Food addiction

maitredepoubelle · December 2012

Does anyone here have experience of food addiction? If so, you may be interested in reading a book by Susan McQuillan called Breaking the Bonds of Food Addiction. I've been reading it this week and it has been something of a revelation.

I have often wondered if my attutitude to food could be described as an addiction, rather than a weakness, lack of will power, greed etc and though I have been slow to come to this conclusion, i hope that having now recognised an addiction will help me to recover.

Like others here I have been dieting all my life - since I was 12 and I'm 45 now. Each attempt has ended with failure (as a look at my sporadic completion of my food diary here will testify). I'm currently a member of Slimming World and am 1/2 a pound heavier that I was this time last year having lost and regained more that 3 stone. This is the story of my life.

But now, I'd really like to do something about it so that the rest of my forties can be the time when I get to grips with food, my mind and my body.

I wonder if any of you have had experience of food addiction and recovery from it? Your thoughts, feelings and ideas would be very welcome.

econut2000 · December 2012

Thank you for recommending that book. I'm fairly certain that I fall into the category of food addict and I too would be interested in what others have to say on the topic.

kerrymh · December 2012

I'm a food addict, go to OA, that is my way to cope with it.
Also just saw Hungry for Change on netflix which was great.

OA is like AA, 12 step program, I have been binge free for alittle over 3 years.
Its a great place to go where people understand you. Its not focused on wt..but on why we are compulsive in our thinking and reacting. Giving people a new way to live. I love it. I'm not perfect by any means and I don't have to be. But each day with out chips...I'm thankful.

maitredepoubelle · December 2012

Thanks for sharing that - I had heard of OA do they operate in the UK? Sounds like you've made really good progress.

kerrymh · December 2012

yes its world wide, check out oa.org and it will give you a list of meetings close to you, also online and telephone meetings.

notenoughspeed · December 2012

I guess I am one of the lucky ones. Once I got here, and started to monitor my food intake, it was an immediate change. Someone once asked me what I used to eat calorie wise. I told him I don't know since day 1, I ate what the standard macro told me to eat, and haven't gone back to the old ways. I used to overeat. I don't anymore. If I have a high calorie day, I try to balance out the calories over the week. I am in control of what I put in my body. Excellent find though. Thanks for the info.

sunnyside1213 · December 2012

Remember it is a life style change, not a diet.

lauriem1966 · December 2012

I feel like I could have written your post. I don't know if I have food addiction but I've recently realized I'm a binge eater. When i was 12 or 13 I binged and purged but the purging was really hard so I switched to laxatives....I stopped by the time I was 15 because I realized it was not normal. Never could kick the bingeing though....I have a really normal, healthy diet most weeks and then BAM, something happens and I go on a binge, and I can't get back to normal for weeks, sometimes months. I'm trying to summon up the guts to see a therapist but its easier to type out, anonymously right now, that to talk face to face.

I've read a few books myself, didn't find them helpful, but I'm starting to re-read them because maybe I wasn't in the right place the first time. Both are by Debbie Danowski..."Why Can't I Stop Eating" and "The Emotional Eater's Book of Inspiration".

I have a friend who is in recovery from bulimia and she recommended i journal everyday, how I'm feeling, what I'm eating, etc in the meantime because it will be helpful the next time I go off the rails to find the triggers.

Also going to check out OA.

Amberonamission · December 2012

I am a food addict. I fight it in the same way I have fought all of my addictions... By giving myself zero tolerance for going back. In the last 2 years I have given up my addictions (in order) to; alcohol, swisher sweets, pot, laziness, and now food (or binging), Next and last will be caffeine. It has been an interesting process.

The one thing I will say about living with out addictions is that I had no idea I was supposed to feel this good naturally. I've been trying to create the sensation of "feeling good" since I was a kid. I never knew that people just felt that way.

karensmith786 · December 2012

I too went to slimmimg world and weighed a pound more after 2 years than when i started so you are not alone
this for me is a revelation it keeps a check on you on a daily basis not once a week - this week was the first time in ages that i didnt binge after getting weighed at fat club - because i know i have to still get weighed day after on this diet
i have been at weight watchers since june of this year and even though i have lost 1 stone 9 so far i was stuck and had been for 4 weeks on trot - so as you can imagine very disheartened
then a fortnight ago a friend told me about this app - well to say i was enthralled was an understatement - i sat and read all about it on sunday afternoon then monday morning gave notice at weight watchers to end my membership - i am so convinced this is going to work - plus £6 a week better off
me and my son have been on this now for 12 days he has lost 4 and i have lost 6lb brill - he had been stuck for a month aswell
the best thing about this diet is you can eat what you want but when your calories are up thats it
not rocket science really back to good old fashion calorie counting - the way it was before all these fancy plans
so good luck and hope you keep with it
karensmith786

Food addiction

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