How can i lose weight when im addicted to food?

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.

LaLa_Ventura

I believe I am addicted to food to a certain degree but instead of all the cakes, pies and chips. I go EXTREME with vegetables and water. My salads are gigantic because I like the chewing of food. The snacking sometimes gets me in trouble but I'm taking baby steps and I'm seeing results.

Bitsta28

I am no expert by far, I deal with the same feelings as you. But, one thing that helps me when I am feeling out of control is to force myself to eat the healthy stuff FIRST, not ONLY. So if I need to eat 5 creamsticks because someone brought them to work, then I will eat apples and salad too. Sometimes that will help satisfy the need to eat the ALL stuff I really wanted. But, if not, then I have at least done some good too by getting nutrients and fiber.

jlynnm70

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-food-addiction

The idea that a person can be addicted to food has recently gotten more support from science.

Experiments in animals and humans show that, for some people, the same reward and pleasure centers of the brain that are triggered by addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin are also activated by food, especially highly palatable foods. Highly palatable foods are foods rich in:

Sugar
Fat
Salt

Like addictive drugs, highly palatable foods trigger feel-good brain chemicals such as dopamine. Once people experience pleasure associated with increased dopamine transmission in the brain's reward pathway from eating certain foods, they quickly feel the need to eat again.

The reward signals from highly palatable foods may override other signals of fullness and satisfaction. As a result, people keep eating, even when they're not hungry.

People who show signs of food addiction may also develop a tolerance to food. They eat more and more, only to find that food satisfies them less and less.

Scientists believe that food addiction may play an important role in obesity. But normal-weight people may also struggle with food addiction. Their bodies may simply be genetically programmed to better handle the extra calories they take in. Or they may increase their physical activity to compensate for overeating.

People who are addicted to food will continue to eat despite negative consequences, such as weight gain or damaged relationships. And like people who are addicted to drugs or gambling, people who are addicted to food will have trouble stopping their behavior, even if they want to or have tried many times to cut back.
Signs of Food Addiction

Researchers at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Science & Policy have developed a questionnaire to identify people with food addictions.

Here's a sample of questions that can help determine if you have a food addiction. Do these actions apply to you? Do you:

End up eating more than planned when you start eating certain foods
Keep eating certain foods even if you're no longer hungry
Eat to the point of feeling ill
Worry about not eating certain types of foods or worry about cutting down on certain types of foods
When certain foods aren't available, go out of your way to obtain them

The questionnaire also asks about the impact of your relationship with food on your personal life. Do these situations apply to you:

You eat certain foods so often or in such large amounts that you start eating food instead of working, spending time with the family, or doing recreational activities.
You avoid professional or social situations where certain foods are available because of fear of overeating.
You have problems functioning effectively at your job or school because of food and eating.

The questionnaire asks about withdrawal symptoms. For example, when you cut down on certain foods (excluding caffeinated beverages), do you have symptoms such as:

Anxiety
Agitation
Other physical symptoms

The questionnaire also tries to gauge the impact of food decisions on your emotions. Do these situations apply to you?

Eating food causes problems such as depression, anxiety, self-loathing, or guilt.
You need to eat more and more food to reduce negative emotions or increase pleasure.
Eating the same amount of food doesn't reduce negative emotions or increase pleasure the way it used to.

Miss_TeaPot

I am a foodie too. I use food for every emotion!

I'm 25 days in and making some progress. It's hard and everyone is different on how they handle the issue.

I just try to keep myself occupied and planning out my meals and looking up new recipes helps me a bit.

bcattoes

All this argument over the term "addiction" is silly. It doesn't really matter whether you have a clinical addiction to food or not. You can't give it up, so if you want to lose weight you have to learn restraint. Get help if you need to. Join a support group, see a counselor, do what you need to do.

What you call your desire to overeat is irrelevant. Finding a way to stop is what's important.

Barbsunshine7

For those that asked about the Whole 30, I just looked it up:

http://whole30.com/new/

vjohn04

If you truly feel you have an addiction, then you should seek the help of a 12 step program.

If you feel you can exhibit any self control, then do it.

Rocbola

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.

DING DING DING!!! The correct answer!

Food addiction is not about being addicted to ALL food. Certain foods excite the pleasure centers of the brain, and the major food companies know exactly which foods these are, and market the crap out of them. The usual suspects include concentrated sources of fat and sugar, as well as chocolate, cheese, caffeine, etc. There are also food chemicals which are added to food to make you think they are tasty and make you eat more. Those chemicals include MSG, and other concentrated naturally occurring substances that are similar.

Most food being sold in America has at least one of these addictive properties. And we don't want to walk around hungry all the time. So what do we do?

Luckily, there is good news. There is a whole category of food that DOESN'T have an addictive response! That category of food is whole natural plant food, such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes and whole grains.

If you google "whole foods plant based recipes", you should get a bunch of great ideas, so that you can eat abundantly, while simultaneously avoiding the addictive foods that make you unhealthy.

Akimajuktuq

I'm not going to argue about whether food is addictive or not. But. If you change WHAT you eat you can indeed stop overeating very easily. I supposedly had Binge Eating Disorder but when I changed WHAT I eat I was miraculously cured in a very short time. Why? Because even fat people can be malnourished. If you aren't getting the nutrients you need (micronutrients) then the urge to eat never stops. It's NOT psychological. The brain is part of the physical body (duh) and is also very negatively impacted by malnutrition. (It's not just BED that can be resolved by changing the food....)

MelRC117

I'm sorry, but I have a hard time you're truly addicted to food if you're only at 170 lbs. I know we all have our idea of what having a lot of weight to lose is...but you being about 30-40 pounds over the normal range, I have a hard time believing you and you're just being dramatic.
It's called self control.