getting rid of Food Addiction

NerdyTXChick

I've lost 75+ pounds by cutting out flour, sugar, and other high carb foods. In my experience, there was definitely a connection to these foods and cravings. But I haven't figured out yet if it was the highly processed foods that were the problem or the carbs themselves. But regardless, it has definitely worked for me!

Once I'm in maintenance I'm going to try reintroducing some higher carb healthy foods, like potatoes, & oatmeal, and see how they effect me. If they bring on the binging, I'll steer clear or limit them in the future. If not, all the better! Like others have said, we're all different, so you have to figure out what works for you.

etoiles_argentees

Aren't some of you guilty of doing the thing you're warning OP about? You tell her that she shouldn't tell others her way is the only way, but then go on to say that her way *isn't* a way. To me, that's the same mindset, just phrased differently.

So true.

DavPul

you will get a lot of haters with this post telling you that you dont need to give up any food and just do moderation with everything

IGNORE THEM

if it is working for you, that is all that matters

good luck

True. She has been successful for 4, maybe 4.3 days now. She definitely has all the answers and should shut out all advice from people that have actually solved this problem long term. Seems reasonable.

If anyone offers a different solution let's band together and shout them down. An echo chamber is the answer to most problems.

Carry on

NerdyTXChick

Question. If a diabetic can go through life without giving in to the temptation of cake at a birthday party because it will be harmful to their health, why can't a binge eater do the same?

krazyforyou

If I truly want to lose weight, I must cut carbs. If this works for you then you go girl. Dont listen to anything anybody else says. And I am amazed the haters aren't here already.

krazyforyou

Aren't some of you guilty of doing the thing you're warning OP about? You tell her that she shouldn't tell others her way is the only way, but then go on to say that her way *isn't* a way. To me, that's the same mindset, just phrased differently.

And this is why I tolerate you.

danasings

Aren't some of you guilty of doing the thing you're warning OP about? You tell her that she shouldn't tell others her way is the only way, but then go on to say that her way *isn't* a way. To me, that's the same mindset, just phrased differently.

Well said.

shelleyspots

I started this new program four days ago and doing good so far. I am not eating sweets at all, and no wheat or any foods made from flour. I lost the cravings already.
This program is used in treatment centers for people who are addicted to high carbohydrates, and the plan is to completely abstinate from sweets and wheat since those foods trigger the cravings and overeating.
And, no weighing, except maybe one a month. The goal is not to lose weight but to stop the cravings and curb the addiction.
I recommend book by Kay Shepard "Food Addiction, the body knows". It is very good and will change your life.
Sincerely,

Giving up my carby ways really helped me with my food addiction so I am behind you 100%.

My problem is now I've been binging on carbs over christmas it's like giving up crack all over again - but I know that there is truth behind this and you are completely right.

Friend me if you want a like minded buddy

Ditto. Love those carbs and simple sugars, in combo with fats. The day after New Years Eve, I'm going back on detox (juice, and lots of water) for a day. Once those cravings kick in, it's hard to have any self control! But remember, you will be exhausted and your brain can't work, without any carbs at all. Look for complex, healthy sources of carbs. Your body does have to have some.

danasings

I'm not trying to start stuff with you. But really, what will happen the first time you go to a birthday party and have to eat a piece of cake? Its carbs and sugar.

I just can't imagine never eating again, and the first time you do, you won't have any coping mechanisms to deal with it.

You are definitely on to something there. Most people with eating disorders have very strong "ALL OR NOTHING" personalities. This is why they find temporary success with restricting food groups, etc. But as soon as they give in for even a bite, it becomes the "Oh well I've blown it I might as well eat it all, or everything in sight" mentality.

There is a way to beat this. I have done it myself but I worked ALL of 2012 to get to where I am in recovery now. You have to stop dieting and restricting for awhile to get through the hard part of becoming a "normal" eater. It is so amazing now, not fearing holidays, certain restaurants, and just being able to go have dessert with my kids without worrying about it turning into a full fledged binge. Freedom is so worth going through the tough part!

You GO GIRL!!!!

Amanda, you are my new hero. :flowerforyou: I am praying to be right there with you in complete recovery.

helenta77

Question. If a diabetic can go through life without giving in to the temptation of cake at a birthday party because it will be harmful to their health, why can't a binge eater do the same?

my thoughts exactly, im border line diabetic, so i dont have much choice but to avoid food thats bad for me. At the end of the day we all need to do what works for us.

barkin43

Good for you and best wishes for permanent success! I discovered that giving up glutinous products like wheat, barley, and rye greatly alleviated my joint pain. I had begun to think I would just have to live with arthritic pain because "everyone develops arthritis as he/she gets older" according to more than one doctor I talked to. Turns out that giving up gluten cures the problem Whoodathunkit?? I plan to experiment with rye and barley to see if it's actually all gluten or just wheat products. I've never been diagnosed as celiac--just decided to experiment with gluten-free diet. Hope you have great success and a wonderful new year in 2013. Happy New Year to all on this thread!!

fataalic

Good for you and best wishes for permanent success! I discovered that giving up glutinous products like wheat, barley, and rye greatly alleviated my joint pain. I had begun to think I would just have to live with arthritic pain because "everyone develops arthritis as he/she gets older" according to more than one doctor I talked to. Turns out that giving up gluten cures the problem Whoodathunkit?? I plan to experiment with rye and barley to see if it's actually all gluten or just wheat products. I've never been diagnosed as celiac--just decided to experiment with gluten-free diet. Hope you have great success and a wonderful new year in 2013. Happy New Year to all on this thread!!

Barkin43

I, too, have arthritis pain, and if not eating wheat helps with the pain, one more reason for me to stay away from it. :happy:
I will, too, experiment with Rye and Barley and if I still have the symptoms, I will stay away from it as well.

Thanks for your post.

Belinda658

I'm not a hater, if that works for you thats awesome! :drinker:

However..... I just don't want people to believe this is the ONLY way.

I no longer crave the stuff BECAUSE I allowed myself to eat it. Now that I'm NOT afraid of carbs and I eat enough of them, I don't obsess anymore. Its not this "forbidden" thing that I deprive myself of. It takes time, but now the draw to it is diminished.

It feels awesome to finally be able to have a scoop of ice cream, without the fear that I'll polish off half of the container.

Amanda,
it works for some people to try a bit of this and that and not go over the edge, but for those that cannot control their cravings and cannot handle that one bite, I believe they should stay away from temptation, if they can.

Like I said before, I am in the testing stage, I am not an expert, and so far am liking this program, but I have a bad history with any programs because after a while I get bored with it, the same foods and little results.

This time may be different, or it may not.

Maybe I will lose some weight and at one point introduce the trigger food back into my diet and slowly gain it all back, and maybe a little more.
Then, I will probably keep eating more and more, hate myself for loving food so much, and hope for the new "great program" that may change my life. :indifferent: :embarassed:

Amanda, for some people it IS the only way. You saying that is just like all the people that tell me that they can drink in moderation so it should be the same for other people that have a problem with alcohol.

There is no such thing as moderation for those of us that are addicted. There is a difference in over eating, over drinking and being straight up addicted. Alcoholics are addicted to the sugar in the alcohol believe it or not, that is why they give us sugar when we have the DT's. Addiction is real.

Simple fact of the matter is, the OP's post is about ADDICTION, not over consumption. In order to over come addiction, abstinence is a must. We have a problem with our neuro pathway in our brain that tells us to consume more, people that do not have this problem, well, they do not have a problem.

FATAALIC, GOOD FOR YOU. I am totally with you as I am 5 years and 13 weeks sober. There is no such thing as just having one. I have many haters that get mad at me for not drinking and get FURIOUS for suggesting that if they may have problem if they can not imagine going 30 days with out a drink. They think they can hurt me by making nasty comments to me, in all actuality, that makes me feel very sorry for them

I am saying that it IS possible to RECOVER. And be able to eat like a normal, non disordered eater. It takes time, patience, being willing to fail, and it IS NOT EASY. But IT IS possible. I am a living testimony to that. And you have NO RIGHT to judge the severity of what I've been through or what my struggles were.

Avoiding trigger foods will work for some, thats great for them. It often is just a bandaid and only works temporarily for others. I am just sharing MY experiences, and what I've learned through MY OWN recovery. And YOU cannot take that away from me.

This is why I don't bother anymore trying to tell people I understand and have been addicted to food. People too often see others that have recovered from a mental problem whether it be an ED or depression or something else and think they couldn't possibly have had it as bad as them. It's frustrating. And I've been on that sude to where I think recovered people don't really understand

Good on you for getting past it. I know in the past I've done the "avoid trigger food" and if worked for a while. Now very recently I've started allowing myself to eat more every day instead of 1200 calories and it seems to be helping a lot

karendee4

For me I have the cake at a party but I know that it is a trigger for me so I have to be very careful after. I have to walk away and resist any more treats. Otherwise I might kjust keep going.

MavenMassage505

Good for you. What you will also notice is that you won't get the winter cold which is definitely linked to sugar consumption and processed food. Your immune sytem will improve day by day. Keep a journal and it can help figure out what triggers the cravings for those "not so good for you" type foods.

fataalic

Good for you. What you will also notice is that you won't get the winter cold which is definitely linked to sugar consumption and processed food. Your immune sytem will improve day by day. Keep a journal and it can help figure out what triggers the cravings for those "not so good for you" type foods.

Thanks. I learned something new.

So far so good. I do not have the cravings like I used to.

Today I went to the mall and the food at the food court smelled so good, especially the Great American Cookies.
I love their cheesecakes, but I resisted and walked past them. :happy:

fittofab34

So true I am just like you and started my detoxing yesterday! I am on Day 2 almost to day 3 and feel better already but if I eat one cookie, or sugary / carb thing I go back to that addiction and it goes on for weeks if not months. Sugar should be labled "drug" because it destroys peoples bodies and eventually if you eat enough of it and gain enough weight you will loose your life due to being so overweight and god only knows what other health problems will arise from it. Being healthy is hard but nothing is harder than laying sick in a bed not being able to move due to an illness or being overweight. So I am with you as well. I wish you well on your journey as mine has just begun I am open to any new friends for supporters.

PamPeekeMD

The point about how a diabetic learns to negotiate life without birthday cake is spot-on. For some people, the party is about the cake, not the celebration and that's what each of us who give up refined foods has to remember. This doesn't mean we eat food that isn't delicious, but we know that triggers usually lead to either relapse, regret, feeling physically awful or just the feeling that it wasn't worth it.

The fact is that it takes very little exposure to processed foods to do physical harm to the brain itself. Within three days of being placed on a high-fat diet, a rat’s hypothalamus (the area of the brain that responds to the hormones that signal hunger and satiety, pair and maternal bonding and certain social behavior) shows increased inflammation; within a week, researchers see evidence of permanent scarring and neuron injury in an area of the brain crucial for weight control. Brain scans of obese men and women show this exact pattern as well.

Worse, it's harder to kick high fat/high sugar foods because they involve many more neural pathways than even cocaine. Almost 90 percent of the dopamine receptors in the vental tegmental area (VTA) of the brain are activated in response to food cues. As the author of The Hunger Fix [TM] Solution, a holistic strategy and integrative plan for overeating and food addiction, I have first-hand experience in seeing how a program of foods high in dopamine- and serotonin-boosting chemicals, along with numerous brain-amping activities (from simple exercise to listening to music) can regrow those receptors and bring the confidence of fulfillment and health.

fataalic

The point about how a diabetic learns to negotiate life without birthday cake is spot-on. For some people, the party is about the cake, not the celebration and that's what each of us who give up refined foods has to remember. This doesn't mean we eat food that isn't delicious, but we know that triggers usually lead to either relapse, regret, feeling physically awful or just the feeling that it wasn't worth it.

The fact is that it takes very little exposure to processed foods to do physical harm to the brain itself. Within three days of being placed on a high-fat diet, a rat’s hypothalamus (the area of the brain that responds to the hormones that signal hunger and satiety, pair and maternal bonding and certain social behavior) shows increased inflammation; within a week, researchers see evidence of permanent scarring and neuron injury in an area of the brain crucial for weight control. Brain scans of obese men and women show this exact pattern as well.

Worse, it's harder to kick high fat/high sugar foods because they involve many more neural pathways than even cocaine. Almost 90 percent of the dopamine receptors in the vental tegmental area (VTA) of the brain are activated in response to food cues. As the author of The Hunger Fix [TM] Solution, a holistic strategy and integrative plan for overeating and food addiction, I have first-hand experience in seeing how a program of foods high in dopamine- and serotonin-boosting chemicals, along with numerous brain-amping activities (from simple exercise to listening to music) can regrow those receptors and bring the confidence of fulfillment and health.

Pam PeekeMD
I will definitely buy your book and read it.

msurles

Hi, I too am a food addict. I just want to thank everyone who has posted about this. I know that I am not alone and have people I can turn to that know what I am going through.