Food Addiction/Obsession

Hi
I have been treating myself with something nice like chocolate whenever i have plenty of calories left so if i am really good i know that i can eat something yummy and it keeps me on track knowing i can still eat unhealthy things sometimes but not all of the time!

It's super hard...it's like coming off crystal meth.....however it's all around you and legal

I've gone through night sweats over food, seriously like detox'd off fast food...and had dreams about food and the list goes on and on.

I cant believe this, Have you ever came off of meth? or even watched a person detox off alcohol or heroin? Not eating a fast food or chocolate will not physically kill you. But coming off certain drugs can. Apples and monkeys

Yes I've come off meth, yes I am very familiar with addiction in both my personal and my professional life. That was not the point of what I was saying however. Food addiction is very fatal...people gorge themselves to poor health and die.....and you need food to survive. I lived off fast food and was killing myself slowly...I had physical withdrawal symptoms....I related it to my meth addiction.
The point is food addiction is very real to some people. To the person who posted this and to those who understand or go through it, it's a real addiction.

im so glad im not the only who feel this way about food - its actually quite depressing and its got to the stage now where i feel guilty about every single thing i eat, going to try the water thing and look at some of the books mentioned than you so much! xx

I have been where you are. Here's what helped me.

I know this sounds simple, but it's not. You have to learn to say "NO" to yourself. Your will power and self control are muscles, and the more you exercise them, the stronger they get. The first time I didn't eat what I wanted when I wanted, it was literally painful. I wanted it SO bad, and it was more difficult than someone who hasn't been here can imagine.

For the first month, I didn't eat any sugar whatsoever. I avoided high carb foods like bread and potatoes. Like others mentioned, within two weeks, my cravings were totally gone. Getting through those first two weeks was difficult, but I'm so glad I was tough on myself. I've worked sugar and bread back into my diet, but I have absolutely no desire to go buy a candy bar. If I feel like I'm dealing with cravings, I'll cut sugar and bread out again for a few days. It helps.

Remember, if you don't do this for yourself, noone else can do it for you. If you don't do it now, you may never do it. The more days you eat 1400 calories over, the more weeks you gain a pound or two.

You can so do this. If I can do it, ANYONE can do it.

I know the simple answer is "just don't eat."

The simple answer isn't always the right one. You have to make a plan about what you're going to do when this happens, understanding that no matter how good the idea, you're going to resist doing it when the craving hits.

Get up.
Dance.
Take a walk.
Call someone.
Post on the forum.

Distract yourself.

And to the extent possible, remove any problematic food from your home, and never bring it into your home. If you really must have something, make yourself go out and buy it, eat it outside, and try to eat a reasonable portion.

You have to learn to say "NO" to yourself. Your will power and self control are muscles, and the more you exercise them, the stronger they get.

True, but there's also a theory that will power and self control are limited. The better course is for us to avoid situations in which we have to tap our small supply. Few people can achieve difficult goals by constantly feeling they have to will themselves to action.

I struggle with the same issues with being bored or excited about food. I am also a stress eater. Being tired, overly hungry or stressed are my "weak times". Finding what triggers yours is truly the key. Here are some random tips that has helped me.

1. You might not be eating enough. Find out what your tdee is and set that as your daily calorie goal. It is sooo much easier to aim for that count and create a deficit through exercise or diet. You can see how much "in the green" you are at the end of the week and calculate how much you should have lost.

2. A calorie is not just a calorie but the basic idea is that it takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat. So, thats -500 calories a day for 7 days to lose 1lb a week.

3. Do not eat fast food. Watch the documentaries Food, Inc and King corn and that should help deter you. I haven't eaten McDonalds in at least 5 years.

4. Give yourself a friggen break. This is not a war, this is about finding a balanced diet. If you cut out whole food groups-even the fat and sugar ones will throw your body off. If you cant live without it for the rest of your life, do not cut it out now. Let me repeat. Do not cut it out now. Once a week, have a dessert and go out to eat and eat w/e you want.

5. If you eating high cals foods/high sugar/high fat type foods all the time, it will send your blood sugar on a rollercoaster. Which makes you eat because your hungry then you hungry because you eat. Eat square.

6. Exercise. Its not just about losing weight, its about keeping it off. It will also happen faster then just dieting. Also, I have found that people who exercise are much smaller then people who dont even when they are at the are at the same weight and height. I got a lot of crap for this from some girls on here but I at 207lbs, 5'7 and I am in a 12 jean. They complained that at 5'7 when they were 170 lbs they were in a size 16 jean. At that weight, I will be in a 6-8 jean. I exercise 6 days a week 2-3 hours a day, that's why I am smaller. I hope that didn't come off as snotty but I worked my butt off for it so yeah, I'm proud as he.. and I deserve it. Get up off of that thing...;) hehe

7. The scale: nothing. Take pics-even if you don't show anyone and measure yourself weekly/monthly. I used to go through periods where I wouldn't lose weight for a month but I would lose inches. Then Id lose weight and no inches. The body is weird like that.

I hope that helps

I have/had this problem. I made a whole list of things I can do instead of eat. Yoga, read, walk my dog, teach him something new, go on Facebook, Pinterest, here. Draw, take a walk, take a bath, take a hot shower. Whatever applies to you!

I also allow myself to have some of those items I would get really excited about- like when I went to Trader Joe's (it's an hour from here) and got my favorite chocolate bar from them the other day- I HAD to have some. I just limit the amount I eat and be conscious of it.

If you indeed have a food addiction/obsession, or are an 'emotional eater' (and it sounds like you do/are) you would benefit greatly from joining a support group, either in your local area or online (www.therecoverygroup.org). While not a food addict, I am a recovering alcoholic, and used therecoverygroup.org to help me with my step work. Reading their stories, I can TOTALLY relate to what they went through. All I needed to do was substitute "alcohol" anywhere they had "food". The behavior patterns of the alcoholic are almost exactly the same as those of someone with an eating disorder / food addiction. Yes, it IS an addiction, just like alcohol.

You have taken the first baby step by admitting that you might have a problem. Please consider getting help from an available support group, either locally or online. Please feel free to add me as a friend / message me if you have any questions.

FTR, I am just over 1 year sober, and loving life.

Peace be with you and may God bless you.

It's super hard...it's like coming off crystal meth.....however it's all around you and legal

I've gone through night sweats over food, seriously like detox'd off fast food...and had dreams about food and the list goes on and on.

I cant believe this, Have you ever came off of meth? or even watched a person detox off alcohol or heroin? Not eating a fast food or chocolate will not physically kill you. But coming off certain drugs can. Apples and monkeys
[/quote]

Yes I've come off meth, yes I am very familiar with addiction in both my personal and my professional life. That was not the point of what I was saying however. Food addiction is very fatal...people gorge themselves to poor health and die.....and you need food to survive. I lived off fast food and was killing myself slowly...I had physical withdrawal symptoms....I related it to my meth addiction.
The point is food addiction is very real to some people. To the person who posted this and to those who understand or go through it, it's a real addiction.

Thank you for responding to him so I did not have to. Just because YOU are not going through/have gone through something, does not mean it's not real, or someone cannot suffer in an extreme/painful way.

I am recovering from an extreme food addiction. 2 years ago I woke up, looked at my husband and said "I quit smoking" and I have not had 1 ciggerette since then. (I was a pack a day smoker for 15 years) I used no drugs, patches, nothing. Cold Turkey. With the success rates stacked against me, I conqured it.

I never thought I would say this or hear it said, but I would rather quit smoking 10 times over then to have to go through this food addiction/recovery. It is VERY real. And very hard. Far from "apples and monkeys" Apples and bananas maybe. Different, yes but still a very real addiction with a painful recovery.

I too am an emotional eater. I tried eliminating food from my diet and totally failed! When i'm on that roller coaster, I eat 100 calories of whatever it is that i'm craving followed by a glass of water. I've found that a small amount on the tongue satisfies the caving and the water after makes it blah so that i don't want any more (think water and chocolate cake). I've also found that eating light snacks ( for some reason, I love prunes and slimfast snacks) every 2.5 to 3 hours helps. If all else fails, keep trying!!!! Good luck!!!

can anyone suggest an alternative with rice?

are crackers better? or i might have to choose bread?

Side plates make portions appear bigger too

and you're making a great start being here!

First off stop telling yourself it's hard, tell yourself it's easy and you can do this! Teach yourself what it feels to be hungry I suggest waiting a bit longer in between meals so you know the difference between hunger and non hunger also drink more hunger I dinf that if I'm really thirsty I eat a-lot more than I should.

Furthermore, stop over thinking about food when I used to binge I forget about it and start over

I think I have a food obsession. I think about food most of the day. Last night, I spent AN HOUR literally lying there thinking about what food I want to eat and when can I eat it. "Birthday is in 3 weeks, so your birthday dinner can be that pasta."

And then, I started going down a not so great path that I KNOW is wrong, but I do it anyway. See, I get weighed every Tuesday. So the few days before, if I know I won't have lost any weight before weigh-in, I will ATTEMPT to starve-which is stupid and leads me to binge eating, but not crazy super unhealthy binges, just small ones, but they still make me feel guilty. Twice I have used a super powerful laxative, which I know doesn't make you lose actual weight, but it makes me feel empty and lighter and FEEL thinner. When I am working out, I'm thinking "there goes the juice I had and there goes the salad, etc." I know these are things ED people do, but I don't think I have one because I feel like it is a choice I am making, not something I HAVE to do, if that makes sense.

The thing is, I don't eat super unhealthy. Most of the time, my eating is not like what I mention above. It is healthy and normal. I don't really have a problem of eating when I am bored. My breakfast is viewed purely as energy to help me have a good workout and day. However, one cheat meal and not only do I feel guilty, but I gain weight SUPER easily- and that fact gives me anxiety. I fear I'll have to be super strict with my food forever, that I'll never get to eat the foods I really enjoy AND be my ideal weight. Like, I have to choose between the two or spend my entire day at the gym to even things out.

I am just confused. Anyone have any guidance or face a similar situation?