Food Addiction??

Wolfena

When you think about food 24/7, when you NEVER feel full. When the moment you finish a meal or snack you feel mildly depressed because eating time is over.... When you fall asleep at night watching food network or dreaming of what you're going buy at the grocery store the next day.... When you wake up and the first thought in your head is what you want to eat - yes, that is me.

Even if you manage to make the "right" choices most of the time and keep your portions under control - how do you fix this?? When food seems to be the center of your world, the most important part of your life - the one thing you can't imagine living without (yea - I know, you CAN'T live without food :laugh: )

I HATE this! I want to live a normal freakin' life where I just eat my meals and that's that. Sure, I want to enjoy them and have fun cooking - but it shouldn't feel like it's the sole reason for my existence, should it??

Help!! :sad:

Wolfena

When you think about food 24/7, when you NEVER feel full. When the moment you finish a meal or snack you feel mildly depressed because eating time is over.... When you fall asleep at night watching food network or dreaming of what you're going buy at the grocery store the next day.... When you wake up and the first thought in your head is what you want to eat - yes, that is me.

Even if you manage to make the "right" choices most of the time and keep your portions under control - how do you fix this?? When food seems to be the center of your world, the most important part of your life - the one thing you can't imagine living without (yea - I know, you CAN'T live without food :laugh: )

I HATE this! I want to live a normal freakin' life where I just eat my meals and that's that. Sure, I want to enjoy them and have fun cooking - but it shouldn't feel like it's the sole reason for my existence, should it??

Help!! :sad:

pettmybunny

Ooooh, I know where you're coming from! I am a true foodie. And I married a foodie, which makes it double bad! We always try to outdo each other for deliciousness...

I torture myself sometimes... thinking of all the good stuff I want. And someday, I know I will be able to eat it in moderation. Once in a while.

And I tell myself that I'll be happy with that too... Someday, I might believe it....

get_fit2009

I read the book "Secrets of a Former Fat Girl" and she was the same way (so am I). One thing that stuck in my head is that she was complaining to her friend, "Why can't I be like everyone else?" Her very wise friend replied, "Because you're NOT everyone else, you're you".

I know there are times that this quote won't help, but I know for me, reading that relaxed me about it a little bit. 1) There are others like you, so you are not alone and 2) It is just the way God made us. He only gives us what we can handle.

Hope this helps a little. :flowerforyou:

ndarling

I can relate to you. I'm not sure but I would assume that is quite common among women. We feed ourselves, our children, or boyfriends, husbands etc... It's something some of us enjoy doing but get bored of the same ol, same ol. Sounds kinda like it's taken over for you. I know for me it's always in the back of mind...but that's kinda normal. Being concious and aware of what you will eat is a good thing. Right? Maybe make sure your taking care of yourself in other ways. Reading, shopping, spa whatever it is that makes you feels spoiled. Be easy on yourself. oxox

xtina11179

OMG! I am the exact same way!! (Except for the falling asleep watching the Food Network, my man wouldn't allow that. LOL) But really, I feel like I am ALWAYS thinking about food. And it's especially hard when you live with someone who doesn't care about what they eat, and you are the one who feeds them!

xtina11179

Oops, I posted the same thing twice, so now I am just going to write nonsense here! LOL

amunet07

lol, I'm the same way.

I also know that I am a food addict when a book tells you you can have what you want just make the room in calories for it and then eat it until you get tired of it... AND I STILL AM DAILY EATING MINT M&MS AND EVERY WEEKEND TRYING TO FIT A SMALL PIECE OF CHEESE CAKE IN. ugh! lol :laugh:

wannaBme

Hi Wolfena,

I can totally relate to your post, I've gone through, and continue to go through, the food addiction spiral. Actually, the food network is on my TV right now !!

I believe this "mental & physical" addiction to food is the missing link to many peoples weight loss success. By missing link, I mean that it needs to be recognized and discussed.

I don't have an answer to the issue, but heres what I did with my "never ending voice". First, I wrote down my overwhelmingly favorite foods. The ones I felt addicted to. On my first list I wasn't honest with myself. On the about the 3rd list, I got it closer to reality.

Then I made a note of when I ate or drank these foods most often. Afternoon ? Evening? with friends? When I was alone because no one knew about them? When I felt lonely ? The exercise was my attempt at trying to make my self aware of what I was doing.

Anyway, at first, I tried all the market substitutes for my favor cravings. Months later I realized that they did not work. I was still craving favorites and the "phonies" lead to the REAL thing more often than not.

Plan B - i eliminated the top item from my list. No substitutes, no small bites, none. This high sugar item was not easy to quit ... headaches, cramps, huge desire .. but my husband help me preserve through it. Ten days later I was over it and have never gone back.

Yah !! me .... I felt so free. All those self destructive, constant words in my head were less loud. Mark one up for me. During this time I had other foods that I liked lots but never over did anything. This allowed me to focus on quitting one thing at a time.

The best part .... with the one high sugar item gone, all the others became less appealing, at least not so overwhelming. That one item that I had daily, was keeping the spiral moving down the drain.

I watch the food network and search new recipes all the time. I'm turing my negative passion for food into a positive thing by cooking all kinds of different TASTY things. The real, fresh taste and the loving preparation time that I devote to my food is very therapeutic for me.

I know i am rambling on but ... maybe with our fast lives and the fast food thrown in the oven from the freezer ... that is why we don't know how to cultivate a proper relationship with food.

Shopping at a fresh food market ... washing the produce..... peeling ..... chopping ..... cooking ..... seasoning, .... serving it on a pretty plate .... and the TV off .... and sitting down at the dining table ..... with people ..... is all part of the eating experience.

If we simply drive thru or microwave conveince foods and eat, which only takes minutes, then we are not experiencing the full effect of a meal. Perhaps thats why we need to eat more and more to feel satisfied.

BrenNew

OMG! I am the exact same way!! (Except for the falling asleep watching the Food Network, my man wouldn't allow that. LOL) But really, I feel like I am ALWAYS thinking about food. And it's especially hard when you live with someone who doesn't care about what they eat, and you are the one who feeds them!

Wow, if I didn't know any better, I'd say we've got the same husband! :laugh:
Mine NEVER cares about food, while it's ALWAYS on my mind.
And, he also wants me in bed, NOT sleeping in front of the tv! :laugh:

rrmudd

I'm in the same boat as you. I'll be thinking of my next meal while I'm still eating breakfast. FOOD!!
Even at the Gym someone always has the food channel on! A big pet peeve of mine.

arewethereyet

Thank you for this post. I realized I no longer have this issue. I think mine revolved around starch-bread in specific. May be those Irish roots...:laugh: Love my bread and taters.

I took out all white when I started my change in June. Then added them back in with better options. Whole grain breads, whole grain rice, small baked potato. I can now eat these things without them eating me!

:flowerforyou: Knowledge is power

Wolfena

I've got a guy who is equally as obsessed with food as I am. His favorite channel is the food network too :laugh: Sometimes he's a great support when he's in "I want to lose weight" mode - and other times not so much when he's in "I'm tired of eating healthy" mode. We'll talk each other into eating out somewhere we shouldn't, or bringing home a half gallon of ice cream. We can just be finished eating a lovely yummy dinner and a hamburger commercial or something will come on TV and he'll announce "I want that!" and I'd have been thinking the exact same thing.

I read that "Secrets of a Former Fat Girl book" - I loved it and she was so right about lots of things!

I just feel at this point in my life that food has become overwhelming, I can never NOT be thinking about it. EVER. & I that bugs the crap out of me!

Dustdevil

It is not strictly gender related. I am the same way. My favorite channel- The Food Network, Favorite day of the week (Newspaper related) - the day the Grocery ads come out; my favorite books - cookbooks ( I can sit and read them over and over!!); I LOVE to cook for myself and especially friends and family. I walk and shop in the grocery store like my wife does in a ladies clothing shop- gotta touch and checkout EVERYTHING!

cab2424

I am the same way, a foodie and I HATE IT! I can think about food all of the time. My brother is an revcovering alcoholic and the things he goes through are so similar to what I go through when I am dieting. It sucks

fiddlechic

I am the same. i have a food addiction and am currently reading a few books on how to get past it but I think it is like any other addiction. It is always there, something that you will be aware of everyday but eventually I think it can be kept in check.

there are therapists that specialize in food addiction. maybe consider looking into that. there is also overeaters anonymous which focuses on the addiction not just people who are overweight.

lessertess

I agree. I fully believe that I' m a food addict. The fact that I've managed over the last year, at least most of the time, to control the binging, emotional and over eating doesn't change that. I've just substituted another form of compulsion. I'm on this site all the time, I think about what I'm going to eat and when I can next eat, I talk about my diet and exercise routine to anyone who will listen. (thank goodness for this site or I'd have no friends left :laugh: ) I watch the Food Network while I'm on the treadmill--can't tell you how funny people at the gym find that :ohwell:

I'm hoping that eventually I'll be able to wean myself away from the constant focus on food. However, if I have to choose between overeating and binging and what I'm doing now, I'll take now. It's still not 100% healthy but at least these habits won't kill me.

yellow_pepper

It's not an addiction - it's an obsession. There's a difference.

The remedy: find a new obsession to replace it, or at least to drown it out in your mind. Hopefully, it will be something productive, perhaps conducive to weight loss (e.g. exercise), perhaps helpful in some other way.

One thing you might think about: being on MFP all the time probably doesn't help you to stop thinking about food. Just a thought.

wannaBme

Addiction or Obsession .. either way I've got it.

I've had more success in my weight loss efforts when I FOCUS on food and pay attention to what I am going to cook, eat, take to work for lunch and so on ... then when I have tried to fight it and ignore it. when I fight it, I get too hungry & then over eat. Food is not the same as alcohol addiction so don't treat it that way ... you can completely quit the alcohol, but you must continue to feed yourself.

MyaPapaya75

I know I am addicted obsessed and totally love food and everything about it! lol...But I decided to channel it a different way ..I am one of those avid food network watchers as well as a constant cook. I cook for other people constantly and enjoy it very much ...I dont have to eat the food anymore I just have to work with it..watch it..and watch other people enjoy it...How odd is that? lol

amberca1

I am totally the same way! I think about food constantly! I mean ALL day. I think about what I'm going to eat, what I'm going to buy at the grocery store, I watch all the food-shows. I obsessively search recipes online. I can be on Epicureous.com for hours. I know the calorie content of basically every single food on the planet. I look forward to eating like someone would look forward to a vacation. I get disspointed when its over. It really takes a lot of energy to think about food all the time and I wish I could be normal- this is exhausting. My husband thinks I'm weird- he never craves certain foods and barely thinks about food at all. He just eats when he is hungry and stops when he is full. The problem with food addiction is that there is no possible way to practice "abstinence". You need food to survive. An alchoholic can put down the liquor and never touch it again and wouldn't die. We have to eat everyday otherwise we will die. We are constantly giving ourselves the thing that we are addicted to- over and over again each day. Imagine if a herion addict had to do that? Imagine trying to have "a healthy relationship with heroin and having to use a bit of it every day??!!"