Eating addiction

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sassareno
sassareno Posts: 59 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi all,

This is my first time posting in the forums here. I'm just wondering if anybody wants to share some "success stories" with dealing with food addiction. In the past few years I've definitely realized I'm a food addict. I think about it all the time; I'm always thinking about what I'm going to eat next. And even when I know I'm completely full, I'll still eat a lot more. When I'm alone and around junk food, I am likely to binge eat-- eating habits that I'd never display in front of anybody else.

When I'm tracking my food and trying to stay in a certain calorie range, I usually do best if I plan out everything I"m going to eat that day in advance. But I still find it exhausting having to combat constant thoughts of all the food I want to eat. I know I can do this, but it's just SO hard to stay mentally with it.

Do any of you experience similar problems? What helps?

Thanks!

Replies

  • MOMvsFOOD
    MOMvsFOOD Posts: 654 Member
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    Its like I am reading something I wrote myself.... word for word........ I am a 100% complete and total food addict. I love it, dream it, think about eating and cooking between meals and write a food/recipe blog to try to keep my mouth closed at least while I am obsessing.

    One thing that really helps me when I am stuck on food is to try to focus on the things I can eat instead of what I cant. When my thoughts starts on nachos and queso I try to instead think of fruits and veggies (which I love anyway), and making home baked tortilla chips and healthy dips.
  • fushion243
    fushion243 Posts: 29
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    I've been there. I am currently starting to believe a theory that I would love to know how to prove. I was 293 lbs 3 years ago. I got down to 198 lbs and then gained 30 lbs back. That's when I found MFP. I'm down 16 lbs of that additonal 30 lbs trying to knock out the remaining 14 lbs. I had trouble staying down at the 200 lbs range. I just always get going on food and miss calculate the caloric impact. With MFP, I can always know what I've done. Now, back to the theory. I found out during my journey from 293 to 198 that I would start to crash during workouts with a trainer. I just didn't have the ability to workout and have energy. I remembered having shakes after breakfast that was only handled by M&Ms and other immediate sugar rushes. I assumed I was getting diabetic because of my weight and all. Instead, I found out from my doctor that I am hypoglycemic. I believe that is basically the opposite of diabetes. So, I crash after a sugar rush and need more because my body processes the sugar so fast. So, my trainer taught me about complex carbs (oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, etc). I found that I was able to get the energy I needed and didn't need to binge eat to feel good. I personally believe there are a lot more folks out there like me who are actually processing sugary foods to fast and crashing and that is causing them to desire food and binge to feel good. It will feel like an addiction, but might be hypoglycemia. Not a diagnosis, just something to check out. Now that I eat less process sugars and more complex carbs that provide sustained energy over a longer period of time, I'm more satisfied and less needy of a treat. Oh, I still need MFP to keep me from eating too much, but I don't have that crash feeling which lead to my binge eating. Additionally, if you are doing serious workouts, try low sugar energy gels like Hammer Gel or Gu Gel. They allow me to run or bike long distances without the crash at only 100 calories. I hope that helps.
  • notsosimplyabby
    notsosimplyabby Posts: 138 Member
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    I'm am in the exact same boat! I always want something to nibble on. So the hardest thing is staying away from it.
    1st tip: don't buy anything that tempts you.
    2nd tip: separate your snacks into ziploc bags therefore when you feel the crazy urge to eat you can easily access a sandwich bag!

    :) Best of luck, you'll do great!

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