confined to a wheelchair because you have no feet, IS.

 We need perspective. You don’t need easy. You need healing. WE CAN DO HARD THINGS! EMBRACE THE SUCK! Don’t give into EASY.

Leaning Into the Hard Things Is Where the Healing Begins

When you lean into the hard things—whether it’s a 72-hour fast, a sardine challenge, a cold plunge, or facing the emotional chaos you’ve buried for decades—you’re doing more than just pushing your limits. You’re growing. You’re healing. You’re rewiring your brain, breaking generational cycles, and reclaiming the strength that addiction has silenced for far too long.

It’s not about perfection ~ it’s about direction. Every time you choose to sit with the discomfort instead of numbing it, you are strengthening your emotional resilience and teaching your body and mind that it is safe to heal. These moments of discomfort become spiritual milestones. They are holy ground—the place where transformation begins. It’s where your old identity starts to fall away and your new one is built, one hard choice at a time.

Embracing the suck isn’t punishment ~ it’s progress. Fasting teaches you that you are not controlled by hunger. Cold plunges remind you that your body can do hard things. The sardine challenge shows you that your healing matters more than your preferences. Working through emotional wounds teaches you to sit with pain instead of feeding it. And that is where the real power lies.

Hard Things That Heal (And Retrain Your Brain)

A List of “Suck” Worth Embracing

Here are some of the powerful, proven tools we teach in our programs that feel hard—but work miracles when done consistently:

• 🐟 Sardine Challenge ~ Dense in omega-3s, protein, and nutrients that calm inflammation, stabilize glucose, and crush cravings. You will learn more about your food addictions and habits, than you ever thought possible just by doing this challenge.

• ⏳ Fasting ~ The most powerful tool for resetting insulin and breaking addiction cycles. Fasting is your super-hero tool.

• ❄️ Cold Plunge or Cold Showers ~ Boosts dopamine, resilience, and mental toughness. EMBRACE THE SUCK!

• 🔥 Sauna Therapy ~  Stimulates detox, mimics the effects of cardio, and enhances autophagy (cellular cleanup).

• 📓 Journaling & Reflection ~ Helps you uncover emotional triggers and rewire old habits. Getting to the root of the problem is key.

• 🥩 Giving Up Carbs & Sugar ~ Breaks the physical and emotional bond to addictive foods. Food addiction is real! Abstinence is sometimes needed. (You would never take your best friend that is a recovering alcoholic to a bar and say, “it’s ok, just have a little wine”!)

• 🧠 Monitoring Glucose & Ketones ~ Shows you real-time feedback on how your choices affect healing of your brain and body.  This is the real GPS for your health journey.

• 💬 Speaking Truth to Yourself ~ Blatant honesty about why you’re eating and what you’re avoiding emotionally is tough to do, but very beneficial to breaking the addiction.

None of these are easy. But all of them are worth it. EMBRACE THE SUCK!

Coping Skills: What to Reach For Instead of Food

If food has been your comfort, your best friend, your therapist, and your only relief, you need new tools to replace the old behavior. Let’s find you some healthy dopamine.

Try These Instead:

• ✅ Go for a walk and breathe deeply

• ✅ Call a trusted friend or relative

• ✅ Pray, read scripture, or do a bible study

• ✅ Take a hot bath or shower ~ learn to relax and take time for YOU

• ✅ Do a cold plunge or ice face dunk (trust me…you feel so good after)

• ✅ Journal with intention ~ process through your issues and write in cursive

• ✅ Lift weights or stretch. Do some pilates or yoga

• ✅ Clean something, get sunlight, or create something ~ pick up an old hobby

These choices trigger dopamine in a healthy, healing way.
They build new neural pathways.
They can each help break the chains of addiction.

Ready to Face Your Addiction? Start Here.

It’s time to stop pretending that cravings are not driving your health journey and health issues.  It is time to take responsibility for what you are truly doing to your body and health journey. These addictions are not just about willpower for a week or two.

They’re not.

They’re about chemistry, habits, and emotional avoidance. This is about learning to break free of real addictions.

You don’t need another diet… you need to break addictions and take control of your health. Take responsibility and take your life back.

Become the leader in your health journey.

Don’t Do This Alone—Join Our Group Coaching Course

One of the most dangerous lies addiction tells us is:

“You can do this on your own.” 

But healing happens in community.

If you’re ready to face your food addiction and start doing the hard things (embracing the suck) that lead to real health, we invite you to join our Journey to Healing Group Coaching Program.

Inside our coaching tribe, you’ll find:

• 🔬 Step-by-step guidance based on Dr. Boz’s Keto Continuum and Primal Health guidelines

• 💬 Live weekly calls with coaches who have been there and walked through addiction recovery

• 🧠 Tools to help you understand your chemistry, your cravings, and your brain

• 📖 Journaling prompts, fasting protocols, and structured challenges (like our Sardine Challenge!)

• 🙌 A loving community that will support you, every step of the way.

💥 This isn’t a diet plan || It’s a lifestyle change.

This is a coaching experience that will help you take control of your life and rebuild health from the inside out.  Teaching you to build generational health, reversing many poor habits, which lead to poor health. One step at a time. Together with your tribe.

When you’re ready to stop letting food make your decisions—and start healing for real—this is your next step.

👉 [Click here to join our next group coaching session]
(Spots are limited. Enrollment is now open.)

Final Thoughts: You Were Made for More

This is more than a blog.
This is your wake-up call.

Food addiction is real—and it’s robbing you of your health, your peace, and your future.

You don’t have to stay stuck.
But you do have to be brave enough to embrace the suck.

Tell me in the comments what addiction rules your life the most?  Let’s talk about it.  Let’s walk through it together. Embracing the suck together.

Because that’s where freedom and health begins.

🩷 Coach Tammie