help me break free of my food addiction
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ETA: On the addiction front, you aren't addicted. You just like it. A lot. Until you are crawling in a dumpster in search for some Ramen, or robbing your friends for money to buy it because you need your fix to feel right, you are not addicted. You just like it. A lot.
I think that is a bit of false equivalency. Food is nearly always readily available, even in dire circumstances. You cannot say the same for illegal drugs.
However, drugs can foster neurochemical reactions which are pleasurable. Food can do the same thing. So when you're addicted to drugs it is more accurate to say that you're addicted to the way your body reacts to the drugs. Why can't you say the same thing about food?
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ETA: On the addiction front, you aren't addicted. You just like it. A lot. Until you are crawling in a dumpster in search for some Ramen, or robbing your friends for money to buy it because you need your fix to feel right, you are not addicted. You just like it. A lot.
I think that is a bit of false equivalency. Food is nearly always readily available, even in dire circumstances. You cannot say the same for illegal drugs.
However, drugs can foster neurochemical reactions which are pleasurable. Food can do the same thing. So when you're addicted to drugs it is more accurate to say that you're addicted to the way your body reacts to the drugs. Why can't you say the same thing about food?
If you are hungry, you can eat any food and not be hungry anymore. You can eat any food and not starve to death.
If you are a heroin addict in withdrawal, you won't get right until you have heroin or an equivalent (such as methadone).
Drug addiction (real drug addiction) become about more than just having a pleasurable reaction. In fact, a lot of drug addicts will tell you the high isn't even that great anymore. It just helps them not be sick. In the case of alcohol, your body becomes so dependent on it that you can actually die from withdrawals, which is why alcoholics should be under the care of a medical professional during the detox phase.0 -
I'm addicted to terrible food. I love fruit and veg, but my intense cravings for things like ramen noodles always takes over and I end up always giving in.
its awful. I need help.
OP I would suggest looking into Intermittent Fasting. It has really helped me understand the difference between being truly hungry and hunger because I am bored or feeling the need to eat my emotions.
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hey there, I as well love ramen and things like that. I tried my first spaghetti squash last week and surprisingly it was really good!! Maybe try that? I cooked it (it was really easy just brush with oil, season and bake and tear apart with a fork) and then kept it in the fridge when I needed that ramen/noodle fix.0
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[/quote]
Not everyone is here to lose weight.
You can also give in to food cravings and still lose weight.
Moderation is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. I've had ice cream in my freezer and cheetos in my pantry for weeks that I haven't touched because I didn't have the calories left over to do it. So, yes, moderation does work. But you have to own it and not look for excuses. [/quote]
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srslybritt wrote: »sandman1000 wrote: »and please don't say your addicted, thats just playing the blame game.
The chemicals and drugs that they put in our foods are both poisionus and addicting. Google it.
Your "Google it" suggestion is just way too ironic. Yes, by all means, please Google it. But don't click the first, second, or even the tenth link. A lot of us got where we are by using Google - intelligently. Peer reviewed studies done by reputable, unbiased parties are the way to go. Any other nuggets of wisdom you wish to bestow upon us?
Either way, 99% of the food we eat is loaded with things we should not be putting in our bodies. My "Google it" suggestion may be ironic, but that's something pretty irrelevant to the point that I brought up. I'm not here to argue, what you want to consume is your choice.ETA: On the addiction front, you aren't addicted. You just like it. A lot. Until you are crawling in a dumpster in search for some Ramen, or robbing your friends for money to buy it because you need your fix to feel right, you are not addicted. You just like it. A lot.
I think that is a bit of false equivalency. Food is nearly always readily available, even in dire circumstances. You cannot say the same for illegal drugs.
However, drugs can foster neurochemical reactions which are pleasurable. Food can do the same thing. So when you're addicted to drugs it is more accurate to say that you're addicted to the way your body reacts to the drugs. Why can't you say the same thing about food?
If you are hungry, you can eat any food and not be hungry anymore. You can eat any food and not starve to death.
If you are a heroin addict in withdrawal, you won't get right until you have heroin or an equivalent (such as methadone).
Drug addiction (real drug addiction) become about more than just having a pleasurable reaction. In fact, a lot of drug addicts will tell you the high isn't even that great anymore. It just helps them not be sick. In the case of alcohol, your body becomes so dependent on it that you can actually die from withdrawals, which is why alcoholics should be under the care of a medical professional during the detox phase.
That is true. Remembering that may actually be very helpful when it comes to saying no to bad food. I feel like food addiction may be more along the lines of being addicted to ciggs. The smell and things may trigger the emotional want, but you're not going to die from withdrawal which unfortunately sometimes happens with things like alcohol. It's all emotional0 -
srslybritt wrote: »sandman1000 wrote: »and please don't say your addicted, thats just playing the blame game.
The chemicals and drugs that they put in our foods are both poisionus and addicting. Google it.
Your "Google it" suggestion is just way too ironic. Yes, by all means, please Google it. But don't click the first, second, or even the tenth link. A lot of us got where we are by using Google - intelligently. Peer reviewed studies done by reputable, unbiased parties are the way to go. Any other nuggets of wisdom you wish to bestow upon us?
Either way, 99% of the food we eat is loaded with things we should not be putting in our bodies. My "Google it" suggestion may be ironic, but that's something pretty irrelevant to the point that I brought up. I'm not here to argue, what you want to consume is your choice.ETA: On the addiction front, you aren't addicted. You just like it. A lot. Until you are crawling in a dumpster in search for some Ramen, or robbing your friends for money to buy it because you need your fix to feel right, you are not addicted. You just like it. A lot.
I think that is a bit of false equivalency. Food is nearly always readily available, even in dire circumstances. You cannot say the same for illegal drugs.
However, drugs can foster neurochemical reactions which are pleasurable. Food can do the same thing. So when you're addicted to drugs it is more accurate to say that you're addicted to the way your body reacts to the drugs. Why can't you say the same thing about food?
If you are hungry, you can eat any food and not be hungry anymore. You can eat any food and not starve to death.
If you are a heroin addict in withdrawal, you won't get right until you have heroin or an equivalent (such as methadone).
Drug addiction (real drug addiction) become about more than just having a pleasurable reaction. In fact, a lot of drug addicts will tell you the high isn't even that great anymore. It just helps them not be sick. In the case of alcohol, your body becomes so dependent on it that you can actually die from withdrawals, which is why alcoholics should be under the care of a medical professional during the detox phase.
That is true. Remembering that may actually be very helpful when it comes to saying no to bad food. I feel like food addiction may be more along the lines of being addicted to ciggs. The smell and things may trigger the emotional want, but you're not going to die from withdrawal which unfortunately sometimes happens with things like alcohol. It's all emotional
Exactly. I think the reason why people get very specific here about the addiction claim is because calling something an addiction gives it a lot of power. It's better to think of it as an "I want" opposed to an "I need."
I say enjoy your Ramen in small doses if you are personally worried about it. Stock your pantry with other things you would like to try eating. There's so much good food in the world, why limit yourself anyway?
Eat a meatball sub or something.
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jarrettjags wrote: »hey there, I as well love ramen and things like that. I tried my first spaghetti squash last week and surprisingly it was really good!! Maybe try that? I cooked it (it was really easy just brush with oil, season and bake and tear apart with a fork) and then kept it in the fridge when I needed that ramen/noodle fix.
Yum!! Sounds amazing I'll give it a try 0 -
I'm addicted to terrible food. I love fruit and veg, but my intense cravings for things like ramen noodles always takes over and I end up always giving in. its awful. I need help.
OP I would suggest looking into Intermittent Fasting. It has really helped me understand the difference between being truly hungry and hunger because I am bored or feeling the need to eat my emotions.
That's a really good idea, actually. My boyfriend loves fasting. He does it often, maybe he could help me out with it 0 -
srslybritt wrote: »sandman1000 wrote: »and please don't say your addicted, thats just playing the blame game.
The chemicals and drugs that they put in our foods are both poisionus and addicting. Google it.
Your "Google it" suggestion is just way too ironic. Yes, by all means, please Google it. But don't click the first, second, or even the tenth link. A lot of us got where we are by using Google - intelligently. Peer reviewed studies done by reputable, unbiased parties are the way to go. Any other nuggets of wisdom you wish to bestow upon us?
Either way, 99% of the food we eat is loaded with things we should not be putting in our bodies. My "Google it" suggestion may be ironic, but that's something pretty irrelevant to the point that I brought up. I'm not here to argue, what you want to consume is your choice.ETA: On the addiction front, you aren't addicted. You just like it. A lot. Until you are crawling in a dumpster in search for some Ramen, or robbing your friends for money to buy it because you need your fix to feel right, you are not addicted. You just like it. A lot.
I think that is a bit of false equivalency. Food is nearly always readily available, even in dire circumstances. You cannot say the same for illegal drugs.
However, drugs can foster neurochemical reactions which are pleasurable. Food can do the same thing. So when you're addicted to drugs it is more accurate to say that you're addicted to the way your body reacts to the drugs. Why can't you say the same thing about food?
If you are hungry, you can eat any food and not be hungry anymore. You can eat any food and not starve to death.
If you are a heroin addict in withdrawal, you won't get right until you have heroin or an equivalent (such as methadone).
Drug addiction (real drug addiction) become about more than just having a pleasurable reaction. In fact, a lot of drug addicts will tell you the high isn't even that great anymore. It just helps them not be sick. In the case of alcohol, your body becomes so dependent on it that you can actually die from withdrawals, which is why alcoholics should be under the care of a medical professional during the detox phase.
That is true. Remembering that may actually be very helpful when it comes to saying no to bad food. I feel like food addiction may be more along the lines of being addicted to ciggs. The smell and things may trigger the emotional want, but you're not going to die from withdrawal which unfortunately sometimes happens with things like alcohol. It's all emotional
Exactly. I think the reason why people get very specific here about the addiction claim is because calling something an addiction gives it a lot of power. It's better to think of it as an "I want" opposed to an "I need."
I say enjoy your Ramen in small doses if you are personally worried about it. Stock your pantry with other things you would like to try eating. There's so much good food in the world, why limit yourself anyway?
Eat a meatball sub or something.
Hmm..I think I'll have to stop by my favorite sub shop on the way home!
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srslybritt wrote: »sandman1000 wrote: »and please don't say your addicted, thats just playing the blame game.
The chemicals and drugs that they put in our foods are both poisionus and addicting. Google it.
Your "Google it" suggestion is just way too ironic. Yes, by all means, please Google it. But don't click the first, second, or even the tenth link. A lot of us got where we are by using Google - intelligently. Peer reviewed studies done by reputable, unbiased parties are the way to go. Any other nuggets of wisdom you wish to bestow upon us?
Either way, 99% of the food we eat is loaded with things we should not be putting in our bodies. My "Google it" suggestion may be ironic, but that's something pretty irrelevant to the point that I brought up. I'm not here to argue, what you want to consume is your choice.ETA: On the addiction front, you aren't addicted. You just like it. A lot. Until you are crawling in a dumpster in search for some Ramen, or robbing your friends for money to buy it because you need your fix to feel right, you are not addicted. You just like it. A lot.
I think that is a bit of false equivalency. Food is nearly always readily available, even in dire circumstances. You cannot say the same for illegal drugs.
However, drugs can foster neurochemical reactions which are pleasurable. Food can do the same thing. So when you're addicted to drugs it is more accurate to say that you're addicted to the way your body reacts to the drugs. Why can't you say the same thing about food?
If you are hungry, you can eat any food and not be hungry anymore. You can eat any food and not starve to death.
If you are a heroin addict in withdrawal, you won't get right until you have heroin or an equivalent (such as methadone).
Drug addiction (real drug addiction) become about more than just having a pleasurable reaction. In fact, a lot of drug addicts will tell you the high isn't even that great anymore. It just helps them not be sick. In the case of alcohol, your body becomes so dependent on it that you can actually die from withdrawals, which is why alcoholics should be under the care of a medical professional during the detox phase.
That is true. Remembering that may actually be very helpful when it comes to saying no to bad food. I feel like food addiction may be more along the lines of being addicted to ciggs. The smell and things may trigger the emotional want, but you're not going to die from withdrawal which unfortunately sometimes happens with things like alcohol. It's all emotional
I'm not here to argue, either. I'm trying to tell you that - so long as you can maintain moderation - there is nothing wrong with having ramen, a cookie, or a piece of candy once in a while. If you can do that and still be successful and healthy, why wouldn't you want to? I gave you a suggestion back on page two of this thread to add "whole" ingredients to your ramen, similar to what you would find in the "real" stuff they serve you in a restaurant.
As for the "99%" of what we eat is "loaded with" stuff we shouldn't be putting in our bodies - turn over stones on that argument. A little bit of everything, but not a lot of anything (read: moderation) is the way to go. You're going to find evidence on both sides of the street. Just look at the constant switching between eggs, coffee, butter/margarine, and other buzz word-filled foods we're surrounded with.
Edited for grammar0 -
AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »sandman1000 wrote: »and please don't say your addicted, thats just playing the blame game.
I have to agree with this. It's an unhealthy mindset to skirt the real issue of not being able to control oneself. I also feel it's a real spit in the face to people who have to battle actual addictions to drugs and harmful substances.
People can be addicted to food. Just like they can be addicted to harmful substances (which food can be when it's over-consumed).
But I do agree that saying one is addicted to a specific food (for example: chocolate chip cookies), that can be a spit in the face.0 -
If you want to gain muscle, eat in a calorie surplus and do a progressive resistance program. Most people trying to gain like to eat what you call "junk" because it is difficult to eat the large volumes of food required to hit a calorie surplus with nutrient dense foods. (Difficult, not impossible.)ceoverturf wrote: »I'm addicted to terrible food. I love fruit and veg, but my intense cravings for things like ramen noodles always takes over and I end up always giving in. its awful. I need help.
Do they fit into your daily calorie allowance? As long as your overall intake is balanced (you're getting all your protein and fat and vitamins), and the ramen noodles don't put you over your daily calories there is no reason not to enjoy them. To many calories make you gain weight, not a particular food.
Its not so much that they put me over my daily calories, if they did that wouldn't really be a problem anyway because I only weigh 90 pounds. I just want to get away from all the processed foods and have a more clean diet, I don't like eating so many chemicals
Wait a minute...WHAT?
You weigh 90 lbs and you think you're addicted to food?
I think you need more help than this board can provide. Please seek out a local professional dealing with eating disorders. I mean that sincerely - no snark.
I do NOT have an eating disorder. I am naturally very small, a genetic I get from my mom. Is it crazy for me to not want to eat junk? I'm not here to lose weight, I'm here to gain muscle. Everyone assumes that just because I'm small and trying to lead a healthy lifestyle that I have some sort of eating disorder. I can assure you, that's not the case.
^This
It's why peanut butter and avocados exists. Mmmmm. Peanut butter.
I have a single serving container of peanut butter every day with my lunch. A world without peanut butter would be a sad world indeed! Just the thought makes me depressed.
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ETA: On the addiction front, you aren't addicted. You just like it. A lot. Until you are crawling in a dumpster in search for some Ramen, or robbing your friends for money to buy it because you need your fix to feel right, you are not addicted. You just like it. A lot.
I think that is a bit of false equivalency. Food is nearly always readily available, even in dire circumstances. You cannot say the same for illegal drugs.
However, drugs can foster neurochemical reactions which are pleasurable. Food can do the same thing. So when you're addicted to drugs it is more accurate to say that you're addicted to the way your body reacts to the drugs. Why can't you say the same thing about food?
This.
I tend to believe that addiction isn't defined by whether you crawl in a dumpster and rob people, although these actions can be the result of an addiction to a particular substance. Nicotine is highly addictive and very few nicotine-addicted people crawl in dumpsters and rob people to get their fix. But long-time smokers often get diseases that non-smokers don't get, and their quality of life may suffer.
I've noticed that many people on MFP reject the idea that people can be addicted to food. This rejection may have less to do with actual research and more to do with a desire to hold an empowering belief that losing and maintaining weight is purely a matter of habit and self-control.
Whether "food addiction" is or is not real, we might benefit by assessing whether or not conceptualizing ourselves as addicted is helpful.
If I believe that I am addicted to food, what steps should I take to address my addiction? Does the belief that I am addicted empower me to find solutions to my problem?
If I believe that I lack self-control and have poor habits, what should I do next?
OP, whether you are addicted or not, long-term success depends on you finding a way to manage your binge foods. People have offered a lot of suggestions for this including managing your environment. Stay the course until you find what works for you.
I wish you the best!
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Someone suggested fasting to someone with a disordered approach to food?
Oh boy.0 -
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Great post upthread, PRMinx!GoPerfectHealth wrote: »I tend to believe that addiction isn't defined by whether you crawl in a dumpster and rob people, although these actions can be the result of an addiction to a particular substance.
I agree. That's more the result of the particular drug being illegal and being far enough down the cycle of addiction to have related financial problems. However, addiction does basically mean putting the substance at the center of your life at the expense of other things that people consider important--friends, family, social ties, job, so on. Very few (not no) fat people do this. (OP, of course, is not even fat.)
Beyond this, what seems to be akin to addiction (although I'm not completely convinced it's the right word) is not "food" but eating--EDs like BED or compulsive overeating probably have similarities, and the key there is that it's NOT simply about the pleasure of a particular food or how good it tastes. Anyone who says that the essence of alcoholism is just that someone really, really enjoys pinot noir is misunderstanding enormously, and that's the analogous comparison.This rejection may have less to do with actual research and more to do with a desire to hold an empowering belief that losing and maintaining weight is purely a matter of habit and self-control.
Eh, if someone wants to join a 12 step program for overeaters, more power to them. It seems to work for some. I do not believe it would be helpful for me in dealing with the reasons that I have tended to gain weight.Whether "food addiction" is or is not real, we might benefit by assessing whether or not conceptualizing ourselves as addicted is helpful.
Completely agree. And I think it's quite counterproductive. That's why I tend to post in these threads.OP, whether you are addicted or not, long-term success depends on you finding a way to manage your binge foods.
She hasn't said she binges. Why do people always jump to the conclusion that someone binges? (Or use "binge" as if it meant "ate a bit more than I intended to" in some cases.)0
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