How can i lose weight when im addicted to food?

lilmomma1202

how can I lose weight? everything I see or smell that is food I want, even if im not hungry. im thinking about food right now just writing about food..its sad. I want to lose weight but I feel stuck like if I cant let go of food..HELP how should I start?

twisted88

I'm just going to put this here: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/08/02/how-to-fight-your-food-addiction-and-win/

(If the link disappears check out nerd fitness's website and search "food addiction".)

vaishnavijayasankar

hey
wel i m also a foodie no doubt i used to eat and eat and think of eating!!!!!! but here i am trying to control and loose weight and this is a vry common problem so need not get sad
i think will power is very crucial for weight loss.....
try developing some and make it clear in your mind why you wanna loose weight think about it every day and you wil c yourself working toward controlling food!!!!!!
start by portion control of what you eat....eat in a small plate and throw away al those items that you are most likely to binge into!!!!
have healthy options in store consuming that would make you feel full and also save you from high calorie intake!!!!!!
i have been doing it since a month and i it has helped me!!!!!!
best of luck

missiontofitness

I would recommend that you try to speak to a counselor, first and foremost. If you feel like your relationship with food isn't working (emotional eating, binging, ect), there may be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Especially since you used the word "addiction", I think it's vital to try to find the root of the problem. Until you do that, you're just putting a bandaid on a bigger issue.

Secondly, I'd recommend getting input from a doctor. See if they have any recommendations for how you should pursue this journey, and how you can do so healthfully. Also, make sure there's no underlying problems that may need doctor supervision. I have a heart arrhythmia, so I always like to keep my doctor in the loop when that starts to act up.

Third, remove any trigger foods that are in your home. Having trouble with chips, cake, cookies, ect? Do you tend to mindlessly munch on foods? Remove those temptations. I've found greater success in controlling my consumption of junk foods by doing this, and can incorporate them moderately into my diet without going overboard. Pre-portioning snacks is also a very useful tool as well! Having ziploc baggie sizes of servings helps avoid mindlessly eating out of a bag or box.

Fourth, use MFP as a tool. Log your foods, and be honest. Start to incorporate exercise, and peruse these forums for support and tips. We're all here for the same reason, and it's to be healthy!

It seems like you're on a path to change, and that's great. Don't lose momentum, and take everything one step and day at a time! Good luck.

lilmomma1202

Thank u so much

skinnyderella

The documentary "Ready for a Change" available on netflix, talks about the different additives that food companies add to food to make them addictive. For example MSG. If you avoid MSG, and refined sugar for 6 weeks, you may regain control of your appetite. I am also a foodie. This time around, I am trying eat when ever I want to but make sure it is a vegetable first, then a lean protien. If I am still hungry, I will then eat fruit. Still hungry? Nuts. I am also drinking green smoothies made with protein powder. They are very cleansing, filling and satisfying. The smoothies soothe my IBS.

I have a similar problem. I can cook the best and healtiest meals but I never get full.
I will keep you posted on this. .

dtimedwards

Move more.

One day I was visiting a town that has a place that is famous for pie. I wanted pie. I ran 4 miles to get the pie. Then I spent all day hiking... with a lunchtime break at the brewery. Had a bunch of beer and food. Then I hiked all afternoon and went out for dinner followed by drinks.

I ended up being over my goal (1000 calorie deficit) by about 200... but that was the last couple rounds of Jameson at bar close, and it is rude to turn down shots from fishermen. I still had an 800calorie deficit for the day.

zenalasca

Think of it this way: You can use all the energy you put into thinking about food into planning healthy, well portioned meals and enjoying nice treats (always with the question in mind "is it worth waiting for?").

dazydawn

The documentary "Ready for a Change" available on netflix, talks about the different additives that food companies add to food to make them addictive. For example MSG. If you avoid MSG, and refined sugar for 6 weeks, you may regain control of your appetite. I am also a foodie. This time around, I am trying eat when ever I want to but make sure it is a vegetable first, then a lean protien. If I am still hungry, I will then eat fruit. Still hungry? Nuts. I am also drinking green smoothies made with protein powder. They are very cleansing, filling and satisfying. The smoothies soothe my IBS.

I have a similar problem. I can cook the best and healtiest meals but I never get full.
I will keep you posted on this. .

This
Don't beat yourself up over it. I thought I had some serious food issues and I was at a loss as to how to control them. So many people talk about will power, but that only gets you so far before you can't take it anymore. I'm not a very disciplined person and I bought into the idea that I'm lazy and have no control. But I found out different. Packaged food is designed to be addictive. It is made to appeal to you in a way the fresh food doesn't. I am on Day 12 of the Whole 30 and after a rough first week I can't believe how good I feel and I've come to realize that I'm not lazy. My food habits were sucking the life out of me. And it's basically what is stated above: veggies, protein, fruit, healthy fat (nuts, avocado's), in that order, 3 meals a day. After less than two weeks I find food doesn't have a hold on me like it did. Do I think about a Big Mac or a cookie, sure.....but not like I did before. Now it's more of a passing thought. I accidentally quit drinking coffee....which is insane because I was seriously attached to my morning and afternoon latte. I could not imagine life without my white chocolate mocha!

You don't have to do the "Whole30", that's just a way to provide structure and rules which I don't normally do well with, but this is working for me. Also, I chose this route, not to lose weight, but to get some energy. I was so rundown just getting out of bed was an ordeal....how was I suppose to work all day, take care of my kid, diet and exercise when I could barely figure out what to wear? I've been increasingly tired and grumpy for over 10 years. This is the first time I can remember having energy that isn't artificially induced with an energy drink or sugar.

That's my two cents and what's helped me. I have no idea if I've lost weight. I'm not weighing myself until I complete a month. I just know I'm happier today than I was two weeks ago.


**edited for bad spelling**

KristieJC

Dazydawn, what is the "Whole 30" you are talking about? Is that some sort of whole food plan to get you off the processed stuff?

Acg67

how can I lose weight? everything I see or smell that is food I want, even if im not hungry. im thinking about food right now just writing about food..its sad. I want to lose weight but I feel stuck like if I cant let go of food..HELP how should I start?

Eat in a deficit and get some will power, since "food addiction" is just an excuse

KristieJC

I disagree with the comment that "food addiction" is an excuse. Some people are addicted to tobacco, some to alcohol, some to gambling, some to sex, some to food. The thing that makes food addiction uniquely difficult is that you can't completely remove yourself from temptation because you HAVE to eat.

Acg67

I disagree with the comment that "food addiction" is an excuse. Some people are addicted to tobacco, some to alcohol, some to gambling, some to sex, some to food. The thing that makes food addiction uniquely difficult is that you can't completely remove yourself from temptation because you HAVE to eat.

And what is the current diagnostic criteria for food addiction?

KristieJC

You clearly don't understand what she is dealing with so you can't provide her any information that will help her deal with her issue, so you shouldn't comment at all.

cortezpj

how can I lose weight? everything I see or smell that is food I want, even if im not hungry. im thinking about food right now just writing about food..its sad. I want to lose weight but I feel stuck like if I cant let go of food..HELP how should I start?

Eat in a deficit and get some will power, since "food addiction" is just an excuse

^^^ Agreed. Tough love and not entirely true, but true in many ways

openskybeach

bump

kjo9692

I guess if we all got fat is because we liked food too much at one point, and since I'm fat, I'll just tell you something: JUST STOP!

You either want it bad enough or you don't. If you want to lose weight more than you want food then you'll do whatever it takes to lose weight, including controlling your anxiety.

You don't have to cut out foods that you love, just make them fit into your calorie allowance and you'll succeed, just like most of the users in MFP have.

At last, I'll leave you with a quote that I took from another user: "Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change."

nomeejerome

You clearly don't understand what she is dealing with so you can't provide her any information that will help her deal with her issue, so you shouldn't comment at all.

Actually, answering his question about current diagnostic criteria for food addiction is a great start. Care to answer his question?

ktsmom430

You just have to want to become healthier more than you want to overindulge in food. It is a personal decision and takes self control.
We all need food to survive..........................just not as much as we would like to eat.
It is pretty simple, but for many of us, never easy.

JustSomeEm

OP, I totally get it. There is absolutely NO reason you can't have the foods you want. Just track your food intake honestly and eat the foods you want in portions that allow you to stay within your calorie deficit. If you want MORE of something, move more, like another poster said. I eat all sorts of bad stuff for me, but have managed to lose 50 lbs, and am still losing. Move more and track your food HONESTLY. You'll get where you need to be. Good luck!

cortezpj

There was an article on CNN.com just this morning written by one of their viewers:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/28/health/fit-nation-food-addict/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

The following statement within the article caught my eye: "But what about food? There's compelling research to suggest certain foods affect the brain's pleasure centers the same way addictive substances do, but experts disagree on whether the cravings rise to the level of addiction."

It made for a quick and interesting read and yes, I know it's someone's personal commentary and not a scientific piece.

Jruzer

I tried quitting food cold turkey, and I got really bad withdrawal symptoms. It started out OK, but after a while I started feeling shaky and lethargic. All I wanted was food -- it was all I thought about. After a while my addiction won and I started eating again, and I ate more than I had before.

The plan that worked best for me was to cut down a little each day. For a while I cut my intake pretty hard: a thousand calories a day less than my body wanted. After a few months of that my body didn't need as much. Now I find that I can get by with about a quarter less food than I used to eat.

So I haven't eliminated my food addiction, but I've been able to manage it via portion control and scrupulous logging of my food. I've found that exercise helps a lot too.

KristieJC

I don't know the criteria for food addiction anymore than I know the criteria for tobacco or alcohol addiction. That doesn't invalidate the idea.

bcattoes

how can I lose weight? everything I see or smell that is food I want, even if im not hungry. im thinking about food right now just writing about food..its sad. I want to lose weight but I feel stuck like if I cant let go of food..HELP how should I start?

Stop feeling stuck and know that you don't have to let go of food. You just need to learn control. You make the choice whether to eat something or not.

Jruzer

You clearly don't understand what she is dealing with so you can't provide her any information that will help her deal with her issue, so you shouldn't comment at all.

You realize Acg is one of the most helpful posters on these boards, right?

brucewenzel

You can lose weight because you want to!! You can lose weight because in the long run saying things like I'm addicted to food will lead you to medical issues and other problems. You can lose weight because od will power there is no magical solution you either want to or you don't.

prestonsnana

Anyone is lying if they say they don't get this or have never been there, hence obseity. I too am struggling but for me I am always up and down and during the winter months I do much worse as I don't ski or do any outside activity during the winter months :-( But I know this so now I have to stop using that as an excuse and do something about it. I am also a person who should keep chips, cookies, ect. out of the home because I like them too much. I am trying to eat healthier and I am now going to start adding back in workouts yet again, its a constant battle and I wish you the best of luck !!!!!

nomeejerome

I don't know the criteria for food addiction anymore than I know the criteria for tobacco or alcohol addiction. That doesn't invalidate the idea.

But it does invalidate your stand to argue about it and tell people not to comment.

TheGymGypsy

how can I lose weight? everything I see or smell that is food I want, even if im not hungry. im thinking about food right now just writing about food..its sad. I want to lose weight but I feel stuck like if I cant let go of food..HELP how should I start?

Eat in a deficit and get some will power, since "food addiction" is just an excuse

In my dark days of fatness I would literally sleepwalk to the kitchen and eat, without even being conscious. I would find myself unable to stop eating if food was in front of me, not matter what it was. It took a lot of hard work, counseling, and help from my family members to overcome it. Yes, I had poor willpower, but there was definitely more to it.

bcattoes

I disagree with the comment that "food addiction" is an excuse. Some people are addicted to tobacco, some to alcohol, some to gambling, some to sex, some to food. The thing that makes food addiction uniquely difficult is that you can't completely remove yourself from temptation because you HAVE to eat.

We do have to eat. But we do not have to overeat. It may be harder for some than others, but we all have the choice. Just like a smoker chooses whether to have that next puff, even in a smokey atmosphere. Just like a 'sex addict' chooses whether to have sex, even when offered. Just like the gambler makes the choice whether to put money in the slot, or turn and walk away.

Making the right choice may not be easy, but it's still our choice.

nellyett

The documentary "Ready for a Change" available on netflix, talks about the different additives that food companies add to food to make them addictive. For example MSG. If you avoid MSG, and refined sugar for 6 weeks, you may regain control of your appetite. I am also a foodie. This time around, I am trying eat when ever I want to but make sure it is a vegetable first, then a lean protien. If I am still hungry, I will then eat fruit. Still hungry? Nuts. I am also drinking green smoothies made with protein powder. They are very cleansing, filling and satisfying. The smoothies soothe my IBS.

I have a similar problem. I can cook the best and healtiest meals but I never get full.
I will keep you posted on this. .

This is a biggie!! Try adding more whole foods to your diet everyday. The more you add, the more your body will crave them, the more the processed stuff will fall away when you realize how great you feel without it.

Fit in all of the things you like so you don't feel deprived, but add more whole food choices where you can. I'm a volume eater so the fresher the food, the more I get to eat. 1/2 a cookie, or a huge bag of sliced apple....etc.

I never really ate very well over the years and have modified my diet significantly. I feel a thousand times better for it. The healthier I eat, the more I crave whole foods. Get your protein up, substitute healthier carbs, and good fats. Whatever's left save for treats. Daily if you need.

I can easily sustain a 1600 calorie per day diet eating this way and feel satisfied, but as soon as I start adding a bunch of processed food items, the day will quickly turn into a 4000 calorie day binge and I won't feel full at all. WHAT I eat really makes a difference in my appetite.