Addicted to food.. really.

Okay, so I can exercise like nobody's business. I like to work out actually, but I also like to eat... a lot... Not because I'm hungry, not because I'm thirsty, not because I'm craving anything in particular... I just do, and I don't know why. I always start the day doing pretty well. I have to eat and snack pretty regularly due to blood sugar issues and borderline diabetic issues, so even eating healthy snacks, I pretty much use up my alotted calories by dinner time. But then, I just keep eating. And it seems like later in the evening I give over to eating the things I shouldn't and end up doubling my intake for the day, ruining all my hard work after exercising and just feeling ashamed. I don't know why I do it, but I've been like that for years. The only time I wasn't was when I was smoking which I haven't done in almost 9 years. It's like I just swapped one bad habit for another. So is it just me? Does anyone else have this problem? And what do you do about it? I have tried telling myself I will have some tea or veggie sticks or something else, but then I just end up having tea, veggies, a couple of cookies, a coke, and whatever else until I'm full. Suggestions? If you have/ have had this problem, PLEASE add me as a friend because I really need some help and would love to try and support back. Maybe it would be easier if I wasn't feeling all alone in this.
«1

Replies

  • NYCNika
    NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
    Few possible tips:

    Plan your meals the day before.

    Log your food BEFORE you eat it.

    Log everything you eat. Everything. Even if you are hopelessly over. In fact, especially when you are over. When you actually see the calories consumed every day, day after day, it hits home.

    Feel free to add me.
  • Oh man... seriously.. I logged all day today and then when I killed it I thought about not bothering with the rest, but I made myself log it all anyway. It was brutal! Yeah, that might acually help. Thanks.
  • I agree, log everything until your fingers fall off.
  • twinmoon
    twinmoon Posts: 108 Member
    I know how you feel. I'm an emotional eater, and I did what you talk about for many years. What you just did was your first big step - you logged what you ate. I agree with others - logging is the key to overcoming this. It worked for me.

    This is all about your mind set. It begins with one step, one day of logging, with the commitment that no matter how bad it gets, you will log. And, that doesn't mean a quick calorie add. Measure your food and be accurate. It's incredible that accurate logging on MFP played such a big role in my overcoming years and years of late-night eating and binges. I left that behind, as well as a few other things - shame, a bunch of weight, sadness, fatigue, health issues. If I can do it, so can you. Good luck!

    P.S. Feel free to friend me if you plan to log daily. Happy to help.
  • I can say that I have been addicted to food. I would be full and just keep eating, sometimes I still do. To break the habit, I had to ask myself why I was still eating. If it was because I was bored, I would go do something like ride a bike or go for a walk - even if it was midnight. I had to keep junk food out of the house - no cookies, no chips, no ice cream, nothing that would be fun to binge eat. If I wanted a treat, I would buy something in a single serving. This also kept me from eating junk because I was too lazy to go out and get something (lol). Some nights after I've eaten a healthy dinner, I have to tell myself that I'm okay and I'm not going to starve to death. My husband has also been great support keeping me within my calorie range. I'm by no far perfect and have a lot of weight to go, but I do feel that I have binge eating a little more under control.
  • lighteningjeanne855
    lighteningjeanne855 Posts: 566 Member
    I was always wanting more food, even when my belly felt full.
    I once read that one craves the foods to which one is allergic.
    Therefore, I did some research online and figured out what were my food triggers.
    It helped to remove those things from my food choices.
    My triggers can be found in a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich: wheat, dairy, and sugar.
    I'd have to eat at least three.
  • jhloves2knit
    jhloves2knit Posts: 266 Member
    You're welcome to add me as a friend.
  • 123dmc
    123dmc Posts: 13
    Your message really spoke to me, as I too have the same struggles. Start out strong then by dinner/evening I am like a different person. It is frustrating and I hate it. Makes me sad and angry as I feel that all of my hard work with working out is then negated by damn food. Have you read any of Geneen Roth's books? She also has a website and you can get her powerful newsletters. Or get her feed on Facebook. Powerful stuff. She is so motivational.

    I wish you the very best as you continue.

    ????
  • I agree, log everything until your fingers fall off.
    Dude... totally want to keep my fingers. They are useful. :) But I promise to start logging. Sounds like that suggestion was unanimous!
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    Usually when you're genuinely hungry, you need to eat.

    Perhaps you should try something filling for breakfast? I eat oats, with fruit (I use almond milk as opposed to cow milk with my oats) and it really is filling. I can go all the way to dinner before I eat again.

    Also, try eating apples, as they have pectin in them, which is a natural appetite suppressant
  • Thanks everyone! I actually feel better already. It is nice to know I'm not the only one. Thanks for the tips too, and good luck to you all!
  • I joined overeaters anonymous. I am definitely addicted to food.
  • I joined overeaters anonymous. I am definitely addicted to food.
    Is that a real thing? I didn't know that existed!
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Here's something to try: Set your MFP goal to maintain your current weight. Then, give yourself whatever calories the program gives you. THEN... eat 150g protein each day. 100g as a minimum. I guarantee if you eat that in food you will be too full to overeat the rest of the time.

    Try it.
  • Here's something to try: Set your MFP goal to maintain your current weight. Then, give yourself whatever calories the program gives you. THEN... eat 150g protein each day. 100g as a minimum. I guarantee if you eat that in food you will be too full to overeat the rest of the time.

    Try it.
    That is the weirdest suggestion ever, just weird enough to be worth trying! Cool. Thanks.
  • kristen49233
    kristen49233 Posts: 385 Member
    That is the weirdest suggestion ever, just weird enough to be worth trying! Cool. Thanks.

    OP...you described me to a T. I am exactly the same way--I rock it during the day, but come evening it's all over...even after I work out! I live alone and I've noticed that on the nights when I get home from work and working out I usually don't feel like cooking a decent meal and I start the evening off by snacking...then more snacking....and before I know it I feel like Garfield when he's over-stuffed on lasgna. Tonight I plan on grocery shopping for "dinner meals" and I'm hoping that if I can get myself to actually cook decent / filling dinners that it will diminish my night time binging.

    Thanks mrsbigmack for the suggestion!! I might try that myself if the above doesn't work for me!
  • NarneyK
    NarneyK Posts: 264 Member
    I know I do most of my eating and snacking at night so I leave most of my calories for then. That way if I feel like an extra treat, I've saved enough calories for it.
  • berriboobear
    berriboobear Posts: 524 Member
    That was (and often IS) my main problem. I can exercise fine once I get to it, but I am used to not only eating whatever but whenever and for no reason. I'm only breaking out of that habit now and have been much better by using MFP to track my diet. There are definitely still days when I struggle, but planning things out and holding myself accountable has definitely made a huge change already!
  • Dude... totally want to keep my fingers. They are useful. :) But I promise to start logging. Sounds like that suggestion was unanimous!

    Once you see how your food intake numbers interact with your exercise numbers for a week or two, everything will start coming into focus. I felt like at around week three, I had a pretty good understanding of how my daily walks affected my calorie goals.
  • seniorbug2003
    seniorbug2003 Posts: 67 Member
    I find that putting my food in for the whole day helps me not munch as much through the day. Also it helps with my portions so I can play with the numbers to keep me under my daily goal.

    I also have a spreadsheet that I keep with my daily calorie intake so that even if I go over one day I can make sure that I stay under my goal for the whole month. But I like that kinda of thing.
  • JDHINAZ
    JDHINAZ Posts: 641 Member
    Show me a fat person who's not addicted to food. We all use food inappropriately, which is why most of us are here, and we all have to find our own way to deal with it.

    For me, I'm having to learn to love and forgive myself. And realizing that not every little slip up means I'm failing. I also know that I have to log everything, and weigh and measure everything. Recognizing appropriate portion sizes is very hard for me.

    But to start, it took me a good several days to get my head wrapped around the idea that I wasn'tt going to diet. I was going to change my behaviors for life. So while I have my weight goal, I tossed out the date I wanted to get there. Too much pressure. I do still set mini goals, but they aren't necessarily tied to the scale.

    Hang in there!
  • Well, I have logged EVERYTHING today. I have also used all my calories up. I have the munchies SO bad right now, but I have decided to drink some tea, and as a last resort, I have strawberries in the fridge. Those can't kill me, can they? But I'm going to try and pretend they aren't there either. Whoever had that idea to log before I eat it... that was a great one... because then I watch the numbers go up and decide if that's really what I want and how much I want before it's too late already. I think it is putting it in better perspective. And JDHINAZ.. forgiving myself and not feeling like a failure over ever slip up is the hardest thing ever! But I think you are right.. it needs to be done or it all ends up too frustrating and overwhelming. Thanks for the input everyone!
  • Kwob936
    Kwob936 Posts: 14 Member
    Wow this really describes me too. I am going to try some of these suggestions too!
  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
    As well as logging everything - what I do;

    Don't bring the cookies & coke (or in my case, white bread, biscuits & cake) into the house - if it ain't there, I can't have it.

    The food kept for when unexpected guests pop in is always stuff I don't like. Like scroggin. I hate it!

    I brush my teeth and also have a bleaching set that I use regularly (instructions say not to eat or drink for 20mins after)

    Keep my hands busy with mending/sewing and doing manicures, pedicures & head massages on myself.

    Train myself not to eat in front of a screen - this one can be pretty hard!

    If all else fails - go to bed because I never eat there.
  • lighteningjeanne855
    lighteningjeanne855 Posts: 566 Member
    When you're learning how to eat properly, but slip
    "Don't let the Perfect overshadow the Good".
    "Baby steps "! Everything can be a victory.

    I keep pecans, pork rinds, and fresh, crunchy cucumbers
    so that even if I go over in calories, I'm raising my grams of fat
    to get as close to 70% of my daily intake.

    If you are hungry, you need to eat fatty foods. Yes, it's NOT
    what the ADA recommends, but following the ADA Food Pyramid
    is NOT what you need to do on Paleo.

    This is a link to an image of the Paleo Food Pyramid:

    http://search.aol.com/aol/imageDetails?s_it=imageDetails&q=Paleo+food+pyramid&v_t=aolrt-ff&b=image?&s_qt=sb&q=Paleo+food+pyramid&tb_oid=15-07-2010&s_it=aolrt-ff&tb_mrud=02-04-2013&tb_uuid=20100715180104796&oreq=d2ee80f055ff4eada9f60b0a63f96033&img=http://www.livingpaleo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/paleo_pyramid.jpg&host=http://www.livingpaleo.com/the-food-pyramids/&width=111&height=90&thumbUrl=http://images-partners-tbn.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyifKqlgQ4V-fMBgd2gP8EAUZnsSfowvenSAVQTaeEa9DofF9GoWdfLA&imgWidth=300&imgHeight=243&imgSize=43929&imgTitle=Paleo+food+pyramid
  • Here's something to try: Set your MFP goal to maintain your current weight. Then, give yourself whatever calories the program gives you. THEN... eat 150g protein each day. 100g as a minimum. I guarantee if you eat that in food you will be too full to overeat the rest of the time.

    Try it.


    DO NOT TRY THAT UNLESS YOU'VE TALKED WITH A DIETICIAN OR YOUR DOCTOR. Yes, high protein diets will make you lose weight and rapidly, but they will also ruin your kidneys. I had to go on dialysis after being on a high protein diet that didn't even have 150 g protein daily. Most dieticians will tell you 50 g of protein is enough for anyone.
  • doompop
    doompop Posts: 25 Member
    I've found that logging and planning a day in advance (pre-logging, so to speak) addressed a lot of my mental blocks. Most importantly, if you factor in snacks, including a nighttime snack, they are not only *not forbidden*, off limits, horribly tempting, however you view it... but rather something you should eat. Once I made snacking allowed and built into the calorie budget, I stopped giving in to the all-or-nothing, waistline-destroying mentality that used to come with it. You can even look forward to the nighttime snack, and hopefully after forcing something like that for a week (starting to build good habits is the hardest!), you'll appreciate how much better you feel every day, and truly not want to deal with the repercussions of the night binge anymore. Additionally, focusing on fiber and protein (vs. refined carbs) curbed many of my cravings, so go for healthy versions of your favorite snacks.

    A few healthy snack ideas (up to ~300 calories each) --

    Hungry: (1) apple w/ 1 serving nut butter (all natural, nuts only, not Jiff or anything else w/ hydrogenated oil etc.); (2) raw veggies and/or apple w/ 1-2 servings hummus; (3) low-calorie cereal (e.g., brown rice puffs, 50 calories in 1 cup) w/ low-fat/fat-free milk, optional add fruit and/or 1 serving nuts; (4) whole grain toast w/ egg whites and tomato

    Sweet: (1) fat-free Greek yogurt w/ fruit, optional add a scoop of flavored protein powder; (2) frozen banana w/ 1 serving nut butter (all natural nut butters w/ added chocolate exist)

    Salty/crunchy: (1) 1-2 servings pop chips; (2) 1-2 servings tortilla pop chips w/ salsa; (3) 1-2 servings plain pop corn (no added butter etc.)

    The list goes on. Best of luck building a healthy relationship with snacks!
  • Scientists have actually been researching this pretty extensively in recent years and have found that the dopamine system gets all out of whack for some people from highly palatable foods, just like any other psychological addiction (sex, marijuana, gambling, etc.). I KNOW there are addictive patterns in my behavior. First, I am irritable, depressed, anxious for about the first week if I start eating only healthy foods, but after about a week it gets better. Second, I have a pattern of recovery-relapse-recovery-relapse. We call it yo-yo dieting, but think if it were any other addictive substance....I would be "off the wagon."

    So here's the part I havent figured out yet. How do we treat it. Of course we have to eat. But I think if we project the most effective treatments for addiction to other other substances, the key is to completely eliminate the dopamine response by completely eliminating highly palatable foods. I know that's contrary to some of the most effective weight loss plans and makes me panic to think about never eating those things again. That seems like a typical addict's response, doesnt it? At the same time, I never ever need to go to Cold Stone, even if I do get the sinless sweet cream. I need to reorder my pleasure/reward center to some other center or learn to live with no dopamine surge at all (like drug addicts in recovery do). Weight loss will follow.

    Overeaters Anonymous, Food Addicts anonymous are 12 step programs related to overeating/food addiction. Maybe a psychologist is the best bet. Professional help is always worth a try. Anyway, these are my thoughts on it.
  • ARamirez14
    ARamirez14 Posts: 13 Member
    It's funny because I was thinking the same exact thing to myself last night as I was going to bed... and eating some tortilla chips just because they were there. I'm addicted to food.

    I've been reading a lot of healthy living blogs and articles and I've come to the conclusion that we can track our food, we can try and say NO to those crazy cravings - but in the end I definitely think that there needs to be a human element in the mix. By that I mean until we can control this by ourselves we need outside support, be that someone online/ someone at home or at work/ someone you can call at 1030 because you see that ice cream and now all you can do is think about it - taking a small bite every time you walk past the freezer - someone else who can hold you accountable.

    Its honestly just like having a sponsor for alcohol or substance abuse because just as jvendramin wrote "Scientists have actually been researching this pretty extensively in recent years and have found that the dopamine system gets all out of whack for some people from highly palatable foods, just like any other psychological addiction"

    If its an addiction we need to treat it as one!

    Feel free to add me. we can tackle this together!
  • skinnymalinkyscot
    skinnymalinkyscot Posts: 174 Member
    Hi, feel free to add me as a friend as my struggles are also late night ones. So much so that I now eat a light breakfast, light lunch, a normal dinner and save 300 calories for within an hour of bedtime.

    At bedtime I usually have something filling such as 2 slices of toast and a mug of hot chcolate (250 calories) or even a bowl of 100g of vanilla ice cream (sainsburys basics) with one chopped up banana on top (250 calories).

    As my interest in food only appears to kick in around 7pm at night onwards, I now eat my supper then go to bed as early as I can. I used to go to bed around 11 or 12 pm if not later, I now go to bed around 9pm at night. It has made a huge difference to my appetite to get enough sleep.