I really think I'm addicted...
HeatherBurke
Posts: 147
I don't understand how this happens but I truly think I may be addicted to food... I can't seem to grasp the concept of eat to live not live to eat.... I sat down and really put two and two together the other day when I went to the grocery store for shredded cheese but of course walked down the cookie aisle... I knew I should have just kept walking thus getting to what I went there for to begin with... Needless to say the package of chocolate chip cookies ( the really good ones) made it into my hands and before I know it, within 2 MAYBE 3 days the whole thing was gone... thanks to nobody other than myself. If there's cookies in the house, they will be in my mouth... Ice cream is a whole other battle in itself, there was a quart of ice cream about 4 days ago that my boyfriend bought and has to just leave there for me to stare at and is now 3/4 of the way gone once again mostly due to myself:sad: ... I don't understand how I can just basically go into another world while I'm eating these things and before I know it they are gone!! I have put on alomost 20 pounds in about 8 months I think a lot due to my issues with sweets.. How do I stop this??!! I came to the conclusion not to have sweets in the house thus out of sight out of mind but then I go crazy and will go find it... I'm sooooo discouraged, unmotivated, fat, and feel horrible about myself that it's just a downward spiral. It's like I'm to the point where I feel so far gone that I don't care anymore.. I know what I need to do and how to do it I guess I kist don't do it... I only need to be about 20 pounds lighter to be in a good size on me but with being so short and all of my weight going to my belly and butt it seems like every pound is 3!! I need help...... I don't know what to do anymore... I'm going to get ym thyroid checked too because I can sleep 24 hours straight if someone would let me and I never seem to get enough sleep:yawn: ... UGH!! Sorry for ranting I just don't seem to have anywhere else to talk about it or feel like I'm not alone... any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated... Thank you so much y'all are such an inspiration if I could just get off my butt!!:ohwell:
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Replies
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First off, good job asking for help and realizing you even might need it. It's tough to get off the food addiction. What I do is I don't restrict myself from eating anything, but if I eat anything bad I tell myself what's in it, remind myself what it will take to burn that back off, and if I still really want it, I eat it. From my experience, if you take the time to think it out, you will change your mind a lot of the time. The rest of the time, consider it a treat.
Good luck.0 -
I am reading the END of Overeating by David Kessler and it's opening my eyes in a while new way about WHY I do what I do in relation to food. I highly recommend it.
Don't give up! Educate yourself and keep trying. It will be much easier to change now with 20 pounds to lose than in another year when it's 40 or more.
Good luck! :flowerforyou:0 -
Sounds like you mainly have a portion control problem. If you deprive yourself completely than you will end up over eating so just watch how much you eat and if you don't want to keep it in the house than allow yourself to go out for icecream once and awhile but just a scoop :bigsmile: Frozen yogurt does the trick for me!... and DON'T give up, you can do it!
~Leash0 -
I seem to have the same problem...mine is overeating when im stressed...I just don't know either. We know its bad but do it anyway.:ohwell:0
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Another thing is that I live in the south now (southern Arkansas) where fried food, kool aid etc are the norm here... I didn't grow up eating these things living in the midwest and then Florida so the food and lifestyles are completely different here and it is throwing me for a total loop, being with a southern black man where this is how it is an everyday thing is killing me!!! AHHHH!!!0
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its simple any body that is a hundred pounds or more over weight has a food addiction it not from hunger it take over everything just having the cumputer helps your not putting anything in your mouth when your typing or housecleaning or doing washing we need to find something that more inportant then food:sad:0
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I go Overeaters Annoymous groups. If you go to OA.org, they have them all over the world, even online groups.0
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.....I need help...... I don't know what to do anymore... I'm going to get ym thyroid checked too because I can sleep 24 hours straight if someone would let me and I never seem to get enough sleep:yawn: ... UGH!! ,,,,,,
I'm a pretty healthy guy. I cannot sleep more than 9 hours. Maybe 10 if I have a really long hard day. If you can honestly sleep for 24 hours straight then you have a medical problem. Yes, please go see a doctor.
Don't even start with the thyroid issue, just describe your symptoms and what you're going through and let the Doctor do the Doctoring - that's what they go to med school for. I'll bet your doc will order a sleep study. If you can sleep that long I'll bet you're not really sleeping at all.0 -
its simple any body that is a hundred pounds or more over weight has a food addiction it not from hunger it take over everything just having the cumputer helps your not putting anything in your mouth when your typing or housecleaning or doing washing we need to find something that more inportant then food:sad:
Not everybody who has that much weight to lose has a food addiction. Some of us were just lazy and didn't know how to eat correctly.0 -
I'm addicted too.....let me know if you find a cure....my only advice is take it one day and one decision at a time!! it's a hard habit to break0
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i always say that food is the worst addiction because it's not something that you can just live without!! :sad: :mad:0
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Great job just coming here and asking for help. The people on here are very motivating, inspiring, and helpful.
I have always had a problem overeating, I would eat till I was sick at least 4 times a week up until I decided to make a concious effort to not eat all day long. I did take all of the treats out of my house, but replaced them with the same things that were already in portion sized containers. Ice cream is one of my faves, so I got the skinny cow fudge bars in different flavors and allowed myself one a day after dinner. Also they have cheez-its and other things good and salty in 100 calorie packs, even milano cookies yum!
Try that first if you can't just stop at having a couple or just one. It definitely helped me in the beginning.0 -
Can you take a buddy with you shopping? Someone who can make sure you don't turn down that cookie aisle? I too am pretty addicted to food. In our case, it helps that my husband likes to go shopping the minute we run low on something, so I don't have to go too often myself.0
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I'm also addicted to food. I never want to just "eat to live." I love tasting food. I want to taste food. Guess what -- it's possible to really enjoy food while still being healthy. What I recommend is for you to log every single thing you put in your mouth. Just really come face-to-face with what you're eating. I just started a week ago and I can already see which foods are delicious *and* nutritious and the foods that are delicious and are a total waste of calories.
I have eaten 1200-1350 calories in a day in the last 7 days. And I'm fine. There's not a single thing I'm craving because I'm paying attention to what tastes good and is good for me. I can have a HUGE delicious omelet with tons of yummy veggies *and* full fat cheese, or I can have a can of soda. I can have like 4 totally yummy diet soda cupcakes and a glass of milk, or I can have 2 pre-packaged cookies. See where I'm going here?
A pint of Ben and Jerry's is like 1200 calories. I'd eat that and then go to bed. I'd eat an *entire day's* worth of calories and then just go sleep on it. How gross is that?
So, to tell you how I felt last Monday, September 4th. I was exhausted. I was in pain from being overweight, I ate probably 1/2 a pound of cheese on my pasta and then had a blood sugar crash and probably dozed on the couch for a while before heaving myself up to get ready for bed. Today, a week later, I'm almost 10 POUNDS lighter, I feel AWESOME. I noticed today that my knees and ankles aren't hurting like they were. I've been sleeping so much better. And I can't wait to go home from work and cook a nutritious and oh-so-tasty meal and then workout.
Sorry this post is so long, but I really relate to you. I was so tired. I felt so hopeless. Then something just clicked. I started logging my food and seeing what made sense to eat. I've tried to lose weight before, but I've never been so satisfied with the food I'm eating and I've never felt so good about it.0 -
I have found that sugerless gum helps. It puts something in my mouth but isn't many calories.
Hope that helps!0 -
I agree with all the advice here. I especially like the advice to take a buddy with you to the store. This may seem out in left field, but could you be pregnant? You describe how I felt in my first trimester (at least with the sleeping 24/7). As for cravings and not being able to stop once you get started, I have found that praying for strength to resist temptation has helped me a lot. Especially right at that moment when my inner 2-year old is throwing a temper tantrum, wanting that cookie. It is VERY hard to resist that strong strong desire. That is when I hit my knees and ask for strength.0
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its simple any body that is a hundred pounds or more over weight has a food addiction it not from hunger it take over everything just having the cumputer helps your not putting anything in your mouth when your typing or housecleaning or doing washing we need to find something that more inportant then food:sad:
Not everybody who has that much weight to lose has a food addiction. Some of us were just lazy and didn't know how to eat correctly.
In my case it was replacing a lack of something with food - ie. a lack of activity (boredom), a lack of feeling love (I've learned to read my Bible instead or call a friend), a lack of optimism in losing weight.... I thought I was addicted to food but I have been blessed by realizing that I was using food to replace something that was missing.
Hang in there. We all go through tough times. I'm in one right now and you just have to go moment by moment - one step at a time.
Blessings! :flowerforyou:0 -
I TOTALLY agree about having a shopping buddy. That's a great idea!
Look at how you're eating too. If you're regular foods have a really high glicemic index, you may be causing your blood sugar to do really crazy things...and when it crashes, you head for the sweets because that's what your body NEEDS at that point.
Having your sugars go crazy like that also makes you :yawn: very tired.
I do agree, you need to see your doctor.0 -
You're SO not alone. We have a thread/ challenge going called "Let's QUIT the sweets!?". It's a good place to vent about the devil- sugar!0
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I feel your pain. I think it would be a good idea to see your doctor and rule out physical ailments. Food addiction is the most insidious of addictions and many of us suffer from it. Like another poster said not everyone that is overweight is a food addict. Some didn't know how to eat healthy, some were lazy, some the weight came on with bad habits as they aged, etc.
This site is great for losing weight. Tracking calories, gathering information and motivation. But as I've said ad nauseam the weight we addicts carry is only a symptom of a deeper issue. We can lose the weight, heck we've done it many, many, times. We have the willpower to lose weight. But we can't keep the weight off until we allow ourselves to get to the underlying issues.
I hope that you will think about also seeking therapy for your emotional/mental health.
Good Luck!0 -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why Am I Eating This?
A binge is a message--stop and listen to it.
By Geneen Roth, (Geneen Roth is the author of six books about emotional
eating, including When Food Is Love.) :brokenheart:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few nights ago, I was walking to a party in Manhattan. Halfway
there, I stopped and bought a hot pretzel from a street vendor.
That should have been my first inkling that something was amiss.
Why? Oh, only two minor reasons: I don't like pretzels and I wasn't
hungry.
For someone who has devoted half her life to understanding the reasons
why people turn to food and binge eating when they're not hungry, this
last teeny fact--lack of hunger and eating anyway--is always a red
flag. Usually, when I want to eat and I'm not hungry, I take some
time--at least a couple of minutes--to ask myself what I am feeling.
Usually, I know that no matter what's going on, it's always better to
feel it than to use food to swallow it.
But that night I seemed determined to go unconscious. I pulled off a
hunk of the pretzel, slathered it with mustard, and took a bite. It
didn't taste good, so I took another bite just to make sure that I'd
tasted it right the first time. Still gluey, still bland. I asked the
next homeless person with a "Need Food" sign if he wanted the pretzel.
He told me he was allergic to wheat, so I gave him a few bucks, threw
out the pretzel, and continued on my way to the party.
The moment I arrived, I headed straight for the food. It wasn't
exactly a binge eating paradise--sesame shrimp, polenta cakes, Swedish
meatballs (none of those yummy, deep-fried, trans-fat, or
insulin-hysterical foods), but I made do. Every time a tray came past,
I took what was offered. Then I started following the trays around,
after which I stationed myself in the kitchen and greeted the trays as
they were taken from the oven. I felt like an overstuffed sausage. As
I waddled from room to room, my belly preceded me.
On my way back to my hotel that night, I realized that this was my
first bout of binge eating in 5 or 6 years. If my husband, Matt, had
been around, he would have eyed me and said, "A coupla polenta cakes,
some shrimp, and six bites of cookies hardly doth a binge make..." But
then I would've had to remind him that binge eating is not defined by
the amount of food you eat but by the way you eat it. Two cookies can
be a binge if you eat them with urgency, desperation, and the pressing
need for an altered state. Food is a drug of choice, and when you
binge, you are using your preferred substance to deny, swallow, or
escape your feelings.
I tell my retreat and workshop students that kindness and curiosity
after binge eating are crucial. And so, the next morning, I was kind
to myself.
I was curious. I wanted to know what was going on. Why food had
suddenly seemed like my only salvation.
And here's what I discovered:
I was tired. I was feeling raw and vulnerable from having spent the
day with a dying friend. I wanted to be alone, but I didn't feel like
I had a choice about going to the party, because I'd already agreed to
meet a friend there.
I made a quick decision to go, except, of course, that because I was
binge eating, I didn't really show up at the party. I was preoccupied,
edgy, self-absorbed, and then numb. Not your ideal companion.
What If You Didn't Eat?
Recently, a student of mine--let's call her Rita--had a daughter, her
third child in 6 years. I met her when the baby was a year old. Rita
told me she spends every night binge eating. I asked her why. She
said, "I want to get my own needs met, have someone take care of me.
Sometimes I think I'm going to go crazy and throw my kids out in the
rain just so they'll leave me alone. I feel so awful about myself when
I think these thoughts, but then I remember that I can microwave some
popcorn, pour half a cup of butter on it, and sit in front of the TV
and eat. I remember I have food. That calms me down."
I asked her what would happen if she didn't eat. She said, "I'd end up
feeling awful about myself for having these feelings about my kids." I
said, "Seems like you end up feeling awful about yourself anyway."
"Yeah," she said. "But at least it's for eating and not for being a
terrible mother."
"Who says you're a terrible mother for wanting to leave your kids out
in the rain? Wanting to do it and doing it are different universes," I
said. "What if you let yourself have the full range of your feelings
without judging them or believing that having feelings means acting on
them? What if when your kids went to sleep, instead of eating popcorn,
you sat on the couch with a blanket and just stared into space? Did
nothing for a while? Gave yourself some kindness that didn't also hurt
you at the same time?"
That was 3 months ago. She's had a few binges since then, but she's
also had evenings of letting herself be exhausted without eating,
temporarily hating her kids without having to hurt herself (or them)
for it. She's realized that when she wants to turn to binge eating,
it's a sign she needs to slow down, take some time for herself--even
if it's only 3 minutes--and pay attention to what's actually going on.
Wanting to binge means: Stop, slow down, be curious about why food
seems to be the answer to everything. Wanting to binge is a way to get
your own attention. When you want to binge, it's as if you were
jumping up and down with a banner that says, "I need you to notice me
now!"
So go ahead. Notice yourself. Be kind. Be tender. Be curious. You'll
be surprised at what happens.
Trust me--it'll be good.)
Three-Minute Warning
The next time you want to succumb to binge eating, tell yourself that
you're going to take 3 minutes--only 3--to be with yourself before you
eat. Then, sit down, breathe a few times, and with as much kindness as
you can muster, ask yourself gently what is going on. What do you
need? Whom do you need it from? What would be the kindest thing you
could do for yourself now?
If you still want to eat after you've done this, notice how the food
tastes in your mouth. Notice how you feel after you've eaten. Ask
yourself if eating felt kind.0 -
That's a good article. Thanks for sharing it.
:flowerforyou:0
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