I am a dairy addict.

[JoyeAustin]

I am addicted to cheese and ice cream. Everyday I try not to eat them. Nearly every day, I do.

I am currently enrolled with Weight Watchers and I have done really well, so far. I take a two-to-three mile walk four-to-five times a week. I stay on track (except for this this past week, which was Cake Week for both my daughters' birthdays) and I have seen the scale go down steadily.

I am regaining my vegetarian status that I lost several years ago. I was pregnant with my first child and broke down at a barbecue and ate a delicious, flame grilled hamburger. I snuck around to the back of the garage to eat it. It was quite possibly the best tasting thing in my entire life. Pregnancy does strange and bizarre things to us.

Since then though, I have not been able to return to full vegetarianism until now. And while I have no real ambitions to become vegan, I can't deny at all that too much dairy in any one's diet is bad. I have to face my dairy addiction. Too much ice cream, way too much cheese. It wrecks my goal to become healthy and it inhibits my desire to lose weight and keep it off.

I just love the stuff so damn much.

Moo.

I even love cows... like a lot, a lot. I love Ruly, even though he's annoying as hell, and I love Bo. So while giving up meat isn't hard--I honestly have no intentions whatsoever to eat Ruly or Bo--passing up the wonderful products we get from those bovines is difficult for me.

[0Jenna0]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 11:44 AM

Hi, my name is Jenna, and I'm a dairy addict too. Cheese is my downfall. I really have to fight the urge to add it to everything. And forget if there's a block of it in front of me... it'll be gone before I even open the crackers!!

[parrishsky]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 11:52 AM

Cheese and apples one of my all time favorite snacks. And I've been known to serve waffles with ice cream for dinner. Ooops, oh well. I love dairy too. Mooooo~

[sherriet]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 11:54 AM

Cheese is a hard one for me to give up, too.  Eggs haven't been a problem.  I have yet to find a fake feta that works for me, but I did find a good vegan mozz.

WTG on your progress!

[Fistandantalus]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 1:14 PM

Make some yogurt "cheese"!  It helps with the cravings, and if you go low-fat it's not that bad, plus it has the little good guys in it for your guts (I sould like I'm talking to MJ, but there you have it).

[used2chaos]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 2:41 PM

I, too am a dairy addict.  I can not live without cheese.  Nor will I.  I could give up the rest of it, but NOT cheese.  Ever, dude.

[DeTora_Family]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 2:59 PM

 My name is Sid, and I am a dairy addict.  Let's start a chapter of DA (dairyholics anonymous) here on Cafemom.

I am eating cheese this very minute as I read your journal.  Your description of that burger makes me crave one.  It would be so nice to have with this cheese!

[evwsquared]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 4:13 PM

Hi, my name is Erica. I have been a dairy addict for 34 years. (Sob!) It invades my life in so many ways. Wherever I am in the world, I seek out and eat local cheeses and ice cream (let me just tell you: clotted cream ice cream is sinfully good). I follow Julia Child's advice to use butter, butter, and more butter. I have begun to break out in black and white spots and moo (why couldn't I have turned into a nice Jersey cow?). I am upset that I forgot to bring my Greek yogurt to work today.

I love dairy. I'm sorry. Please, turn away. Don't look at me!

[mars33me]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 4:17 PM

Joye, you're beautiful and strong and you need to cut yourself some slack... if you are still losing weight but beating yourself up because you think you eat too much cheese then you know what?  You need to stop beating yourself up about it.  You can't change over night and going from a carnivore to a vegetarian and losing weight is a huge accomplishment!!

[coleyBoosmom]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 4:18 PM

I am an ice cream adict.  I love the stuff...seriously when Dairy Queen burnt I lost weight...LOL

[Tracys2]

Sep. 3, 2009 at 4:41 PM

I'd try to cut down but not out. I had to give up dairy for my baby 7 months ago- she is allergic and we can't do $500-600 a month for special formula. And now I eat terrible, because I want that yogurt or smoothy or pizza and can't have anything, I usually gulp down some sugar.  Some say that cutting out dairy makes them feel great. Nope for me!