food addiction

markswife1992

an email came into my inbox this afternoon from MFP regarding food addiction. i clicked on the link and it sent me to a list of behaviors that might indicate addiction. i had every one on the list. in fact, only this morning i was thinking about my relationship to food and how unhealthy it is. step one is obviously noting the problem...in addition to creating a healthy view/relationship with foods. i am so overwhelmed and tired of slipping back into old habits toward the end of each day. mornings i have so much ambition and drive, i do GREAT, then by afternoon/evening, i have "undone" all the work i had accomplished. (ex: drank 5 cups of water, had fruit for breakfast, worked-out at the gym, had a healthy lunch, etc...then driving to burgerking for a hamburger and coke by 3:00 p.m.)

anyone else feel they are addicted to food, or have an addictive behavior toward foods?

allison64cross

This is me to a T. In the mornings I am great! Healthy lunch, maybe even take a walk at lunch. Sometimes the addition slips into lunch and I want to drive down the street and get chinese food and usually I do. Once something slips into my mind like "I should get chinese for lunch" , there is literally no stopping me from getting up and gorging on it without another thought. I have been on a "diet" for the past year. I've gained about 15 pounds and lost 10 of that. and now I feel like I'm about to gain it back. 299.3 was my weight at the beginning of 2016. I've been able to stay under 300 but not that much. Have had bad vertigo and went to the doctor this morning and I have "high normal" blood pressure. I got blood work done last year and I'm basically insulin resistant. This SUCKS!

MissusMoon

markswife1992 wrote: »

an email came into my inbox this afternoon from MFP regarding food addiction. i clicked on the link and it sent me to a list of behaviors that might indicate addiction. i had every one on the list. in fact, only this morning i was thinking about my relationship to food and how unhealthy it is. step one is obviously noting the problem...in addition to creating a healthy view/relationship with foods. i am so overwhelmed and tired of slipping back into old habits toward the end of each day. mornings i have so much ambition and drive, i do GREAT, then by afternoon/evening, i have "undone" all the work i had accomplished. (ex: drank 5 cups of water, had fruit for breakfast, worked-out at the gym, had a healthy lunch, etc...then driving to burgerking for a hamburger and coke by 3:00 p.m.)

anyone else feel they are addicted to food, or have an addictive behavior toward foods?

I don't feel like I'm addicted. But I do understand your pattern here and used to struggle with it.

Then I figured out it wasn't failure or a problem, it was being too hungry later and blowing it. So, mornings and lunch are super light, followed by a satisfying, big dinner and a snack or two. The bulk of my calories are stored for when I need them most. I also don't exclude any foods. Some of my snacks are mini cups of full fat ice cream, already portioned so I don't overdo it. I don't think I have an unhealthy relationship with food because I can now enjoy and savor it while eating appropriate and non-harmful portions.

It doesn't come overnight, but it comes. Don't make yourself helpless. Create a strategy that keeps you on track.

msemotan

I have definitely had issues like this and what helps me the most is restrictions. I have had the best success doing Atkins actually, and never would have thought so. What I found was that I felt satisfied and saw results, which continue to keep me on a good path. The things that I struggled with were sugars and other simple carbs. Once they were out of my system and completely not allowed, I did so much better. The first few days to a week were an adjustment, but then it was just awesome. I am in maintenance mode now. I know not everything works for everyone, but this really helped me change my "addictive" behavior. I did phase 1 of Atkins for about 9 months or so, lost 3 lbs like clockwork every week. From the beginning i tracked my weight and measurements weekly, the progress was so encouraging that I did not want to cheat!

Need2Exerc1se

I am definitely addicted to food. If I go even one day without it I start having withdrawal symptoms.

2011rocket3touring

I was/am in the same boat.
What has helped me is logging food. For the longest time I knew what was bad for me but logging in MFP gives me specifics on how BAD Burger King (or whatever fast food) is for me. Honestly looking at the numbers terrifies me.

lemurcat12

Couple thoughts:

Are you engaging in black/white thinking or letting perfectionism get in your way? I used to do that, where I'd be "on" and then mess up in some way and then decide I already spoiled the day so might as well eat whatever and get back to it tomorrow. You can give yourself more leniency than that.

It sounds like a lack of planning--are you letting yourself get too hungry? Do you have a plan for late afternoon or dinner? Are you not satisfied with the meals earlier in the day? (Fruit alone for breakfast wouldn't be satisfying for me, as I need more protein.)

godlikepoetyes

MissusMoon wrote: »

markswife1992 wrote: »

an email came into my inbox this afternoon from MFP regarding food addiction. i clicked on the link and it sent me to a list of behaviors that might indicate addiction. i had every one on the list. in fact, only this morning i was thinking about my relationship to food and how unhealthy it is. step one is obviously noting the problem...in addition to creating a healthy view/relationship with foods. i am so overwhelmed and tired of slipping back into old habits toward the end of each day. mornings i have so much ambition and drive, i do GREAT, then by afternoon/evening, i have "undone" all the work i had accomplished. (ex: drank 5 cups of water, had fruit for breakfast, worked-out at the gym, had a healthy lunch, etc...then driving to burgerking for a hamburger and coke by 3:00 p.m.)

anyone else feel they are addicted to food, or have an addictive behavior toward foods?

I don't feel like I'm addicted. But I do understand your pattern here and used to struggle with it.

Then I figured out it wasn't failure or a problem, it was being too hungry later and blowing it. So, mornings and lunch are super light, followed by a satisfying, big dinner and a snack or two. The bulk of my calories are stored for when I need them most. I also don't exclude any foods. Some of my snacks are mini cups of full fat ice cream, already portioned so I don't overdo it. I don't think I have an unhealthy relationship with food because I can now enjoy and savor it while eating appropriate and non-harmful portions.

It doesn't come overnight, but it comes. Don't make yourself helpless. Create a strategy that keeps you on track.

This. Yes. If you think of your issues as a food addiction, I'm not sure where you can go with that. Start working with a counselor and learn how to have a better relationship, yes. That would help. But in the end, you still have to it. I am finding that allowing myself to eat whatever I want is working for me. Do I still go crazy nuts and fixate on the Pop Tarts downstairs. You bet. Do I panic and feel like I failure? Sometimes. But mostly, no. I don't panic. I either eat. Or I don't. These are all choices. I have realized that believing "snapping to" after finishing off all the donuts in the box is not something that just "happened." It was also a choice that I made, I was just unaware of it. I didn't want to acknowledge my behavior. Now, I make room for my crazy and as MissusMoon said, it doesn't feel so crazy when I just go ahead and eat the donuts. I am no longer hiding from myself. I am being honest. And I have lost weight, at last!