Withdrawl

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MrsBrosco
MrsBrosco Posts: 295
in Health and Weight Loss
I am coming off of a couple week binger. Just an example of how bad I have been: My husband says to me last night, "Where is the ice cream?" I then have to tell him that the ice cream I bought on Thursday of last week has been gone since Friday afternoon :embarassed: . He then says, "I didn't get any ice cream and only 3 cookies!" Yes, this is how bad I was last week. I ate an entire tub of Moose Tracks ice cream and all but 3 chewy Chips Ahoy cookies. Imagine my embarassment as my husband (145lbs) calls me out on this. Now normaly my husband is beyond supportive but he was a little blown away by my lack of self control, as am I.
I put my foot down as of Saturday night and began my "journey" again as of yesterday. Here is where Withdrawl comes into play.

Last night my husband and I are sitting on the couch playing with our 1 year old. He asks the "ice cream" question and I get embarassed, we get past the subject and things are good.
THEN ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS ICE-CREAM!!!! I asked if we could go to the ice cream store, he said No, no money for it. I asked if we could use the credit card, again, NO. I became a lunatic in my own head! It was terrible. Literally all i could do was think about ice cream (soft serve vanilla with hot fudge and peanut butter with peanut butter cups, whip cream and a cherry). My husband asked many times what was wrong before I finaly told him, "I am going through junk food withdrawl worse than I do when I try to quit smoking." He asked if I wanted him to make me a glass of chocolate milk and it was like he punched me in the face! I was so angry that he would suggest something so low in calories when all i wanted was to bury myself in ice cream or chocolate chip cookies or candy bars. It took everything in me to not blow my top. It was terrible and i'm so embarassed just thinking about my thoughts last night.

Has anyone else experienced this? Where the withdrawl is so bad that it sends you into a furry where you are rude to your own family?? I have never felt worse, and he is so fantastic for sticking with me through this (unfortunately this is not the first junk-food withdrawl for me).
If so, what do you do to get through it?? And please, dont say go for a walk because excersising is the last thing on my brain when i'm in this mood. I truly hope that I will not go through this again for a long time. I really do need to learn to control my binging.
Thanks for any advice:heart:

Replies

  • RuthWorth
    RuthWorth Posts: 31 Member
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    Sounds like me and if you find the anwer, please share with me.
  • ashlee954
    ashlee954 Posts: 1,112 Member
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    Sugar cravings are killer! When I have 'em I chew gum, eat a piece of fruit, eat a vita-muffin (many flavors including several chocolate ones), or even dring a diet soda.
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
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    My Boyfriend and I were both going through withdrawl my first week. And boy did we argue. I'm big on substitutions. If I won't eat ice cream... I leave 40 calorie fudgesicles in my freezer. If I even have the slightest desire for ice cream, I eat a fudgesicle... because it's only 40 calories. Eventually I know I will crave ice cream too much and give in (like last week when there was an ice cream truck at week). But for the most part substitutions ahead of time keep me from ever REALLY craving something.
  • balfonso
    balfonso Posts: 370 Member
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    I used to have lots of binge moments before MFP, BUT, funnily enough, I blew my top a few weeks ago at my other half for eating the entire bar of chocolate I had been saving for "craving moments" such as THAT particular moment in time! He didn't even leave me a piece! I rarely have outbursts like that, and it was rather embarrassing but you just don't take a woman's bar of chocolate! :sad:
    Mind you, that day I didn't really eat much as I would usually do, so perhaps it had something to do with it, not to mention that I was due for another depot injection so the hormones were a bit nuts even though I've been taking Primrose Oil daily to soothe the moodswings.
    Anyhow, it was simply replaced with another bar of chocolate an hour later. Happy bunny, but felt guilty after. :embarassed:

    Since then, I've promised myself never to get like that again. :smile: SO, I make sure I'm eating little and often every 3-4hrs so I don't crave or get hungry very easily. If I fancy a bit of chocolate, then I'll have a piece. A small piece to satisfy the crave.

    [And I don't think my other half will eat my bar of chocolate again] - at least share! :wink:
  • mum1970
    mum1970 Posts: 5 Member
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    I have the same problem except it's with meat. I've never been a "sweets" guy so it is no problem to do without the sugar but when I go too long without meat my wife tells me I turn into an angry bear. Thats when she tells me to go get a steak or something. Meat is so many calories it puts me over my limit fast which in turn makes me feel guilty. Btw, as I write this I am sitting over a plate of hot Italian sausage with peppers and onions. Gym time is now on my agenda for today. Don't beat yourself up over the cravings, they are natural. Just try to struggle through it and good luck!
  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
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    "He asked if I wanted him to make me a glass of chocolate milk and it was like he punched me in the face! I was so angry that he would suggest something so low in calories when all i wanted was to bury myself in ice cream or chocolate chip cookies or candy bars."

    this made me LOL. I think we have all been there before, but that chocolate mild idea was actually a pretty good one. :)
  • Clew
    Clew Posts: 910 Member
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    Dieting is really tough. I echo a lot of the suggestions here, such as keeping fudgecicles handy - Sounds like you do have a hefty sweets addiction though! I go through the same thing with salty snacks. Sometimes I'd just kill anyone who'd get between me and a can of Pringles. It's taken me a long time to train myself to remember it's only chips, I can make it a day without them. And one day at a time is all I need to worry about. :) Good luck, hun xoxo
  • joyfulmommaof2
    joyfulmommaof2 Posts: 95 Member
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    I completely understand how you feel! When I first started this program I had massive cravings.... all I could think about was eating junk... and it would be all day... especially at night. I still get those cravings and it gets really bad I want to chew my husband's head off... he can eat anything and not gain anything! I have found... that gum or tea helps me. Gum mostly. It may be the last thing you want but fruit helps too. oh, and I also keep hot chocolate in the house, I will make it with almond milk and it's rich and satisfying but not a whole lot of calories or I will keep the 100 calorie pack of Mr salty chocolate covered pretzels. Also, the vita muffins in deep chocolate are yummy! Oh and I eat the litehouse chocolate single packs to put on strawberries or any fruit. That's good too. I am mostly a chocolate or ice cream craver. Weight watchers has an ice cream pack that is like the drumsticks... and those are so delish!! HTH!
  • moosenbratsmommy
    moosenbratsmommy Posts: 170
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    i was like that for a couple weeks when i gave up sweets- but i found alternatives! i like to drink sugar free hawaiian punch drink mix in my water and the purple one is VERY sweet, so i drink that and i'm good... well, i guess that's just one alternative, huh... but thats what i do. it kills my sweet tooth instantly!
  • ivyjbres
    ivyjbres Posts: 612 Member
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    I'm have chronic depression; I've never had that response to food cravings, cause I can have that response to "did you check the mail?" But my philosophy on cravings, your body tells you what it needs, so there's nothing wrong with satisfying a craving as long as you don't overdo it. With chocolate or ice cream, I buy super premium high quality stuff rather than the cheap stuff. I've found that the richer the food, the less I need of it. So a dark chocolate truffle from a specialty shop I find a lot more satisfying than a stack of hershey bars. Before I figured this out, I could eat candy all day and never be satisfied, now 1 truffle and I'm good. Maybe 2 or 3 if its TOM.
  • kerrymh
    kerrymh Posts: 912 Member
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    oh the wonderful world of food addiction. very classic. I Have very similar reactions to junk food/fast food and I've gotten over them with rare moments of cravings but I definitely know what those thoughts are like its nuts...but there are ways to control it..I know many find groups like OA helpful and free. If you're interested look up oa.org
  • shari253
    shari253 Posts: 202
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    Oh man, I have been there! My family would get so mad at me for eating all the treats. Then we went to separate snack cupboards so theirs could remain "safe" from me, with a strict no stealing rule. Well, I would obsess about their snacks that remained in the house for DAYS when mine were gone in hours, lol! Then I would beg, negotiate, trade services or privleges for snacks, etc. So humiliating!

    I think my all time low was when my husband and i were on a thing where we would eat 1/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips a day "for our health," and I finished off the bag (probably over a cup's worth). He was so mad when he went to get his little 1/4 cup and they were gone. We had a big fight! I got so mad I drove to Costco and bought him four huge 5 lb bags of chocolate chips thinking that would embarrass him for being so "selfish." Haha, it didn't embarrass him at all, he was quite pleased to have a huge stash that I couldn't go through in two days, lol!

    Another low for me was going to a shower and having a piece of cake, then wanting another piece so bad I couldn't think of anything else. So I had seconds, what's the big deal, right? Not too bad, even though no one else had a second piece of cake. But then I was still really obsessed and wanted 3rds. So I snuck into the person's kitchen and cut myself a 3rd piece and was hiding in there eating it while the presents were being opened, and i got caugh by the hostess!! She was so surprised she laughed nervously and blurted out "How many pieces of cake are you eating!?" Then she cut me a huge piece to take home and insisted I take it. I was like, "Oh, ok, for my husband and son..." but then I ate it all! Oh boy!

    There are lots more stories, lol.

    So what is working for me now? The main thing is to keep my addiction foods out of the house. I openly confessed to DH I'm an addict, so don't have it in the house, just like if I were an alcoholic you wouldn't have booze in the house. For me that means no ice cream, pastries, chocolate or desserts in the house. I only eat them if I go out for them. He is ok with that since he mostly likes salty snacks and they don't tempt me.

    The good news is that once you go a while without sweets, you really do lose the cravings. I am no longer obsessed with sweets, but I stay really careful around them.

    Good luck!

    Shari.
  • dumb_blondes_rock
    dumb_blondes_rock Posts: 1,568 Member
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    Oh man...my poor dad has to suffer through my food craziness.....if he brings icecream home i FREAK OUT.....because I KNOW that I will eat the whole thing within 2 days....its bad....so those things are NOT allowed in the house! M y suggestion would be to go to mcdonalds and get a vanilla cone...I know that its not covered in all the deliciousness that you want, but its like a dollar, and only has 1 gram of fat and 150 calories. A nutritionist told my friend that if she was craving bad sweets to opt out for mcdonalds icecream. Or buy weight watchers icecream and promise yourself you will only eat ONE a day....and if you eat more, the next day you are not allowed ANY as your punishment.Some people would disagree and say you shouldn't evne indulge at all, but when you are that addicted, you need to ween yourself off and learn to curb your cravings. Then you can move to a snack every other day....then jsut on the weekends....then you learn to indulge just at special events or occasions.
  • MrsBrosco
    MrsBrosco Posts: 295
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    Thanks everyone for your kind words and inspiring stories. It helps to know that i'm not the only one that goes through this :)
  • uf353432
    uf353432 Posts: 8
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    I think about 3 weeks into the Slimming World plan I got withdrawels, big time. Moody, lethargic, headaches, cravings really bad. But my resolve was strong and it last just over a week - but once I had detoxed I don't seem to crave the high sat foods anymore. I agree having a little of what you fancy does you good 'after' you have completed the withdrawels. Its fine to have a stash of low cal options - but when you really want icecream or chocolate - really you should have it. You may end up consuming more calories by eating through your low cal options - and then when you finally give into the craving you are already in binge mode and eat way more that you ever intended. Personally I now adopt the approach that if I can afford to eat x number of calories of say chocolate then I go ahead an have 'some' thats the key having some and not all. Its ok to have some and leave some for another day. If someone takes it, its really no big deal the shops have more.

    Someone once told me a great analagy to help in such time. Imagine you had been given 21 red roses by your partner as a special treat. When putting them in a vase you notice one of the roses is past its best - so do you discard just the rose thats gone bad - or do you throw all the roses in the bin? Of course you will only bin the bad one. The 21 red roses are the 3 meals a day for your week - that one bad rose is one meal - there are 20 more wonderful roses left to apreciate and enjoy. Don't let one bad meal or indulgence ruin the rest of what is a beautiful week :)
  • suzii32
    suzii32 Posts: 26
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    The same thing happens to me!!! I can't believe how bad it feels, it's like I'm temporarily a crack addict! Seriously, I chew bubble gum( bad for your teeth, but gives you enough sweetness to help pass the craving). I also buy fudgcicles, only 100 calories, and they're so close to ice cream. Hope this helps a little!!
  • flannan
    flannan Posts: 45 Member
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    I hear you all! I used to joke that I was a sweets addict...til I actually tried to stop. It's no joke. I am typically an analytical, logical, reasonable person; when it comes to sugar snacks it's like a can't control my own mind.
    I start off telling myself I dont need it, but then all the stinkin' thinkin' starts (which is second nature to AA or NA's)and i can pretty much justify myself into eating anything.

    It makes me feel better to know so many of you are struggling the same.

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