Can't stop eating - help?

Suzieq2004

This must be soo hard for you to live like this ! I bet feel on a roller coaster constantly looking to the next meal.?
I have never experienced this addiction but I have honestly been on the comfort drinking one.
I used to look at the clock once my little one was in bed to opening the bottle of chilled wine. Mentally my problem was , I felt sad and soooo missed my dad who died in April to cancer.

I can only suggest how You may try and stop this dreadful feeling.
Always have a small plate, fill it so u feel like your portion control is acceptable
Never shop when hungry, I ate the whole punned of tomatoes today before they even got to the fridge lol
Cook in the kitchen and eat in the dinning room, sit down enjoy ur food. Do shovel it in like your never gonna eat again , you will !!!!.
Put extra portions away immediately so you don't feel tempted to pick
Freeze everything ASAP
Don't make extra batches of food unless its soup
Chew chew chew and always put ur knife and fork down in between mouthfuls.
Drink loads of water .
BIn elastic waistbands and comfy joggers to eat in , they don't make you realise how you stomach is expanding.

Now even if you try one of these tips your making progress.
I went cold turkey with the wine as I used it as a comfort to,cope with the loss of my dad.
I replaced it with lipstick lol
Good luck you have posted this message so ur definitely ready to beat a this . Your worth more xxxxx

codagene

Rid your cabinets, fridge and pantry of carbs, sweets and pre-package foods. Fill your fridge with fresh veggies and some fresh fruit. I was told once that if you have time to over eat your not exercising. If you want the "full" feeling, start drinking water. Drink it until you are satisfied, you maybe dehydrated. Avoid going to places and socializing where food is present until you can get a handle on your issue. Oprah's famous words, " It's not what your eating but what is eating you"........YOU CAN DO IT!

Mother_Superior

I love food and I'm addicted to that overly-full feeling. As a result, I have an extra 50 pounds I don't have the self-control to shed. I've tried this calorie counting thing and it goes fine for a few days, but then I cheat and give up. I've read all kinds of weight loss books, but apparently I love to eat more than I'd love to be thin. I don't know how to want thinness enough to be motivated. Any recommendations?

The key is not to give up. You can't expect to undo habits immediately with 100% success. It's completely reasonable to occasionally fall, but it's unreasonable to let that keep you on the ground. It may happen over, and over again, but you have to keeping going back into the battle if you want to win. You might think that you love to eat more than you want to be thin, but the fact is, you're still here, and you're asking for help. That says that you do want it on some level. Embrace that, forgive yourself when you slip, and get back to your plan. Also make sure that your plan is sound. Moderate calorie deficit and consistent exercise. You'll get there.

nsnchz

I am the same way. When I first started, I couldn't find myself to "feel full" with the portion control, but that's because my mind was used to seeing over-filled plates. I started drinking a LOT more water, especially before eating, and using smaller plates to "trick" myself into thinking it was more than what it was. eventually I got used to the amount of food. The correct amount of food. Now I can't see myself eating like I used to with out busting buttons lol. Try and stay focused on your goal. When you start thinking about getting seconds, drink a glass of water or snack on some celery. Never go to the store hungry, that's a sure fire way to eating healthier lol. Best of luck!!

codagene

Rid your pantry, cabinets and fridge of all pre-package foods, extreme carbs and snacks. Snacking can become a habit, take away the problem. If you need the full feeling, start drinking the water. A lot of times we are dehydrated, drinking water will help fill you up and flush your body of toxins. Stay away from places, situations or events in which food is the main event. If you have time to eat or think about food, you are not exercising. When you pick up your exercise routine, you will not want to eat. So go pack your bags, take all that unhealthy food to a local food pantry or a neighbor with kids. You will be doing yourself and them a big favor! Good luck!

vidasana87

People attack me when I suggest this, but I'll put myself out there and take the hit. Sometimes, "self motivation" IS NOT enough!

I am by no means "fat", but I went through a horrible binge eating phase. I literally felt completely out of control. At my worst, I consumed over 4000 calories within about 5 hours. I could NOT stop myself once I started, and nothing mattered when I was in the "zone".

I gained weight very quickly. I was always about 123 and within a fairly short period of time, I went up to 140lbs. I felt uncomfortable in absolutely everything I wore, declined social invitations, and experienced some mild depression, because of the weight gain.

Then, my boss told me about the HcG diet. Here's where people will start blowing up this thread with how ridiculous the diet is. But try and hear me about. The HcG diet not only makes you lose weight (and fast), it changes your attitude about food. It changes your relationship with food. For as long as you are on the HcG diet, you are forced to eat when you are HUNGRY and stop when you are full. You always learn to become "okay" with mild feelings of hunger and learn to do other things to get past that uncomfortable feeling (i.e., drink a lot of water, keep busy, play sports, go for a walk..etc). You learn how to eat clean.

I did not do the Hcg that entails taking synthetic drops that quite frankly, are likely a waste of money. I did the actual protocol the "right" way, under a doctors supervision with pure HcG injections that I did myself, daily, at home.

My daily diet consisted of:

Breakfast: Black coffee, or tea

Lunch: 100g chicken breast
heaping plate full of cucumber or tomato
3/4 of an apple

Dinner: same as above

Tons of water

I dropped back to my normal weight within 13 days.

Yes- this is boring. This is not exciting, and you will feel hungry for the first three days or so. Suddenly however, the HcG kicks in and starts working (which kills your appetite completely) I'm not going to get into the mechanics of how HcG works, please research this yourself if you are interested. You then stop thinking about food, stop obsessing over food, and you know exactly what you are eating- you cant stray from it.

I know some people are going to start commenting that this is unhealthy, that you will go into "starvation mode", that you will gain all the weight back, that you can do things in a healthier way, etc etc etc. None of these were true for me. I have nothing ut amazing things to say about the HcG diet because it got me back to where I needed to be during a period of time where I was out of control. It made me stop dead in my tracks.

For those of you out there who feel OUT OF CONTROL and that your eating habits can't be changed through "self motivation" and reading inspirational memes, I advise you to do your reseach into this diet. ITS NOT FOR EVERYONE. But, it worked for me!

Use your own judgement, do your research, and be open minded.

Best of luck to you sweets and this is something you may want to consider, if you are truly desperate (I know how you feel- I've been there, in my own way!)

Uselessly_Irrelevant

I just wanted to share a couple of things I did to help combat that hunger feeling.

I was eating quite often because I felt hungry all the time, even if I just ate a half an hour earlier. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this, and it's probably not the healthiest thing in the world, but it worked to adjust my appetite. I fasted for 3 days, drinking only water. Whenever I was hungry, I'd drink the 20oz of water and (as silly as it sounds) I would audibly chastise my stomach when I felt hungry. After the fast, I started eating only raw vegetables. I gotta tell you, they tasted *amazing* and I actually felt full and not ridiculously hungry all the time. I feel like it did reset my appetite. I am slowly introducing other foods, but I'm only eating foods that I make so I know exactly what I'm eating.

So while I wouldn't recommend a fast, I would definitely recommend drinking a truly ridiculous amount of water and eating lots of raw veggies for fullness and hunger control.

LLG210

I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, and for that I apologize in advance. But it's the truth, because I came from a spot almost identical to yours. I still struggle with wanting to keep that over-full feeling, I absolutely hate being hungry.

But you have to want it BAD. You have to be FED UP with your current lifestyle and DESPERATE for a change. You have to want it so bad you can TASTE it, and you have to pump yourself up and OWN this new you.

Otherwise, you are just going to keep doing what you're doing. And if that's what you want right now, then do it. But just know that as soon as that mental switch gets flipped-- as soon as you make the decision to truly control your life-- you will be unstoppable.

This pretty much sums it up. It's definitely a lot more mental than physical. Start by just logging in your foods eveyday. Make sure Everything gets logged in accurately. Do this for a week or two so you can see how many calories you are really taking in. Take this time to seriously think about why/if you really want to change. When I saw the true calories I was taking in it was a great motivator. I knew then that I could make positive changes without completely altering how I lived. The great thing about MFP is that it's not a diet. I quickly learned I could eat what I want as long as the calories were correct.

Your next step is portion control. Have what you like, but have less of it. Work on getting your daily calories down to match what MFP is telling you. Don't worry about the always hungry feeling you mentioned by not eating all the time. After a short time your body adjusts and you'll find that was more of an "urge" feeling than actually being hungry. Try and plan out the day by thinking of what you want to eat for the day. You can have a big lunch/dinner but before you do, think about the calories you will have left for the day. If I'm going to have something bad for dinner I'll eat a light breakfast and lunch. Plannig ahead allows me to eat a high calorie "comfort food" while staying in my calorie range. It also satisfies that craving that can derail weight loss if ignored.

Once you start to get your calories in line you should start exercising. Start with small goals (walk 100 calories on a treadmill, taking stairs etc...) You'ff find that you will want to do more once you start. Increase your activity as you go. Not only will exercising make you healthier and more fit but it also allows more calories to be eaten every day so it's really a win all the way around.

Exactly! Its good to plan out your day! That has helped tremendously. I can look ahead to birthdays, special occasions, etc when I know I may be tempted to eat sweets or something out of "the norm." On those days then I can eat a lighter lunch or dinner and not have to sacrifice something that I really want. That can be a downfall for a lot of us. You immediately thinnk, "ok now I am dieting so I can't have anything I really want!" Its all about planning. I have found it so much easier when I plan ahead! I hope this helps! MFP is such an awesome community of folks with the same goals in mind. I continually read success stories and find myself encouraged!! Keep it up!!

milkydud85

your welcome looks like you got a lot of great feed back

Ramberta

I did not do the Hcg that entails taking synthetic drops that quite frankly, are likely a waste of money. I did the actual protocol the "right" way, under a doctors supervision with pure HcG injections that I did myself, daily, at home.

My daily diet consisted of:

Breakfast: Black coffee, or tea

Lunch: 100g chicken breast
heaping plate full of cucumber or tomato
3/4 of an apple

Dinner: same as above

Tons of water

I dropped back to my normal weight within 13 days.

Yes- this is boring. This is not exciting, and you will feel hungry for the first three days or so. Suddenly however, the HcG kicks in and starts working (which kills your appetite completely) I'm not going to get into the mechanics of how HcG works, please research this yourself if you are interested. You then stop thinking about food, stop obsessing over food, and you know exactly what you are eating- you cant stray from it.

"Many reputable doctors question if the 500-calorie-a-day diet used with HCG is the real reason for extreme weight loss, but Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of The Dr. Oz Show, says new data shows it's more than that.

"I am feeling more comfortable," he said. "I do feel there's still a lot we have to learn about why it works, but I've got to say it makes a difference to a lot of people, and it seems to very carefully allow you to lose weight without burning a lot of muscle."

After doing a show last year on the HCG diet, Dr. Oz challenged the physicians that prescribed HCG to do more research. That new data will be presented on The Dr. Oz Show Wednesday."

http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/Dr-Oz-changes-his-mind-about-the-HCG-diet--189907831.html

Nope, sorry, try again

MegSimmons7

Wow, thanks everyone! Sure appreciate all your thoughts & feedback. Very kind.

vidasana87

Sorry, I don't understand. Try what again?

I did not do the Hcg that entails taking synthetic drops that quite frankly, are likely a waste of money. I did the actual protocol the "right" way, under a doctors supervision with pure HcG injections that I did myself, daily, at home.

My daily diet consisted of:

Breakfast: Black coffee, or tea

Lunch: 100g chicken breast
heaping plate full of cucumber or tomato
3/4 of an apple

Dinner: same as above

Tons of water

I dropped back to my normal weight within 13 days.

Yes- this is boring. This is not exciting, and you will feel hungry for the first three days or so. Suddenly however, the HcG kicks in and starts working (which kills your appetite completely) I'm not going to get into the mechanics of how HcG works, please research this yourself if you are interested. You then stop thinking about food, stop obsessing over food, and you know exactly what you are eating- you cant stray from it.

"Many reputable doctors question if the 500-calorie-a-day diet used with HCG is the real reason for extreme weight loss, but Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of The Dr. Oz Show, says new data shows it's more than that.

"I am feeling more comfortable," he said. "I do feel there's still a lot we have to learn about why it works, but I've got to say it makes a difference to a lot of people, and it seems to very carefully allow you to lose weight without burning a lot of muscle."

After doing a show last year on the HCG diet, Dr. Oz challenged the physicians that prescribed HCG to do more research. That new data will be presented on The Dr. Oz Show Wednesday."

http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/Dr-Oz-changes-his-mind-about-the-HCG-diet--189907831.html

Nope, sorry, try again

vidasana87

"I'm not sold that this should be given to everybody," he added. "But we ought to be doing some big studies looking at HCG, because if you can give this an injection and help people lose a lot of weight quickly and help people reset where they are in life, you give them a running start at a much healthier existence."

Kind of reiterated what I said. It's NOT for everybody. But, hey, it works for some. And that's worth something! We're all here to share our thoughts and ideas.

shezzzzz

Don't hate on me. I'm sharing what I did, and not recommending anything to anyone.

I'm 41 and have been a compulsive eater since my teens. I was always scared of being hungry, so I did a lot of preemptive eating.

The idea of EVER skipping a meal panicked me. My life revolved around planning, and then eating, food.

I started reading about IF, and by delaying gradually how late in the morning I would eat, I reduced my eating so I was only eating for 4 hours in any day. I ate whatever I wanted. I did this for about 6-8 weeks. I lost some weight, but then plateaued.

It felt so good once food was not the focus of my existence. I proved to myself that my "full signal" wasn't broken, and that I didn't have to eat constantly to survive.

Now, I have an 8 hour eating window per day, I stay around 1700 calories, and am losing steadily. Some days I don't even feel like eating if I've been too busy (or whatever).

FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!! IF YOU DON'T DO SOMETHING THAT FITS IN YOUR LIFE, YOU WON' STICK WITH IT.

vidasana87

IF is a fantastic lifestyle. Im glad it's working for you too! It simply gave me freedom from food.

Don't hate on me. I'm sharing what I did, and not recommending anything to anyone.

I'm 41 and have been a compulsive eater since my teens. I was always scared of being hungry, so I did a lot of preemptive eating.

The idea of EVER skipping a meal panicked me. My life revolved around planning, and then eating, food.

I started reading about IF, and by delaying gradually how late in the morning I would eat, I reduced my eating so I was only eating for 4 hours in any day. I ate whatever I wanted. I did this for about 6-8 weeks. I lost some weight, but then plateaued.

It felt so good once food was not the focus of my existence. I proved to myself that my "full signal" wasn't broken, and that I didn't have to eat constantly to survive.

Now, I have an 8 hour eating window per day, I stay around 1700 calories, and am losing steadily. Some days I don't even feel like eating if I've been too busy (or whatever).

FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!! IF YOU DON'T DO SOMETHING THAT FITS IN YOUR LIFE, YOU WON' STICK WITH IT.

elyelyse

I absolutely am lacking in the fresh veggies and fruits department. Adding more fiber (fruits/veggies) would make me feel more full without the added fat and sugar you get in processed food. I will make a big effort to start eating more fresh stuff. Thank you!

this this this. for me, fresh fruits and veggies are the key for two reasons.

1) Yes, we can eat a ton of veggies and get that really full feeling. My dinners are usually huge, but the ingredients look something like: veggies, veggies, veggies, veggies, lean protein, little bit of cooking oil. It's typically only around 400 calories, but I can eat till I am full.

2) FOR ME good nutrition decreases hunger. Eating a variety of fruits and veggies ensures that I am getting the vitamins and minerals I need. I discovered early on in the process that when I get everything I need (protein, fat, carbs, & fiber, yes, but also vitamins, minerals, etc) I experience less hunger. I think we tend to see "hunger" as a sign that our bodies need calories and a full belly, but don't consider what else might be missing that we are truly craving. When I have a few days in a row of eating enough veggies and fruits, I'm less likely to go reaching for snacky things. I used to feel hungry all the time no matter how much I ate, it wasn't until I changed WHAT I was eating that the perpetual hunger subsided.

Siege_Tank

I'm like you, Hungry a lot, and I WANT that full feeling.

I can't stand eating small meals several times a day, it just whets my appetite. If you want to get that full feeling, you have to shorten your eating window. Structure your day to get what you want.

Like for me, I refrain from eating for most of the day, have a small lunch, and save most of my calories for one big belt buster meal.