Can't stop eating

pplastics

What worked for me was this, as recommended by my GI doctor:

For 5 days I ate as much as I wanted of lean meats, fish, eggs, and low-starch vegetables (no corn, no potatoes). I also included 2 3/4 cup servings of greek yogurt, sweetened with stevia, and 2 servings of either strawberries, grapes or apples. No bread, no rice, no pasta. Whenever I felt crazy-crazy at the thought of limiting those yummy things, I told myself that I needed to grow up and stop giving in to every urge, and that these limitations were only for a few days.

He told me that for some people, too much sugar for too long creates a sort of dependency. Your body processes it quickly and easily, making you hungry for more. So, you feed it more.

During those 5 days, I was never hungry, as I ate whenever I was, usually some chicken or some veggies. By day three, the extreme urges to eat the kitchen sink were almost gone. By day 5, I felt really great and actually did not miss the bad stuff. On day 6 when I ate that first piece of toast, I was so excited!! But, I reminded myself of how good I was feeling, finally, and that I did not want to let go of that. I wanted to feel even better. I was learning to limit myself and not give in to every urge. I was a 43 year old woman finally learning not to eat like a spoiled, over-indulgent child.

I appreciate food now in a way I never did before. Healthy good-for-me-food tastes almost as good to me now as ice cream and cookies (I said almost....) ; PLUS, I get to feel a little bit proud of myself every time I choose well.

My doctor said it would be okay to slowly reincorporate starches, pastas and grains to my diet, even some of the "bad" stuff, as long as I was keeping within my calorie targets. Now, I get to eat just about anything I want while slowly losing weight, and the work it takes to fight the urges is so much less.

Malosis

I appreciate everyone's advice and support, urging me to put my negative thoughts away to start out by making the small changes necessary. It was very encouraging to know that there are other people out there who have similar problems and I will be looking into the Overeaters Anonymous in my area.

It seems a lot of people think that a crock pot is very good for a poor cook like me, so I'll look into that as well. All the other tips were helpful as well and I'll try to start planning my meals out. If anyone has any tips on planning meals and the type of foods I should stock up on, please keep them coming.

Thank you, everyone!

jwooley13

This is something that I have made a point to try and fix starting TODAY. I work with a therapist for depression and generalized anxiety too. When I'm not doing well and make an attempt at restricting my food intake, I always wind up in a binge-type situation. So, to try and combat this I'm trying to treat my depression with good old fashioned exercise and outdoor time.

I am extremely out of shape, but I started Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred today. I already feel a little better, and my hope is that once my mood gets better, I'll struggle less with emotional and absent-minded eating. Until then, I'm just trying to establish some good habits.

Feel free to add me - I know how hard this is, and we all need support!

hearthwood

I know everyone’s probably heard something like this a million times on this forum, but I can’t stop eating. Even when my body feels like crap and I’m heading straight for diabetes, I can’t stop shoving unhealthy food in my mouth. I want to detach from it so badly, but I have no idea where to start.

I promise myself that the next day will be better and that I’ll diet or cut back my food properly, but it never works. I just automatically find some way to go to a restaurant. I’m a terrible cook and I’m trying to learn how to, but ultimately, I give into my food obsession and just go out. I can’t stick to anything for more than a few days and its tearing down my self-esteem. It just confirms that I’m someone with no control over myself and it makes me feel worthless.

I tried talking to a therapist about all this, but I’m in college. I don’t really have the money and I’m still paying off medical bills. Please, somebody, give me some sort of an idea how to kill this obsession.

Well, you may want to try some self hypnotism, it works for a lot of addictions. Take out a piece of paper--and write down the good and bad of over eating. Bad on the left--good on the right. Include symptoms of T-2 diabetes, and conditions related on the bad column.

Then next page--the benefits of losing weight.

Then another page--with you writing many times. I will never overeat again. I will log into MFP everyday to keep track of calories consumed. I will keep track of calories burned thru exercise. Then many times write down--I am going to be healthy and fit. I am going to lose weight.

That should do it.

WendyPaulsen27

CHEEESSSSEEEEE! I love cheese!

hikingfoole85

http://www.overeatersanonymous.org/

I'm a addict, I've already a program of recovery. Food is my substitute (esp high carb foods) for my drug of choice. If I wasn't in a 12 step fellowship that deals with the disease of addiction I'd be in OA. The link above may offer some hope, its free, there are no dues or fee's but they do pass a basket at the beginning or end of the meeting. Its not group therapy either. It might just save your life!

(((Hugs)))

ajanmillie

I know this feeling all too well. Sometimes it helps to take baby steps and have a starting day one where you eat what you want but make yourself have three square meals. After you can be comfortable with that, sometimes taking one piece of food away at each meal helps until you feel like you have control. It also depends on why you are eating. Also, do you wait until you are starving when you finally eat? I have binged all day because of this. If it is overwhelming and food is an obsession, there are overeaters groups that can help you that are not for profit.

kathygolean

Anyone can cook if they can read and follow directions. I love allrecipes.com. It's free, tells you the calorie/nutrition content of the recipe and has categories for lean/healthy menus. No time to cook....get a crockpot from the local thrift store and put dinner in to be ready when you get home. It's not a diet you need, but rather a mindset life-changing attitude. Eating healthy isn't just to lose the weight, but to eat healthy so as to keep the weight off. Yo-yo dieting only makes it harder to take off each time you are "up" (BEEN THERE TOO MANY TIMES!!!!!). Lose the weight while you're young, I'm 55 and it is much harder to take off than it used to be. You CAN do it! It also helps to have an accountability partner...maybe one who will cook alongside you as well! Choose someone who will truly help you and not drag you down.

Wenchiness

When I was eating the wrong foods, I was always ravenous and could not feel full unless I ate myself sick. Gained a few zillion lbs, got diabetes. When I started watching it and eating relatively healthy (hey a girl still loves a treat) I found I was actually full on much less. I have extreme difficultly eating my allotted calories for the day now, unless I eat out. Fast food and many processed groceries are designed to make you crave more of the same products. Perhaps do a cleanse for a set number of days to clear your system, reset your goals then clean up your act and get on track.

strassenkoenigin

I have a few suggestions...but first...this takes time. So you have to mentally prepare youself for a longer journey than maybe you're expecting or wanting.

1. I am in therapy for binge eating and emotional eating. My therapist and I use a couple of different workbooks for the basis of our sessions: The Food and Feelings Workbook (Koenig) and End Emotional Eating (Taitz). They're good substitues to get at the core of the eating issues. Whether you'd categorize youself as an emotional eater or not, it comes down to mindfulness and being aware of yourself in the moment. It sounds hippy-dippy, but it's true.
2. Find an overeaters anonymous or post regularly in the forums. Talking stuff out helps. Plus you can pick up tips from people who are in professional treatment without incurring the cost of professional treatment yourself. I didn't like OA. The groups near me were too religious that I felt judged and out of place, but I know other people in other areas like theirs.
3. Find a hobby to keep your hands busy. Journal. Knit. Play video games. Post in the forums. Bead. Draw. When your hands are busy, your brain is more focused on something other than food.
4. Whenever I'm feeling hungry but I know I'm really not, I look up before and after pictures to keep me motivated.
5. Drink some water.
6. Read a memoir about weight loss.
7. Make yourself wait 20 mins. Start with 5 mins. then overtime build up 20. If you can wait 20 mins often times the craving will go away or at least lessen to a manageable snack. It takes time and patience, but the base skills in this exercise will be used in practically every part of weight loss.

The important thing is to look at progress overall as well as day to day. Think: okay, I screwed up today but I haven't in a couple of days. Eventually, the spaces between ups and downs will increase and you'll begin to really feel like you're making progress.

I remind myself to take it an hour at a time. I just need to get through this hour. I don't focus on the past or the future. Just the present. I definitely have my setbacks, but they're way minimized than what they used to be.

This is an excellent post. You have to realize that food addiction is like alcohol or drug addiction. You need help. The big corporations have created a population of food junkies. It is not your fault, but you have to fight it. Try to find a hobby you really like which keeps you busy so you do not think about food. Don't let the big corporations win. They spend billions to make you addicted.