food addiction struggles

StacieLea93

I'm finding it so hard to stay away from bad foods its crazy how much I think about it when I'm trying to change my lifestyle and feel myself giving in and want to be a success so bad but how do you get over the addiction part I'm not a smoker or a drinker this seems to be my 1 challenge did anyone have this ? & how long does it take to get over

StacieLea93

also find really hard to sleep at night and find myself turning all night so nackered throughout the day as I have young child so always up early with my little munchkin

Lasmartchika

What are bad foods?

Serah87

You don't have an addiction, you just don't have self control.

How many calories are you doing?

Will you open up your diary?

fearlessleader104

bad foods like food that has expired/gone bad?

zSandman

Serah87 wrote: »

You don't have an addiction, you just don't have self control.

How many calories are you doing?

Will you open up your diary?

Strong this. It is all about control. There is nothing wrong with liking food. If I could, I would binge on pizza and ice cream daily.

Just learn to work in a small meal with the foods you like to eat into your diet once a while to ease your cravings.

StacieLea93

thanks everyone I guess that's very true I do agree I need more self control starting fresh tomorrow planning al meals out atm and mostly takeaways the odd sweet but more towards pizza etc

DeWoSa

OP, I have been where you are and understand. My entire world at one point was 100% about what I was going to eat next. To deal with my addictive behavior with food, I had to cut out certain foods completely because I binge on them without control.

If you are obsessing about certain foods or binging on the foods to the point of no control then you need to talk to someone far more qualified than the people who are going to respond to this thread.

Overeaters Anonymous is a good place to start; you can check out their website. You can also look for a therapist who works with eating disorders.

Best of luck to you.

Serah87 wrote: »

You don't have an addiction, you just don't have self control.

No self control is the fundamental problem she's describing. She is unable to control herself around certain foods, and she is fixated on them to the point of feeling like an addict.

zSandman wrote: »

It is all about control. There is nothing wrong with liking food. If I could, I would binge on pizza and ice cream daily.

No. You don't get to "choose" to binge -- you choose to overeat. Overeating is not binging. Binging isn't some fun little game that fat people like to play. Binging is vicious, destructive relationship with food that brings many people who suffer from it to the point of suicide.

lemurcat12

She didn't say she binges.

SomeNights246

My guess is that it's not about self control, or even necessarily about overeating. I would wager that it's about feeling as though you have to stop eating foods you enjoy. I find this is the problem many people have when attempting weight loss. So many times I have heard people say things like... "I would try to lose weight, but I like cookies too much". Yeah, I like cookies, too. What's your point? You can eat those things. Learning moderation is hard, and that does take some self control. It doesn't necessarily mean you do or don't have self control (that you feel this way). It just sounds like you feel as though you have to restrict things you like.

If you really like pizza, and you suddenly stop eating pizza, you are going to feel like you cannot eat pizza. The more you force yourself not to eat pizza, the more you are going to think about pizza, so the more pizza you're going to eat when you eat pizza. Make sense?

StacieLea93

deirdrewood yes the exactly what I mean I binge like man I cant just stop at one thing I keep going to I feel sick I'm trying to learn how to eat in moderation but if I have the taste for it I go mad sorta thing over board you total no what I mean and will have a look at that group thanks for advice hun helped alot xxxx

somenights246 yes hun total no what your coming from xxx

GaleHawkins

It was the carbs that had me. It took me two months of trying then a month before my next doctor's appointment I said enough is enough. After about a month off the carbs like stuff with added sugar and any grains the cravings just left. I still have a memory of them but no addiction like craving but I do keep my protein up around 100 grams a day at 220 pounds. Protein does help with the cravings I read. Best of luck. What you are going through is real many of us know. It is not for everyone but getting into a state of nutritional ketosis prevents me from getting hungry unlike when on carbs I was hungry all of the time.

lemurcat12

Yep, if some food leads you to binge--meaning feel compelled to keep eating and eating beyond any pleasure from it and until it makes you feel sick, the obvious answer seems to be to try cutting it out for a while and also to maybe do some soul searching into the psychological reason underlying it or seek help. I don't think this is actually as significant factor in people gaining weight as those who struggle with it seem to think, but it is a real disorder that is probably quite difficult to deal with.

That seems quite a bit different than saying the challenge is thinking about "bad foods" that you want to eat all the time, which frankly sounds like run of the mill temptation (which can become much more difficult when combined with something like a routine lack of sleep) dressed up as something more dramatic, but whatever.

Chances are you won't be able to do moderation when thinking of something as an off-limits bad food, it's not psychologically sensible. But no one says you have to do moderation, anyway. If you feel like it works better for you not to eat something, don't eat it, seems like common sense. If you really do binge, that's a psychological issue and you might want to talk to someone.

StacieLea93

thank you lemurcat12 xxx

getalife9353

If I am understanding you correctly.... I've been there and done that.
For me as an example, I would eat an entire pizza by myself, couldn't stop until there was none left. Same thing with potato chips, and soft drinks (Pepsi, Coke, etc.) and some others like "fast food" (McDonald's, Wendy's, etc) were a problem. I know this sounds overly simple, but it is what worked for me.... I stopped purchasing these items. If I don't have it available, I don't start, if I don't start eating them I don't have the problem of not being able to stop. I did not stop all of them all at once. I picked one and stopped buying it. After 2-3 weeks I picked another one. Some items I have been able to go back to eating, but I only purchase a single serving at a time. I do not keep any of my "problem" foods in the house nor do I buy them when I do my normal grocery shopping. If I want a single serving, I have to go out and buy it. One at a time. Usually I decide it's more trouble then it's worth to go get it and the craving disappears, but if I really do want it I will go buy a single serving. It can be very difficult the first couple of weeks, but after that it is much easier. After I was able to stop one or two items, the rest became easy. Some items that I had a problem with I don't even crave any more. I can't remember the last time I eat pizza and don't even think about it. I did not try to limit my calories during this time, but because I wasn't eating uncontrolled, my calories consumed dropped considerably.
Hope this helps. Good luck

kcd1961

Addiction has (at least) 4 components. Craving, Compulsion, Loss of Control and Negative Consequences - the four C's. So self control, while important is only part of the equation. Self-control is more than just stubborn will-power. Sometimes you need to become a behaviour detective to understand and manage the multitude of things driving the show. That can take time, and relapses. And best done with genuine support and not smart-*kitten* Dr Phil-isms. So it is self-control, but it is COMPLEX self control. And that may diminish the cravings and compulsion over time - but it may not. Only time will tell if certain foods and environments are safe, or whether total abstinance is the only workable solution.

StacieLea93

Thanks getalife9353 kcd1961

my biggest problem is since I meet my partner he is not fat he has gained weight since we meet but not alot he wants to loose weight to and part of our relationship is eating junk food and watching tv when hes home from work so 3 and half years plus yoyo dieting that has been one our really bad habits we would never have a normal size munch as you call it we are not as bad now but I still find myself thinking about it more than you should where as bad as each other is their a thing called been to comfortable in a relationship because I'm so happy with him this is only thing that stops my life I dont even leave the house any more to see friends or gone shopping in case bump into someone I know its really bad and notice I've gained a good few stone I'm 21 years old and I have no life Im happy with my family but My boyfriend wants me to have more of a social life too

Liftng4Lis

There are no "bad" foods. Eat at a deficit and you'll lose weight.

getalife9353

As my username may give you a clue, at one time I didn't have much of a life. Mine was not relationship related, it was mostly work related. Just a suggestion... Instead of watching TV and eating junk food, think of some recreational activities that you would enjoy doing as a couple. Some ideas... walking, hiking, bicycling, kayaking, skiing, if you are not much of an outdoors type person try visiting museums, art galleries, doing walking tours of the city you live in. You can try googleing "what to do in <name of the city or metro area you live in>. Be a tourist in the area that you live. You need to work on the part of not wanting to bump into someone you know. Most likely they are not going to judge you as much as you are judging yourself.

KKJackson91

I'm a binge eater. It has taken me this whole year until October 6th to conquer my addiction, and even from then til now I've binged..a lot. I've only lost 18 lbs. Every time I tried MFP I saw a burger or chocolate, and said, "Oh, I'll start tomorrow. Forget it. One more burger won't hurt." I finally just made it up in my mind a week ago that I was going to lose weight no matter what. I decided I was going to have a life. You can't deprive yourself of things you love though. I love chocolate and iced coffees from McDonald's. I have to sacrifice the sugar, and go with sugar-free vanilla syrup for my coffee and if I want chocolate or cookies, it's logged no matter what. They say not to use food as a reward on here, but I work really hard through the week and then do small workouts on the weekends and reward myself with cookies or chocolate on the weekends. It just works for me. You have to find what works for you, and stick with it no matter what. You have to make up in your mind that you are tired of being the way you are. Another motivator for me is that I want my bellybutton pierced. It may seem stupid for some people, but I've wanted it since I was 16 and have always been a big girl but I'm not going to be "twenty-something" forever. It takes a lot of willpower to walk past chocolate, but I tell myself I can have my treat Saturday or Sunday and that keeps me going. If I absolutely have to have chocolate right then and there, I make sure I log it and cut down on whatever I had planned for dinner so I still have a "green" day. I hope this helps encourage you:) My diary is public if you would like to look at it or add me. You're not alone:)

KKJackson91

OP also, I plan my meals on here for the week on Sunday night for Monday through Sunday and only plan for my base calories and macros then when I work out and decide I want more food for lunch or dinner I eat back 100-200 of my exercise cals but leave it at that.

lewispwest

I disagree with people who say that addiction isn't a real thing. I still think about food every second of every day despite my self control that has allowed me to lose 75lbs.

KKJackson91

lewispwest wrote: »

I disagree with people who say that addiction isn't a real thing. I still think about food every second of every day despite my self control that has allowed me to lose 75lbs.

I do this too. Sometimes it's all I can do to get through a work night only eating an apple or an orange. I can't eat dinner at work because when I cook my husband has to eat too when I get off work at night. The food addiction is definitely real.

StacieLea93

thing everyone for all your advice us are all doing great and wow 75 pounds and im the exact same jackson91x

brenn24179

I chew a lot of gum just like a reformed smoker

StacieLea93

might give that a try

GaleHawkins

KKJackson91 wrote: »

lewispwest wrote: »

I disagree with people who say that addiction isn't a real thing. I still think about food every second of every day despite my self control that has allowed me to lose 75lbs.

I do this too. Sometimes it's all I can do to get through a work night only eating an apple or an orange. I can't eat dinner at work because when I cook my husband has to eat too when I get off work at night. The food addiction is definitely real.

Sure it is but those without it want to argue it is not real but who cares.

KimofTas

The more good, healthy, nutritious foods you eat (that give your body what it needs to function at it's optimum level) the less it will crave unhealthy stuff.

The self control thing - it can be done. You just need to get your head in the right place, remind yourself of your goals and WHY you're looking to get there. Then obsess over that!

lemurcat12

Another thought is that there are factors that make exercising will-power harder, and being tired is one of those. Being tired also causes lots of people to crave sweets or refined carbs, because of the quick energy. I don't know how much you can do about this now, since I understand you have a young child, but I suspect if you could figure out a way to get more sleep that might help a lot with the food part.

StacieLea93

thank for the advice everyone read what everyone says and I'm going take it all on bored