food addiction and letting go of processed carbs

babycorns · August 2014

I've been doing tons of research lately ever since I started binge eating and gaining back all the weight I lost, and I've come to a conclusion that I, without a doubt, have a food addiction. Well, not food in general. To be specific, I'm addicted to sugar - processed carbohydrates, to be exact, but it all boils down to the sugar in it, doesn't it?

I've been fighting binge urges every single day, and I am seeing a therapist for this, but I'm tired of this issue being treated like it's a matter of lack of will power. When I try to resist the urge to binge, I get anxious, I cry uncontrollably, hell, my body physically starts SHAKING.

I've been avoiding everything that causes me stress, because stress makes me want to binge. This, unfortunately, includes avoiding going to the gym. A lot of people say that exercising releases serotonin and makes you feel "good", but for me, all it does is make me feel downright MISERABLE and tired. I don't think it's the exercising itself that's causing that though, because I feel great when I go for long walks. It's probably the fact that I've associated exercise machines with my binge eating. I don't even want to go about explaining that. But long story short, when I think of exercising on the elliptical or treadmill, I automatically start thinking about binging.

It's not much of emotional eating as it is the eating that's causing me to be emotional, if that makes sense. But I can't control it. Typing this out makes me want to binge. I'm going to describe how I'm feeling right now: my heart's beating rapidly, my hands are trembling, my entire body feels hot and I have this crazy urge to burst out into tears right now. My therapist keeps trying to relate this to my childhood and whatever, but no! This is simply AN ADDICTION TO FOOD. But she refuses to treat it as such.

I've been Googling food addictions but every single article suggests seeing a therapist. Damn, there's only so much my therapist can do. "Touch your binge food", "Smell your binge food", "Take a bite and put it down". If I actually took a bite, it would make my binge urges even harder to resist.

So I'm trying to take matters into my own hands. How does one come out of an addiction? Do I drop all trigger foods cold turkey? I will definitely stop trying to compensate for my binges by restricting my calories, because that's making me binge even more.

There's a lot of food I'll have to avoid though. I can't even eat oatmeal without feeling like binging. Any kind of carbohydrate that's not a fruit or vegetable makes me want to binge. It's that bad. Do you think if I started eating 1800 calories of just fruit and veggies, things would get better?

Because I have tried allowing myself my binge foods occasionally and it doesn't work at all. I feel like binging every time I see it, smell it or eat it. I have to get rid of them from my diet entirely.

Has anyone tried this? Any success?

edit: woah this post turned out longer than I expected it to be. Sorry!

RodaRose · August 2014

Go see a medical doctor who might be able to help you more than the therapist is. The doctor can prescribe medication.
Keep walking. Do it everyday.
Use the sauna and steam room in the gym.

babycorns · August 2014

Go see a medical doctor who might be able to help you more than the therapist is. The doctor can prescribe medication.
Keep walking. Do it everyday.
Use the sauna and steam room in the gym.

I did. I went to see a MD who referred me to a psychiatrist who laughed when I told him my problem. I have a lot of bad experiences with people who work in the medical field but after that incident, I refuse to see another doctor about this problem. Perhaps a more holistic approach might help.

No one will take me seriously because I'm at a healthy weight.

KarenJanine · August 2014

Go see a medical doctor who might be able to help you more than the therapist is. The doctor can prescribe medication.
Keep walking. Do it everyday.
Use the sauna and steam room in the gym.

I did. I went to see a MD who referred me to a psychiatrist who laughed when I told him my problem. I have a lot of bad experiences with people who work in the medical field but after that incident, I refuse to see another doctor about this problem. Perhaps a more holistic approach might help.

No one will take me seriously because I'm at a healthy weight.

If it's true that a psychiatrist laughed at you then get referred to another one as that's totally unprofessional. You are entitled to a second opinion. I highly doubt that eliminating processed carbs will be the solution you are looking for. Cutting out individual trigger foods can be helpful for some people but eliminating whole food groups is not a long term solution.

pinktoesjb · August 2014

You sound like an addict in your thought processes to be honest, an addict who isn't ready to change yet as you still see everything as out of your control.

Choose yourself and commit to taking responsibility for your decisions and your life, then seek out some professional help to guide you on this. I'm sure you will find lost of support networks on here or on similar forums but if you don't decide 100% that you want to change or get better or be cured or however you want to look at it it's not going to happen.

Good luck.

babycorns · August 2014

You sound like an addict in your thought processes to be honest, an addict who isn't ready to change yet as you still see everything as out of your control.

Choose yourself and commit to taking responsibility for your decisions and your life, then seek out some professional help to guide you on this. I'm sure you will find lost of support networks on here or on similar forums but if you don't decide 100% that you want to change or get better or be cured or however you want to look at it it's not going to happen.

Good luck.

I definitely want to stop this food addiction right now, right this instant. But the thoughts and urges are so overwhelming. I feel like the only way to control my urges is to stop doing every day things and to just lock myself in my room all day and try to distract myself. But that's a short-term solution.

Everyone seems to be recommending seeing a therapist but therapy isn't working for me at all. Every time I tell my therapist I've binged, she gives me the same advice. I feel so hopeless. I don't want to just learn to control the urges, I want a normal relationship with food again. I get so JEALOUS when I see my friends and family talk about hunger like it's a normal thing and stop eating when they're full like it's the easiest thing in the world.

I used to be just like them. I don't know what happened to me and I'm terrified that this is how I'm going to be for the rest of my life.

Hell_Flower · August 2014

Definitely see your doctor and maybe ask for a referral to another psych.

Or maybe try a more holistic approach if it's really not working out for you. Without wanting to sound hippy-dippy, I've found that aromatherapy and massage work a lot for me in terms of relaxation and self-acceptance. Going into a calm head space helps.

Addictions are addictions. If you have an addictive personality, that's ok, you just need to channel it. I know this advice is bandied around a lot, but cliches are there for a reason. Figure out a hobby you've been wanting to take up or something that's fallen by the wayside - it might be knitting, learning a language, running, swimming, learning to paint, write, anything. Replace your unhappy addiction with a new one.

If you have an addictive personality, you will always be addicted to something. Just try to keep it on an even keel as much as you can - it's going to be difficult, but the fact that you are recognizing it's a problem for you and not making excuses is a great thing in overcoming it.

Biggirllittledreams · August 2014

I went to doctor after doctor after doctor until i FINALLY found one who validated my experiences of my eating disorder - Binge Eating Disorder being more like an addiction to food than an eating disorder. Have you tried seeing a doctor that specializes in addictions? That actually may help a lot - when i was looking for treatment for my eating disorder, aimlessly looking for treatment was detrimental, but looking specifically for ed treatment providers was SO much help! Look for a psychiatrist/treatment team that treats addictions, have a consultation, and see if they will take you on as a patient. Some would be more than willing to, and it would probably be plenty of help for you!

I actually did some personal research, and came to find that a medication was being used off-label to treat addictions outside of opiate addictions (what it's intended for), and since it's such a low-risk medication with rather low-key side effects, she was willing to give it a shot. I've been weaning myself off it as it's not a permanent medication (it changes your brain chemistry for the period of time you're on it). but it's surely worth it. Not all doctors are okay with a provider-patient relationship that works in that manner, so be careful. Just always b sure to also always be informed, and be your own advocate as well!!

Look up Naltrexone/generic name Revia, if you can ever find yourself a doctor that is legitimate.

]

Best of luck finding a solution, and feel free to PM me if you need any support/want to talk further - i know how much of a battle food addiction can be.

FR89 · August 2014

I feel your pain!

I'm most a carb addict and no matter how hard i try I cant keep away. I've gone from 9.5stones to nearly 12stones, but my doctor didnt take this seriously and said I should just exercise... I do go to the gym on and off but the problem is there.. Even if I have a proper meal I am starving an hour later. Constantly feeling hungry and craving carbs.

My top 5 food that I cant live without and have in many different shapes and forms is.... bread, pasta, rice, cheese and Potatoe!

I've just made a start on my '3 month transformation' today.. and plan to increase protein and really limit my top 5 food. I will also up the gym and see what happens...

I am aware that I will have withdrawal symptoms, but I really have to stick to it now..

I cant.. or I shouldn't waste the best/prime years of my life feeling unhappy?...

I really hope you find a way that suits you well, it wont be easy, but push through, i believe its a issue within that has to be fought. If doctors, dietitians or nutritionist can help then great!! even if not, keep trying, something will work.

after the initial withdrawal few weeks... i believe things get better... well... i'm about to find out!

arguablysamson · August 2014

I've been doing tons of research lately ever since I started binge eating and gaining back all the weight I lost, and I've come to a conclusion that I, without a doubt, have a food addiction. Well, not food in general. To be specific, I'm addicted to sugar - processed carbohydrates, to be exact, but it all boils down to the sugar in it, doesn't it?

I've been fighting binge urges every single day, and I am seeing a therapist for this, but I'm tired of this issue being treated like it's a matter of lack of will power. When I try to resist the urge to binge, I get anxious, I cry uncontrollably, hell, my body physically starts SHAKING.

I've been avoiding everything that causes me stress, because stress makes me want to binge. This, unfortunately, includes avoiding going to the gym. A lot of people say that exercising releases serotonin and makes you feel "good", but for me, all it does is make me feel downright MISERABLE and tired. I don't think it's the exercising itself that's causing that though, because I feel great when I go for long walks. It's probably the fact that I've associated exercise machines with my binge eating. I don't even want to go about explaining that. But long story short, when I think of exercising on the elliptical or treadmill, I automatically start thinking about binging.

It's not much of emotional eating as it is the eating that's causing me to be emotional, if that makes sense. But I can't control it. Typing this out makes me want to binge. I'm going to describe how I'm feeling right now: my heart's beating rapidly, my hands are trembling, my entire body feels hot and I have this crazy urge to burst out into tears right now. My therapist keeps trying to relate this to my childhood and whatever, but no! This is simply AN ADDICTION TO FOOD. But she refuses to treat it as such.

I've been Googling food addictions but every single article suggests seeing a therapist. Damn, there's only so much my therapist can do. "Touch your binge food", "Smell your binge food", "Take a bite and put it down". If I actually took a bite, it would make my binge urges even harder to resist.

So I'm trying to take matters into my own hands. How does one come out of an addiction? Do I drop all trigger foods cold turkey? I will definitely stop trying to compensate for my binges by restricting my calories, because that's making me binge even more.

There's a lot of food I'll have to avoid though. I can't even eat oatmeal without feeling like binging. Any kind of carbohydrate that's not a fruit or vegetable makes me want to binge. It's that bad. Do you think if I started eating 1800 calories of just fruit and veggies, things would get better?

Because I have tried allowing myself my binge foods occasionally and it doesn't work at all. I feel like binging every time I see it, smell it or eat it. I have to get rid of them from my diet entirely.

Has anyone tried this? Any success?

edit: woah this post turned out longer than I expected it to be. Sorry!

Friend, I know where you are coming from. I've been there.

Your decision to seek help is yours, but you don't have to bow down at the altar of going to a doctor like so many keep saying. This joint is full of hypocondriacs who literally learn to feed on each others' "support" since they don't want to buck up and face their worst enemy themselves--which, in this case, is your binging. And make no mistake--you will have to face this enemy and beat it. But once you do, you will be a new person inside, and finally, outside. Just be mature about it and do what must be done.

Start by getting rid of all trigger foods, all junk and sugars. They give your body nothing but delayed surges of hunger to come. They are worse than worthless. They actually hurt you.

Then, set aside a time to eat each day. Fill up a standard-sized plate with normal food. Doesn't have to be uber-healthy, just remotely healthy. Eat whatever you like. Fill the plate no higher than 3 inches with nothing falling off the sides. This, at most, will have you at just under 1,800 calories, probably less. The window to eat should be no more than 3 hours. Eat at this set time within the window everyday. Eat once. And once you sit down to eat, no second servings, just finish what is in front of you and then you are DONE for 23 hours. For the rest of the day, have only non-calorie liquids (water, coffee, tea, diet sodas, etc). No, this is NOT unhealthy.

You will lose the weight and your mind will be like a flipped switch since you will have stopped toying with the idea of multiple feedings (multiple temptations to lose control). In not too long, this will kill all psychological cravings, with the first week being the toughest, but it's not as tough as it might seem. Your body gets used to you eating at a certain time and the cravings stop.

If there is an underlying psychological disorder as to why you are eating like this, this will clear your mind and allow you to assess any potential causes. Mine would be triggered by boredom mixed with driving in a car too long and hearing the sound of an engine or contemplating various legal websites and city ordinances, (law issues, etc). Weird, but no matter what they are, they are unhealthy fixations all the same. Find yours.

In the meantime, eat OMAD; your blood sugar levels will level out and you will be back in control. The "shakes" will subside. It's the surest way. I know because I would binge on jumbo-sized bags of candy and chips and all other sorts of garbage. Last year, I got so sick of doing so, that I went OMAD (one meal a day) and dropped 175 lbs. Check out my success story and my OMAD forums if you care to. You are not alone.

Bollokof · August 2014

Food addiction isn't easy too break, i too have an addiction to food or as some people call it (lack of will power) but it's exactly the same as smoking, you can break the habit but its tough!

You're body is so reliant on sugar and carbs it try's to force you to binge so it can get the rush it needs.
You need to wean your body and mind off it by doing things slowly and in small doses...

I went from being 18st (112kg) eating 12 bags of crisps, 2 large packs of rocky bars, pizza's, Baguettes, biscuits every week...
i am now slowly dropping 17st (109kg) i still get my cravings but I've slowly cut it all down bit by bit (12 bags of crisps down to 6)
(no more rocky bars but i have a soya chocolate yoghurt to rid the sugar craving)

You need to teach your mind and body that it doesn't need that huge amount of sugar all at once that it can have the sugar but over the period of a few days.

If you're hands shake this is your body reacting too the sugar withdrawal, when they shake have a small sugar snack (an aplen light bar with chocolate in it) i chose the Alpen light bar because it's only 70 cals, has oats to fill you up, you get your sugar craving from the small amount of chocolate and the fruit in it. you're hands will stop shaking and you're slowly weaning the body off it...

I also suggest you get you're blood sugar counted at the doctor see if it's high or low... if it's low then you're not getting enough sugar and the body is craving it because it needs it... if it's high then you're having too much sugar which can cause the hands too shake...

If it's normal then it's an addiction to which you must control it.

Hope this helps

cmazurek85 · August 2014

I'm a recovering binge eater. I went to a therapist who specialized in eating disorders. she was pretty good, though I found the drives tiring (I drove over an hour to see her.) we did skype sessions once I stopped binging.

Do you have anyone you could call or talk to when you feel like you want to binge? If you have a friend who can just listen and help you understand why, at that moment, you need to binge, you may be able to uncover WHY you are binging. Yes, you have side effects of having a disorder, but you weren't always that way....

Have you tried another form of exercise? I attend yoga classes regularly. When I started going while trying to break my binge habit, I often cried during the entire session, especially if i had a bad day or I already binged. thankfully, no one approached me during class (which would have made it worse), but gave me hugs after the session. What I like about yoga is you have the chance to learn more about your body and connect with your mind. Ashtanga yoga is a practice that is focused on learning how to breathe deeply. It takes a little while to actually be able to breathe and meditate, but once you achieve that, you will feel peace.

vigourous exercise helped me not binge. I recall reading somewhere (I think in the new york times) that vigourous exercise helped cut cravings. that couldnt be more true! I also attend a crossfit gym and spin classes. Both exercises ensure my heart rate will be close to or at it's max. I always feel better afterward. My only critisim of those places is that if I walk in angry, I will leave angry (and not hungry), whereas with ashtanga yoga I walk in angry an I leave at peace, and not hungry! both have their places in my life.

I do think that the medical industry is a giant customer service industry, except if you dont like someone, you could move on. I saw 4 therapists before I found one I really liked. If your therapist laughed at you, you should report them. that is unacceptable. what if something more serious happened?? they are supposed to create safe spaces for their patients, not laugh at them. pathetic.

good luck! if you ever need to talk, write me!

Carmen

caliberice · August 2014

It is very easy to give advises and tell others what to do or do not. I know how difficult is to make something happen by yourself when you can not control yourself near certain foods. I know that you want to brake this vicious cycle but you can not. And willpower is not the answer. You should not go on Cold Turkey. It will disbalance your system (especially mental) even more and you will binge double. It is not your fault. Your brain mix up things and creates bad associations. You have not born like that. You (unconsciously) learned that, what means that you can unlearn that (without hard work and stress).

Your situation reminded me one person that helps with these situations. Have you heard about Paul Mckenna? Try to google about him and all his system or watch in Youtube. He helped a lot of people with binging disorder. It is better to download his videos/audios rather than read his books and articles.

CiarasJourney · August 2014

Hi there! I'm dealing with the terrible habit of binge eating myself right now and have tried everything to stop it, and like you the urges are so uncontrollable that in order to stop with the anxiety I binge.. I was doing a lot of research too about BED and stumbled across a book called Brain Over Binge, I bought this book online and I am really confident I can stop this habit. I would really recommend it, it isn't your traditional approach with therapy, but has a scientific theory and methods that can really help with the urges. This book really helped me realize that I wasn't binging for an emotional reason, but a habit that I created. I haven't been binge free for more than a week yet but I have a lot of hope.

Good luck and feel free to add me if you need support, I am going through the same thing! We can over come this!

food addiction and letting go of processed carbs

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