Food addicts please read and friend me

Darton2010

Hey everyone,

I'm a food addict and have been my entire life, when I was a kid I used to sneak food and hide it like a squirrel gathering nuts, food is all I think about, I'm always thinking what the next meal is even when I'm eating I'm eye balling 4 more slices of pizza or the next serving of Mac and Cheese. Just like every other addict out there my brain lacks the normal levels of dopamine, that's what makes us feel good and happy, when I eat more dopamine gets released, so I keep eating until it's almost like a high, I call that a binge or relapse and really try to avoid those. If I could cut food out completely I would but I can't and you can't either so if your going threw the same struggles I have and still go threw than its just a part of our lives. The only thing that kept me in control is to make food boring and not fun anymore, so lots of vegetables and stuff that when I eat it I almost have to force myself to eat it time and time again, those foods keep me from bingeing, I cut out everything processed and stuck with all natural, if I could hunt or gather it I would eat it, it worked great for a long time until I started to get what I will call environmental depression, I worked a lot, I'm single, I for the most part live alone in my house, so I wake up, do choirs, get ready, go to work, come home and go to bed, that's my life and since I wasn't getting the dopamine from food things looked bleak and after awhile I didn't want to get out of bed because that means I had to go to work, and I didn't want to come home because all I had to do was go home, go to sleep, wake up and come back to work, it was rough for a long time and the past 6 months I have had a few break downs than would get off my diet and be happy again for a while until I gained too much and back to the diet. I'm back on my diet now and fear I'm headed to there again. What do you do that helps keep spirits up with the lack of food/dopamine? I don't think I was addicted until I saw the video the half ton man on YouTube, it was crazy watching people who weighed so much that could barely stand and realizing I was just the same as they were, the only difference was I didn't have an enabler to cook my food and shop for me, if I was in there situation I could easily see myself in a wheelchair at 500+lbs, I made it to 375 and was happy there, only reason I am losing weight is because I want a GF than a wife and this world is kinda shallow so here I am. I recommend watching that video, I learned so much about my own condition which gave me a better understanding on what I was dealing with.

nlowell519

I have been in the same place you are many times and it is a crazy cycle. feel free to friend me. I am fighting this battle daily. some I win and some I don't but I keep fighting.

_Waffle_

Darton2010 wrote: »

I recommend watching that video, I learned so much about my own condition which gave me a better understanding on what I was dealing with.

Which video?

EvgeniZyntx

Seek support in the physical world, the internet will only feed solitude, isolation and inactivity.

Darton2010

[quote=
Which video?
[/quote]

Half ton man I believe it's called

hmoss619

Thanks for posting. When I lived alone and knew no one in my town, I focused on finding contentment in simple things in my day to day routine. I also got really good at cooking healthy meals and I enjoyed cooking every night - it gave me something to do that also aided my weight loss goals. I can't speak to the food addiction cause I'm there as well..

amyk0202

I don't know that I have a food addiction so much as an inappropriate way of handling my own emotions & stress. I know that food is not going to help me in the long run, but in the moment when I am feeling whatever I'm feeling, I find it hard to care about the long term consequences of overeating. I know intellectually that it is just going to make things worse for me, but in the emotional moment that just doesn't matter. Since I know that I have this problem, I try really hard to make certain that I make deliberate choices. It doesn't always work. Last year was probably the worst I've ever had & I ended up regaining some weight which I am now re-losing.

I do love to eat sweets & fast food. I don't like any kinds of healthy foods at all. I hate to cook. For me, extreme changes in the foods I eat just don't work. I have to eat what I like, just in smaller amounts. I am just not going to stick with any of the various "clean eating" ideas that come up.

Some of the reasons I had WLS was to help with hunger--I can be satisfied with smaller portions, and to make it harder to regain. If my stomach weren't smaller, I definitely would have re-gained much more this last year. Instead of being able to sit down & eat a package of cookies, I could only eat a couple at a time.

It sounds to me like you are lonely. Being lonely would make it hard for me to make good food choices. I think you should look around for social opportunities in your area--Meetup groups, church groups, volunteer opportunities, reading groups at the library. Anything that will get you out with other people.

Joy_n_Almonds

Hi Darton. I am a food addict as well and having a hard time losing weight. I was diagnosed with adhd since i was a teenager and on meds ever since. Only when I was pregnant with my kids did I not take my meds. When i was on my meds I would still gain weight but if I stuck to a simple diet I would lose weight so fast. It was crazy how fast I would lose weight. It wasnt until last year that my new psych debunked my adhd diagnosis with something else(which i wont disclose tmi). It was a moment of clarity for me and was very freeing. But i was then taken off of my stimulants that helped curb my appetite and lose weight easily. Well since this switch I have put on about 20 lbs and feel awful. I often feel a lot like you, wake up, go to work, come home, cook, clean etc then wake up and do it all over again. I am also a single mom and am plain just tired. I could really use some support too. I have been thinking of joining the food addicts annonymous support group and not sure about it. Have you heard of these groups or has anyone else on here reading this? Is it worth trying?

krstang89

I am a recovering addict, and the only thing that helped alleviate the core issues that lead me to act out in my addiction was working the 12 steps. I recommend trying a 12 step group like overeaters anonymous. You can find meetings online and the people there will offer real support and accountability, and offer hope with their recovery stories. Good luck in your journey!

PamOliva

krstang89 wrote: »

I am a recovering addict, and the only thing that helped alleviate the core issues that lead me to act out in my addiction was working the 12 steps. I recommend trying a 12 step group like overeaters anonymous. You can find meetings online and the people there will offer real support and accountability, and offer hope with their recovery stories. Good luck in your journey!

I second this emotion. I have also attended Overeaters Anonymous and felt immediately at home. At my first meeting someone said: "This is my tribe." I can't speak highly enough about this program and it helped me learn to surrender enough to achieve a normal weight. I still have the desire sometimes to overeat but I balance that with more good days than "not so good." Connecting with others who share this obsession is so powerful and there is hope for releasing this burden.

ischmelle

Hi Darton, I'm struggling with food addiction right now as well. It is a difficult struggle because like you said, you can't cut food out you just have to control it. And, unlike alcohol and drug addiction, society doesn't support your rehab. Especially during the holiday season I would hear, "Its a treat. Once and a while is fine. All within moderation." Yeah, if I had moderation I wouldn't be here! We would never dream of saying these things to an alcoholic, but people really have no trouble forcing food on others. Anyway, another way to release dopamine is to exercise! Is there a gym by you that you can work into your daily routine? Its a great way to get those endorphines in a healthy way, plus you may just meet that future girlfriend! Good luck and feel free to add me!

harrybananas

I may not be the only one but I got that light bulb moment of being more fit when I looked in the mirror one day and was not at all happy with what I saw.

Get naked, stand in front of the mirror for a bit, and what goes through your head?

Reality hits hard.

friendlygirl316

I have a food addiction too. I've had it for as long as I can remember. There were a few times in my life where I successfully lost weight. I'm starting to realize that one of the reasons I'm so tired is because my legs can't carry my weight.