Food Addiction
Yarrum84
Posts: 57 Member
So, I want to hold my hands up and admit I have an issue with food and I know I'm not alone so I'm asking for advice.
I secret eat. I am an emotional eater. I use food for comfort, for happiness, for sadness. Food is always there.
How on earth do I start to rewire my brain to see food as fuel.
I have been paying for a personal trainer for the last 3 weeks, I've lost nothing in weight, and that's because I'm still eating all the rubbish I know I shouldn't.
What a waste of money! But I'm not giving up the PT!
I am hormonal at the moment, I'm stressed, someone's upset me, someone's moody and bringing me down with their mood etc, lately all my eating is down to negative feelings.
Despite having a fairly healthy breakfast and lunch, I top it up with those extras afterwards.
Pop to the shop on my lunch break, get myself a sweet and a savoury snack, but I'm not paying 90p for a normal size of crisps when I can pay £1.10 for a massive share bag, so I get that, wanting my money's worth.
I hide it in my bag in the office and reach down every so often to take something.
On the way home I pop into a shop, buy something to munch for the drive home. I eat everything before I get home and either hide the evidence in my car or quickly put it in the bin outside before anyone sees me.
I'm on a to depressants already. I thought about getting a SAD lamp....?
Are there people I can visit to change the way I think with food?
When I was a kid, when treats were bought, such as biscuits, we would all eat them straight away, no one saved anything or limited ourselves, and it's a habit I've stuck with. I could easily go through a pack of hobnobs.
I need ways to stop eating the extras. It shouldn't be this difficult.
Every morning and night I think it'll be a good day, but then I blow it.
Tips very welcome
I secret eat. I am an emotional eater. I use food for comfort, for happiness, for sadness. Food is always there.
How on earth do I start to rewire my brain to see food as fuel.
I have been paying for a personal trainer for the last 3 weeks, I've lost nothing in weight, and that's because I'm still eating all the rubbish I know I shouldn't.
What a waste of money! But I'm not giving up the PT!
I am hormonal at the moment, I'm stressed, someone's upset me, someone's moody and bringing me down with their mood etc, lately all my eating is down to negative feelings.
Despite having a fairly healthy breakfast and lunch, I top it up with those extras afterwards.
Pop to the shop on my lunch break, get myself a sweet and a savoury snack, but I'm not paying 90p for a normal size of crisps when I can pay £1.10 for a massive share bag, so I get that, wanting my money's worth.
I hide it in my bag in the office and reach down every so often to take something.
On the way home I pop into a shop, buy something to munch for the drive home. I eat everything before I get home and either hide the evidence in my car or quickly put it in the bin outside before anyone sees me.
I'm on a to depressants already. I thought about getting a SAD lamp....?
Are there people I can visit to change the way I think with food?
When I was a kid, when treats were bought, such as biscuits, we would all eat them straight away, no one saved anything or limited ourselves, and it's a habit I've stuck with. I could easily go through a pack of hobnobs.
I need ways to stop eating the extras. It shouldn't be this difficult.
Every morning and night I think it'll be a good day, but then I blow it.
Tips very welcome
12
Replies
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First make a rule you can eat whatever guilt free as long as you log it first and put it on/in a proper plate/bowl/cup.
Don't tell yourself you can only have x foods instead anything is fine as long as on proper plate and logged before you eat it. These two rules are fantastic for me. I tend to want to keep snacking but having to log everything and put it on a propper plate minimizes the snacks and helps me be aware before i eat it of exacts what i am eating. For example i just ate 1.3 oz of chocolate chips but weighing logging and putting then in the small bowl has me not wanting to go back for more in the way i would if i coild eat them directly out of the bag.9 -
Okay so you're exactly like me! This is what I've found works:
- Plan your meals. For the whole week. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Write down everything you need to make those meals.
- Find healthier snacky snacks that you enjoy. Ones you can eat a whole lot/pack of - I'm not going to say limit yourself to celery sticks because that's just torturing yourself and you won't stick to it (unless you really love them). I personally love tomatoes so I buy cherry tomatoes to snack on - and I eat the entire punnet of them. I also buy packs of individually portioned popcorn... there's rice cracker versions of these etc. So I can eat the whole bag, and they're only 95ish calories. Leave them at home, pack yourself one for the day so you don't end up eating several!
- Do your shop once a week, don't let yourself duck into the shops each day (I used to, at least 3 times a week. You'll see yourself saving money too!) Girl, just go straight home!
- Only buy what's on your list to make your meals and your healthy work snacks.
- Don't walk down the bad snack isles. Don't even look down there. I've literally put my hand in front of my eyes when I had to grab one thing near the snacks.
You sound like you have the best of intentions and then just lose it towards the end of the day, I'm the same. So whenever I shop, I'm really motivated and won't buy bad stuff... few hours later I'm searching the house for chocolate but it simply isn't there so I have to go sit back down... eventually (look I won't lie, it takes weeks) you'll get used to not snacking. You have kidlets so it might be harder if you buy snacks for them, I understand that.
It might sound insane but another thing I do in my work day, is have a time when I'm going to have my snack... because eating is what I look forward to most in the day. So I know at 11am, I'm gonna eat my popcorn or crackers, whatever I've got. Then lunch at 1. Then my arvo snack at 3 (fruit or yogurt or whatever). I also pump peppermint tea.
I really hope this helps!
Edit: I should say, once you get into it (and you're not as tempted to demolish the whole thing) buy bigger bags of crackers etc, weigh and portion them out yourself into ziplock bags. Saves a lot of money! Have a look at the health food section, they have veggie chips etc that are still tasty as but a lot healthier . 7 -
This is me.
Things that have helped:
As everyone's said, logging food before you're allowed to eat it.
You can eat anything, as long as you do it in front of someone else. No secrets. (I've even got a part of my food diary labeled "stuff I ate on the down low," and log my secret eating there. It's my success for the day if nothing's there.)
Single serve bags help, too.
But mostly, the not-a-secret thing. Sometimes, when people leave my house, I'm tempted to go straight to the fridge. So then I open my food diary, log what I'd like to eat, and by then, I usually delete it and don't eat it because the feeling has passed.
After enough time, secret food doesn't look as appealing. It's still a struggle, as habits are, but it gets better. Maybe therapy, if you think your behavior is out of control?
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Have you seeked out therapy? I know it's usually taboo, but sometimes a food addiction is BECAUSE of something else. Something in your childhood? Something that happened to you that you use food for a crutch?
I wholeheartedly believe until we get our mind right we'll never get anywhere in changing our habits.
If it's not something you've thought about, you might want to try it.
I realized this is isn't the same, but in my "bored" times (winter and all) I've been watching "My 600lb Life" from TLC. What fascinates me is that they think they need the surgery to lose weight, it will fix ALL their issues. But until they go to therapy and talk about why they got so large nothing changes.5 -
Food addiction is real. It is hard to contorl. We must have food. This has been a real struggle for me. I have always hid to eat. Emotional comfort snacking in total binge form. The last few months I have been in a bad routine. Eating late. Eating cause I'm bored. Or because no one is looking. I have lost 100lbs twice in the last 14 years. You can get your head in the right place. My struggle is keeping it there. Like some of the comments said above. Plan your meals. Don't stop at places that tempt you. Keep your food for the day with you. Log it before you eat it. Pay at the pump to keep temptations low at the gas stations. Also another fun motivator is when you feel tempted to hit that store think of the item you would get think of its cost take out that money put it in a jar put on a shopping list the item you wanted to get!! In six months look at the jar and look at the list. The success you will feel is insane!! Now you have shopping money for your new clothes!!! With all that said. All things in moderation. Don't go cold turkey rice cakes. Enjoy the food you plan. Eat your planned meals on a secret lunch date just for yourself!! You can eat in secret but still eat right. Just trick your brain until it becomes natural!! Celebrate yourself!! Enjoy food, enjoy the little things!! Hope today is easier!!7
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CupcakeCrusoe wrote: »This is me.
Things that have helped:
As everyone's said, logging food before you're allowed to eat it.
You can eat anything, as long as you do it in front of someone else. No secrets. (I've even got a part of my food diary labeled "stuff I ate on the down low," and log my secret eating there. It's my success for the day if nothing's there.)
Single serve bags help, too.
But mostly, the not-a-secret thing. Sometimes, when people leave my house, I'm tempted to go straight to the fridge. So then I open my food diary, log what I'd like to eat, and by then, I usually delete it and don't eat it because the feeling has passed.
After enough time, secret food doesn't look as appealing. It's still a struggle, as habits are, but it gets better. Maybe therapy, if you think your behavior is out of control?
This is a really good technique that I've never read on here before. Interesting, and I get it. I'm also active on an Addiction forum and secrecy is a big deal with addicts/alcoholics so that secret part is a great angle.
I live alone and eat nearly all my food without someone watching or seeing so obviously that wouldn't have worked for me, but I really like the concept.
Something that's said a lot in therapy and addiction treatment is, "We're only as sick as our secrets."
I think for me there were a lot of underlying issues that I needed to address to quiet my anxiety - and that was what was behind my over-eating.
Yeah. People are stressful. I had to learn to cope with my own inner dialog and my entire belief system in order to get out of that cycle of eating-to-cope. Using food as a mood regulator works, and that's why I did it. Especially carbs for me. If I am stressed and I eat something carb-heavy it calms me down. I learned this early in life and continued using food as a sedative right on through 220 pounds. There's a lot to un-learn and then I had to fight my physical cravings on top of that.Sometimes, when people leave my house, I'm tempted to go straight to the fridge.
One day, one hour, one meal at a time I got better. It wasn't easy.
5 -
I also like the idea about eating only in the open. It wouldn't have necessarily worked for me (and I still eat most meals in private), but secret/private eating (and drinking, when I drank) was a big part of the disordered activity, for me.
Thoughts I had:
(1) Yes, you absolutely can see a therapist about this. Group discussions with others dealing with the same thing can be helpful too if available (or even here, to some extent).
(2) A lot of people like the approach in the Judith Beck books (it's a CBT approach) -- Beck Diet Solution, for one. You might find reading this helpful.
(3) For me, and I'm not fully sure why it worked when it did as at other times I had trouble getting myself to do it, journaling and small goals really helped. Mindfulness in general. I started a journal with daily, weekly, and monthly process goals, including things I totally had control over (things like walking or exercising or cooking at home). I'm not sure this goal bit is necessary, it's just how I structured it and what was helpful for me. More significant for you, perhaps, is that I used it as a journal -- I had a structure for my eating that was intended to make emotional eating -- my big issue -- impossible, as I would have 3 meals, and no snacks. If I wanted to eat between meals I would allow myself (at first) raw veg that I brought to work. If I was really dying to eat something or just wanted to, even, I'd take a minute to write in the journal about what I wanted and why I thought I did and perhaps a bit about the meal that was waiting for me later to try to channel any food thoughts to that. The increased awareness of what was behind the "I want to eat this now" feelings were extremely helpful for me. I also did some other stuff (some would say touchy feely) like if I was really feeling like I needed to have something now or if I simply felt upset or overwhelmed or "I need this feeling to go away now I cannot stand it," I would sit silently and try to let myself feel the feelings. There was (is) something in my brain that is convinced that I must be protected by blotting out difficult feelings and realizing that in fact I could deal with them (that feeling upset or sad or anxious was something I could let myself experience) was important.4 -
You want tips. You've paid for 3 weeks of a trainer. That's starting to get expensive. My suggestion is to get a book on food addiction. My recommendation is Food Addiction Recovery Workbook by Carolyn Coker. It has writing exercises. See if your local library has a copy. Or if you can interloan it. Try other books as well.1
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Some great ideas here! I'm doubling down on the therapy suggestion.
One thing that helped me -
I quit bringing money or a debit card to work. Can't pop into a shop if I don't have any money.
When I had to bring my purse to fuel my car, or something, I started leaving it in my trunk (boot). The time it would take to unlock the trunk and get my purse out was enough to stop me.3 -
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be really good for stuff like this.
There is also an organization called Overeaters Anonymous.4 -
@threewins I am so getting this book. I feel naïve but i didn’t know there were books about this! I am terrible and it’s literally something I think about every day, all day. All day. 🙏🏻💪🏻4
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be really good for stuff like this.
There is also an organization called Overeaters Anonymous.
You’re like me! Cognitive behavioral therapy has been absolutely life-changing for me.
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@Yarrum84
I felt your angst in your post and felt compelled to respond. Snacking is not my challenge; for me it is portion control. But I have some suggestions none-the-less.
Try portioning out your meals so you are eating frequently through the day. And plan those snacks right in. Eat 5 or 6 times a day if you need too. If you know the drive home is a challenge make sure you have a portion controlled snack with you. And like a few others have mentioned, journal it all out in advance. I try to plan at least one day ahead. Consider planning your snacks first, and then build the rest of your meals around that.
Consider doing some research on glycemic index and controlling your blood sugar. There might be something useful there to help curb cravings.
This isn't my first kick at the can, lost over 125lbs before. But I fell off the maintenance wagon. But I know it is do-able. Keep looking for that light bulb moment where your brain says I want this. That's the magic bullet.
Be gentle with yourself.3 -
I have nothing to add to everybody else's wisdom but just wanted you to know, so many of us are you. I've hidden my eating from others. I've hidden food for my own consumption. I used to buy whoopie pies and cookies during grocery shopping, drive around town just so I could eat them before going home.
I've lost/found weight so many times in so many ways through out my lifetime, it makes me want to cry. Finally, at 66 I hope I've gotten to a place in my life where I can maintain now. My health is of utmost importance now; it should be the ultimate reason at any age but it really hits home when you know your healthy years are quickly going by.
Having a PT, I think, is a good idea. Do they offer suggestions with eating, etc.? I'd use them for any/all advice you can get. (I've never had one so really don't know). It's ultimately your own unique journey through this so you need to find what will work for you. Some people say keep a journal, write down all your feelings as to why you feel the need to eat, etc. I never could keep to it because I was always eating. Between eating/writing, it would've been a full time job.
I do think finding a good compassionate therapist would help you unlock some inner secrets. But you need to find someone who will listen, and give good feedback, help you create realistic goals. And you need to be patient, with whatever you choose to do. This takes time. You will have set backs but as long as you get right back to it and not give up the rest of your efforts, you will reap the benefits!!
Wishing you the best of luck!!!!0 -
gallicinvasion wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be really good for stuff like this.
There is also an organization called Overeaters Anonymous.
You’re like me! Cognitive behavioral therapy has been absolutely life-changing for me.
I never did it for food issues...fortunately, I've never really had them. I did do it for generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder and I'm going to start again for my alcohol issues.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »gallicinvasion wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be really good for stuff like this.
There is also an organization called Overeaters Anonymous.
You’re like me! Cognitive behavioral therapy has been absolutely life-changing for me.
I never did it for food issues...fortunately, I've never really had them. I did do it for generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder and I'm going to start again for my alcohol issues.
I started it for food issues, and along the way, discovered I needed help with anxiety/panic stuff and digging into why those things were all happening. Now I have my weight management and way-of-eating tweaked to where I feel absolutely healthy and have a HUGELY BETTER relationship with food. But the underlying issues (having a tough time dealing with anxiety related to perfectionism, people pleasing,etc) is what we’re digging into now.
2 -
So, I want to hold my hands up and admit I have an issue with food and I know I'm not alone so I'm asking for advice.
I secret eat. I am an emotional eater. I use food for comfort, for happiness, for sadness. Food is always there.
How on earth do I start to rewire my brain to see food as fuel.
I have been paying for a personal trainer for the last 3 weeks, I've lost nothing in weight, and that's because I'm still eating all the rubbish I know I shouldn't.
What a waste of money! But I'm not giving up the PT!
I am hormonal at the moment, I'm stressed, someone's upset me, someone's moody and bringing me down with their mood etc, lately all my eating is down to negative feelings.
Despite having a fairly healthy breakfast and lunch, I top it up with those extras afterwards.
Pop to the shop on my lunch break, get myself a sweet and a savoury snack, but I'm not paying 90p for a normal size of crisps when I can pay £1.10 for a massive share bag, so I get that, wanting my money's worth.
I hide it in my bag in the office and reach down every so often to take something.
On the way home I pop into a shop, buy something to munch for the drive home. I eat everything before I get home and either hide the evidence in my car or quickly put it in the bin outside before anyone sees me.
I'm on a to depressants already. I thought about getting a SAD lamp....?
Are there people I can visit to change the way I think with food?
When I was a kid, when treats were bought, such as biscuits, we would all eat them straight away, no one saved anything or limited ourselves, and it's a habit I've stuck with. I could easily go through a pack of hobnobs.
I need ways to stop eating the extras. It shouldn't be this difficult.
Every morning and night I think it'll be a good day, but then I blow it.
Tips very welcome
every single thing you have posted here, i feel every single day.
i am here, i can relate completely.1 -
I relate to this as well.
I eat after hubby goes to bed. I bought a bag of skinnypop popcorn and finished it in 2 days this week at work. Couple nights ago, box of GS cookies leapt in front of me and attacked. This is despite trying to not consume sugar. I workout or swim every weekday. Was bulimic for a bit in my teens. Start everyday with good intentions and they don't last too long. I'm trying to be more accountable and hold ME responsible for my emotions only. But I think about food/want to eat constantly when at home. I joined a binge eaters FB group. Would like to have a "normal" relationship with food.2 -
I’m a food addict. My doctor diagnosed me and suggested I look into Food Addicts In Recovery and Food Addicts Annonymous. I can’t get to the meetings so I save their info on Pinterest.
The #1 thing they recommend is to reduce/eliminate sugar and other simple carbs. Those are the items to which most people are addicted. When I followed a veggie-heavy keto diet, my addiction started to wane. As soon as I started “cheating” around the holidays, I fell right back into my bad habits. I also gained almost 20lbs.
I’ll stand in the kitchen after everyone goes to bed and start grabbing snacks. The voice in my head starts yelling “You don’t want to do that! You’re going to be upset with yourself!” But I just can’t seem to listen.
Maybe we can work together to support and encourage each other to break the addiction. ❤️1 -
@Yarrum84 you sound just like me. I was diagnosed with BED/bulimia years ago. I can no longer afford therapy, but little things have helped me a lot in the last 8 months or so. I always make sure that I have the MFP widget on the home screen of my phone with remaining calories, so I can take a quick look and decide whether or not I want those chips/candy/etc. I have made several substitutions for junk food and soda. I also read labels on good packaging. And I always log more food and less exercise here. I also rely on my measurements (chest, waist and hips) rather than the scale. I hope this helps. I sent you a friend request.0
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