Do I have an addiction to food? Yes.

I wish they had a rehab for food addicts because my relationship with food is VERY unhealthy...and I work at it every day to control it...

For those of you who have an addiction to food how do you deal with it?

There are groups that help with food addiction. Overeaters Anonymous is one, but a check of your local paper or an internet search would likely yield other groups or places that may help.

I have never tried any of these.

I had to change my way of thinking about food, and stop putting food into a "good" or "bad" category. It's hard to not associate food with feelings. It's taken me a decent amount of time before I can walk past the check out without grabbing a candy bar, or a bag of chips. I didn't even realize half the time that I was doing it, until I got into the car. You just have to be honest with yourself about why you're eating something. For a time, I kept a "food journal" separate from where I would log. I'd write down how I was feeling when I ate something, if there was an extreme emotion, if I was really hungry, etc. It was sad, and hard to go back and read somethings I wrote. It's definitely helped me get an idea of how I associate food.

I went to OA for a while. It is important to find the right group. My group didn't fit me, but I learned the principles and found my own way to apply them.

I would suggest that you get a juicer (sometimes you can find them in thrift stores if you can't afford a new one) and juice some veggies. Mix sweeter ones, like carrots and beets, with greens, and add some apple if you need help with the flavor. Or buy some wheat grass powder and mix that with juice. When I did that, I found the cravings for junk food (sweets and savory alike) disappeared.

Hi,i could of written that, thats exactly my relationship with food. Its still a fighting battle for me. xx

Unlike the other addictions, you still need food, so I feel ya, it's hard! You're in a great place to find recovery though! I do recommend you record your foods diligently, and start being proud of the good choices you DO make. This has helped me identify my weaknesses and save up my willpower specifically for those times(for example, visiting Rite Aid right after work when I'm hungry, and seeing the shelves of chocolate, is BAD idea). Best of luck to you! Oh, and if you really do feel like it's out of control, a good mental health professional and nutritionist combo can help you. Many people can make the changes they need to on their own, but some can't, and I don't want to belittle your predicament.

IMHO, any sort of brain-rewiring takes time, and more importantly, non-reinforcement. In this case, it means disassociating food with comfort, but also disassociating food with guilt (which then makes you want to feel comforted).

I have no doubts that there are a multitude of ways to accomplish this, but I'll share my (accidental and potentially controversial) discovery that I made a few years back.

I've always been a junk food addict, especially sweets. They were yummy, a good distraction from boredom, and a good distraction from bad feelings. About 3-4 years ago, I took ephedrine/caffeine for almost a year to lose weight, and while I knew that it primarily worked through appetite suppression, I didn't expect it to cure my food addiction. The appetite suppression effect was sometimes so powerful that thinking about food made me feel slightly queasy. I would lose an appetite for everything, including junky, sugary food. A year later, I realized it was starting to make me feel sick (possibly adrenal fatigue, since I didn't take too many breaks?), and stopped. The sugar cravings never came back -- although I still enjoy chips and salty-fatty snack foods (and actually crave them more for ~1 week after I eat some).

First, they say that sugar is like a drug, and that you need to spend some time not eating it and "detoxing" from it before the cravings go away. Second, I think that anything we eat or do or whatever that gives us good feelings will produce some level of cravings temporarily -- it makes sense, our brain remembers that it made us feel good. Once it "forgets", it all becomes much easier. I think that's basically what happened to me.

You're exactly right - food can be an addiction for some people. Unlike drugs, alcohol and tobacco though, you can't just quit cold turkey - you HAVE to eat! I am an overeater and it's a constant battle to fight the desire for certain trigger foods that will derail me from my plan and it's a struggle to try to understand the underlying reasons for my overeating so that I can stop it before it starts. MFP helps a lot with the planning and I use various resources for daily motivation to stay focused on eating healthy - books, blogs & friends.

Seeing a therapist that specializes in your particular eating disorder helps. Check with your medical insurance to see what they cover in the way of mental health care. If you don't have health care, then be diligent in eating nutrient dense food (get the most nutrition out of what you are eating), counting your calories and exercising daily. Use MFP like your life depends on it, because ultimately, it does.

I eat it all the time and I'm so ashamed. :blushing:

Seriously................I'm feelin ya

It would be easier if we did have an addiction to something like that. Those you can live forever with out them but food. You have to have everyday!!!!! It's so much more then just saying no

From the OA website http://www.oa.org/newcomers/is-oa-for-you/


Are You a Compulsive Overeater?

Now that you have found Overeaters Anonymous, you may want to make sure our program is right for you. Many of us have found it useful to answer the following questions to help determine if we have a problem with compulsive eating.

Do I eat when I’m not hungry, or not eat when my body needs nourishment?
Do I go on eating binges for no apparent reason, sometimes eating until I’m stuffed or even feel sick?
Do I have feelings of guilt, shame or embarrassment about my weight or the way I eat?
Do I eat sensibly in front of others and then make up for it when I am alone?
Is my eating affecting my health or the way I live my life?
When my emotions are intense—whether positive or negative—do I find myself reaching for food?
Do my eating behaviors make me or others unhappy?
Have I ever used laxatives, vomiting, diuretics, excessive exercise, diet pills, shots or other medical interventions (including surgery) to try to control my weight?
Do I fast or severely restrict my food intake to control my weight?
Do I fantasize about how much better life would be if I were a different size or weight?
Do I need to chew or have something in my mouth all the time: food, gum, mints, candies or beverages?
Have I ever eaten food that is burned, frozen or spoiled; from containers in the grocery store; or out of the garbage?
Are there certain foods I can’t stop eating after having the first bite?
Have I lost weight with a diet or “period of control” only to be followed by bouts of uncontrolled eating and/or weight gain?
Do I spend too much time thinking about food, arguing with myself about whether or what to eat, planning the next diet or exercise cure, or counting calories?

Have you answered “yes” to several of these questions? If so, it is possible that you have, or are well on your way to having, a compulsive eating or overeating problem.

We have found that the way to arrest this progressive disease is to practice the Twelve-Step recovery program of Overeaters Anonymous. Overeaters Anonymous is a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive overeating and to carry this message of recovery to those who still suffer.

Is OA for You?

Only you can decide that question. No one else can make this decision for you. We who are now in OA have found a way of life which enables us to live without the need for excess food. We believe that compulsive eating is a progressive illness, one that, like alcoholism and some other illnesses, can be arrested. Remember, there is no shame in admitting you have a problem; the most important thing is to do something about it.

I did feel like I was addicted to food when I was starting to control my eating, it consumed my thoughts. The thing is, I let myself eat the bad stuff, but just controlled portioning. And chose not to bring home pre-made, easily accessible bad food. If I want bad food, I need to cook it myself or bake it. But of course would still allow myself to eat out once or twice a week. But I made sure I was accountable for the food I ate, not hiding it away ashamed.

Exercising allows me to eat bad every so often so i'm still losing weight. If you're like me, you just have to get over that hump of "feeling" addicted to the food, once you have it under control, it doesn't control you anymore. Just know that you can have bad food whenever you want, it's not unattainable and you won't feel like you have to overindulge every time bad food is nearby.

And learn to cook the food you love so you can control what goes into your body and don't feel you have to buy something pre-made to satisfy you.

Hope that helps.

Although I was addicted to a pattern of stuffing myself to the point of misery and hating myself for it (surprisingly comforting), I don't think I was addicted to food in and of itself.

I have been attending Celebrate Recovery for my food addiction. It's a recovery program for anyone struggling with hurts, hang ups, and habits of any kind. You can do an online search to see if there's one near you. It has really helped me get a handle on the emotional aspects behind my food issues. Like how I binge for comfort and starve as punishment. I've really make a lot of progress. I'm using MFP as a way to journal and hold myself accountable.