How can i lose weight when im addicted to food?

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lilmomma1202
lilmomma1202 Posts: 3
in Getting Started
how can I lose weight? everything I see or smell that is food I want, even if im not hungry. im thinking about food right now just writing about food..its sad. I want to lose weight but I feel stuck like if I cant let go of food..HELP how should I start?
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  • twisted88
    twisted88 Posts: 330 Member
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    I'm just going to put this here: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/08/02/how-to-fight-your-food-addiction-and-win/

    (If the link disappears check out nerd fitness's website and search "food addiction".)
  • vaishnavijayasankar
    vaishnavijayasankar Posts: 33 Member
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    hey
    wel i m also a foodie no doubt i used to eat and eat and think of eating!!!!!! but here i am trying to control and loose weight and this is a vry common problem so need not get sad :)
    i think will power is very crucial for weight loss.....
    try developing some and make it clear in your mind why you wanna loose weight think about it every day and you wil c yourself working toward controlling food!!!!!!
    start by portion control of what you eat....eat in a small plate and throw away al those items that you are most likely to binge into!!!!
    have healthy options in store :) consuming that would make you feel full and also save you from high calorie intake!!!!!!
    i have been doing it since a month and i it has helped me!!!!!!
    best of luck :)
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    I would recommend that you try to speak to a counselor, first and foremost. If you feel like your relationship with food isn't working (emotional eating, binging, ect), there may be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Especially since you used the word "addiction", I think it's vital to try to find the root of the problem. Until you do that, you're just putting a bandaid on a bigger issue.

    Secondly, I'd recommend getting input from a doctor. See if they have any recommendations for how you should pursue this journey, and how you can do so healthfully. Also, make sure there's no underlying problems that may need doctor supervision. I have a heart arrhythmia, so I always like to keep my doctor in the loop when that starts to act up.

    Third, remove any trigger foods that are in your home. Having trouble with chips, cake, cookies, ect? Do you tend to mindlessly munch on foods? Remove those temptations. I've found greater success in controlling my consumption of junk foods by doing this, and can incorporate them moderately into my diet without going overboard. Pre-portioning snacks is also a very useful tool as well! Having ziploc baggie sizes of servings helps avoid mindlessly eating out of a bag or box.

    Fourth, use MFP as a tool. Log your foods, and be honest. Start to incorporate exercise, and peruse these forums for support and tips. We're all here for the same reason, and it's to be healthy!

    It seems like you're on a path to change, and that's great. Don't lose momentum, and take everything one step and day at a time! Good luck. :)
  • lilmomma1202
    lilmomma1202 Posts: 3
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    Thank u so much
  • skinnyderella
    skinnyderella Posts: 5 Member
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    The documentary "Ready for a Change" available on netflix, talks about the different additives that food companies add to food to make them addictive. For example MSG. If you avoid MSG, and refined sugar for 6 weeks, you may regain control of your appetite. I am also a foodie. This time around, I am trying eat when ever I want to but make sure it is a vegetable first, then a lean protien. If I am still hungry, I will then eat fruit. Still hungry? Nuts. I am also drinking green smoothies made with protein powder. They are very cleansing, filling and satisfying. The smoothies soothe my IBS.

    I have a similar problem. I can cook the best and healtiest meals but I never get full.
    I will keep you posted on this. .
  • dtimedwards
    dtimedwards Posts: 319 Member
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    Move more.

    One day I was visiting a town that has a place that is famous for pie. I wanted pie. I ran 4 miles to get the pie. Then I spent all day hiking... with a lunchtime break at the brewery. Had a bunch of beer and food. Then I hiked all afternoon and went out for dinner followed by drinks.

    I ended up being over my goal (1000 calorie deficit) by about 200... but that was the last couple rounds of Jameson at bar close, and it is rude to turn down shots from fishermen. I still had an 800calorie deficit for the day.
  • zenalasca
    zenalasca Posts: 563 Member
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    Think of it this way: You can use all the energy you put into thinking about food into planning healthy, well portioned meals and enjoying nice treats (always with the question in mind "is it worth waiting for?").
  • dazydawn
    dazydawn Posts: 55 Member
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    The documentary "Ready for a Change" available on netflix, talks about the different additives that food companies add to food to make them addictive. For example MSG. If you avoid MSG, and refined sugar for 6 weeks, you may regain control of your appetite. I am also a foodie. This time around, I am trying eat when ever I want to but make sure it is a vegetable first, then a lean protien. If I am still hungry, I will then eat fruit. Still hungry? Nuts. I am also drinking green smoothies made with protein powder. They are very cleansing, filling and satisfying. The smoothies soothe my IBS.

    I have a similar problem. I can cook the best and healtiest meals but I never get full.
    I will keep you posted on this. .

    This
    Don't beat yourself up over it. I thought I had some serious food issues and I was at a loss as to how to control them. So many people talk about will power, but that only gets you so far before you can't take it anymore. I'm not a very disciplined person and I bought into the idea that I'm lazy and have no control. But I found out different. Packaged food is designed to be addictive. It is made to appeal to you in a way the fresh food doesn't. I am on Day 12 of the Whole 30 and after a rough first week I can't believe how good I feel and I've come to realize that I'm not lazy. My food habits were sucking the life out of me. And it's basically what is stated above: veggies, protein, fruit, healthy fat (nuts, avocado's), in that order, 3 meals a day. After less than two weeks I find food doesn't have a hold on me like it did. Do I think about a Big Mac or a cookie, sure.....but not like I did before. Now it's more of a passing thought. I accidentally quit drinking coffee....which is insane because I was seriously attached to my morning and afternoon latte. I could not imagine life without my white chocolate mocha!

    You don't have to do the "Whole30", that's just a way to provide structure and rules which I don't normally do well with, but this is working for me. Also, I chose this route, not to lose weight, but to get some energy. I was so rundown just getting out of bed was an ordeal....how was I suppose to work all day, take care of my kid, diet and exercise when I could barely figure out what to wear? I've been increasingly tired and grumpy for over 10 years. This is the first time I can remember having energy that isn't artificially induced with an energy drink or sugar.

    That's my two cents and what's helped me. I have no idea if I've lost weight. I'm not weighing myself until I complete a month. I just know I'm happier today than I was two weeks ago.


    **edited for bad spelling**
  • KristieJC
    KristieJC Posts: 243 Member
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    Dazydawn, what is the "Whole 30" you are talking about? Is that some sort of whole food plan to get you off the processed stuff?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    how can I lose weight? everything I see or smell that is food I want, even if im not hungry. im thinking about food right now just writing about food..its sad. I want to lose weight but I feel stuck like if I cant let go of food..HELP how should I start?

    Eat in a deficit and get some will power, since "food addiction" is just an excuse
  • KristieJC
    KristieJC Posts: 243 Member
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    I disagree with the comment that "food addiction" is an excuse. Some people are addicted to tobacco, some to alcohol, some to gambling, some to sex, some to food. The thing that makes food addiction uniquely difficult is that you can't completely remove yourself from temptation because you HAVE to eat.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    I disagree with the comment that "food addiction" is an excuse. Some people are addicted to tobacco, some to alcohol, some to gambling, some to sex, some to food. The thing that makes food addiction uniquely difficult is that you can't completely remove yourself from temptation because you HAVE to eat.

    And what is the current diagnostic criteria for food addiction?
  • KristieJC
    KristieJC Posts: 243 Member
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    You clearly don't understand what she is dealing with so you can't provide her any information that will help her deal with her issue, so you shouldn't comment at all.
  • cortezpj
    cortezpj Posts: 129 Member
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    how can I lose weight? everything I see or smell that is food I want, even if im not hungry. im thinking about food right now just writing about food..its sad. I want to lose weight but I feel stuck like if I cant let go of food..HELP how should I start?

    Eat in a deficit and get some will power, since "food addiction" is just an excuse

    ^^^ Agreed. Tough love and not entirely true, but true in many ways
  • openskybeach
    openskybeach Posts: 294 Member
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    bump
  • kjo9692
    kjo9692 Posts: 430 Member
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    I guess if we all got fat is because we liked food too much at one point, and since I'm fat, I'll just tell you something: JUST STOP!

    You either want it bad enough or you don't. If you want to lose weight more than you want food then you'll do whatever it takes to lose weight, including controlling your anxiety.

    You don't have to cut out foods that you love, just make them fit into your calorie allowance and you'll succeed, just like most of the users in MFP have.

    At last, I'll leave you with a quote that I took from another user: "Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change."
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    You clearly don't understand what she is dealing with so you can't provide her any information that will help her deal with her issue, so you shouldn't comment at all.

    Actually, answering his question about current diagnostic criteria for food addiction is a great start. Care to answer his question?
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    You just have to want to become healthier more than you want to overindulge in food. It is a personal decision and takes self control.
    We all need food to survive..........................just not as much as we would like to eat.
    It is pretty simple, but for many of us, never easy.
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,203 MFP Moderator
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    OP, I totally get it. There is absolutely NO reason you can't have the foods you want. Just track your food intake honestly and eat the foods you want in portions that allow you to stay within your calorie deficit. If you want MORE of something, move more, like another poster said. :) I eat all sorts of bad stuff for me, but have managed to lose 50 lbs, and am still losing. Move more and track your food HONESTLY. You'll get where you need to be. Good luck!
  • cortezpj
    cortezpj Posts: 129 Member
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    There was an article on CNN.com just this morning written by one of their viewers:

    http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/28/health/fit-nation-food-addict/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

    The following statement within the article caught my eye: "But what about food? There's compelling research to suggest certain foods affect the brain's pleasure centers the same way addictive substances do, but experts disagree on whether the cravings rise to the level of addiction."

    It made for a quick and interesting read and yes, I know it's someone's personal commentary and not a scientific piece.

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