Thursday, February 5, 2009

Gum and Candy

does anyone else depend on gum and sucking candies to get them through the day? no one in my life even chews gum!

i've always loved candy, but i really upped the ante when i dug in hard to an eating disordered life and my dependence on little oral satisfaction went thru the roof.

i've got everything laid out in my bedroom -- lemon drops, root beer barrels, coffee nips, lifesavers, creme savers. and the gum -- if i'm out of gum, it's like a junkie without smack. thank god for all night drugstores.

most people notice that there's usually something in my mouth. often, i mindlessly shove in piece after piece of doublemint spearmint until there's a baseball-sized wad in my mouth.

i'd like to stop this constant suckling, and there are days when i utilize fewer but in a way, this is the last frontier.

sorry teeth.

11 comments:

  1. I think this is pretty common. When I was really sick, gum was a main distraction from food. I don't chew it anymore (hurts my jaw). I don't see anything wrong with liking candy or gum as long as it's for the right reasons...and only you would know that. My sister loves candy and has no ed behaviors at all, so go figure.

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  2. I don't chew gum anymore, and I've never been one for candy. When I did chew gum it was insane, I'd chew a piece for a minute or two, then spit it out and start another. I finished a whole pack in 3 hours once [trident brand(18pcs) I think] I wouldn't want to know the total pieces I've chewed=X

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  3. I have a gum obsession, so bad that it has become an oral fixation. I'm practically a conniseur.

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  4. I did this too. When I was at my sickest I chewed gum constantly, but that helped wreck my TMJ/jaw joint. The doc said that besides the chewing, I didn't have enough fat to cushion the joint. Of course, that just made me happy. I have since gained weight but my jaw still hurts and pops all the time. So, there is nothing wrong with eating candy/chewing gum just be careful!

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  5. Orbit sweet mint is my weapon of choice. Chewing gum to keep from snacking is a tip that regularly circulates through women's magazines.

    http://pratfalls.blogspot.com/

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  6. Oh, and sugar-free Lifesavers give you some of the most literally earth-shaking flatulence of your life.

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  7. I used to chew and munch my way through huge loads of sugar free gums and lollies. Unfortunately they had a very, very negative affect on my stomach and bowel. As per Lisa's comment - let's just say I was not popular at home. It took a few weeks to discipline myself to leave them be.

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  8. kim; my sister doesn't have an ed either and eats as she pleases. can you tell i may not have quite come to terms with this?

    sarah; yes, i have chewed an unbelievable wad. oh, that doesn't sound good. it's not the most attractive

    just eat it: i tend to stick with one brand. and oddly, i don't chew sugar free. if i counted the calories of all the gum and candy i consume in a day, i could probably eat a nice normal meal. not gonna happen. not yet.

    saa: welcome to the blog thanks for your comment. so far, my jaw is okay but i do worry about my choppers.

    lisa: thanks for the tip! now i know how to get rid of annoying people. i love your blog- thanks for stopping by mine. oh -- women's magazines do give LOTS of tips, don't they? is this good?

    linda: that is discipline. i'm not quite ready, and i guess that's good to know. perhaps the next frontier. i am sucking a lemon drop as we "speak". i wonder why it's SO comforting

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  9. I chew gum constantly. I did my teeth a favor though and went to sugarless at least. Do whatever you have to do to keep your mouth busy, Melissa. I cut down on the actual amount of gum I chew, because sugarless gum is hard on the intestinal tract, and gave me pains.

    Keep up the good work, and go right ahead and chew and suck all you want! ;)

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  10. Constant gum chewer checking in here. And, I admit, a gum snapper and bubble blower. It's just the way I roll, yo!

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  11. thank you karen: it's not to have support, even about gum chewing. chew and suck all i want, huh. hmm, what would the boyfriend think? i am a very loud sucker. sometimes, when i'm on the bus to new york, i worry that i'm disturbing my seat-partner with all the smacking and joyful slurping. maybe i should offer them a lollipop.

    danielle mari; too bad you live in chicago. we could have a proper bubble blowing contest. i warn you -- i'm pretty serious about my bubbles. unfortunately, i occasionally find them popping out of my mouth in meetings. must remember to toss the gum.

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