Food Addiction?
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Speaking as a recovered EDNOS sufferer - there's no such thing as food addiction. There are compulsive behaviors (binge eating/compulsive overeating) that can be overcome through therapy, time, work, patience.
Expect people to be pretty harsh in here if you plan to compare issues with food to drug abuse.0 -
I also have a serious problem with eating in moderation. Even if I'm full, having the food in the house compels me to eat it, I have no idea why.
The only thing that has helped me overcome this is one, I buy foods I don't like a whole lot, so I tend to not overeat on them. Two, this is possible because I am on a severe financial budget and cannot afford to buy food on a whim, so that's cut out fast food and junk food. I realize, though, that this may not work for other people.
Mostly I stopped doing things that triggered the desire to eat too much. Watching TV and reading were the two worst. I try to do things now that don't permit me to eat during the activity, such as riding my stationary bike.0 -
Yes, I am definiely a food addict. I have been going to Overeaters Anonymous (and listening to their podcasts/phone meetings) to address my food issues.
www.oa.org
www.oalaig.org
Best wishes
I have always been too nervous to go to an OA meeting. I never knew they had podcasts. I'm really excited to listen to one. Maybe listening in will help give me the courage to go to a live meeting. Thanks for sharing.0 -
Finally, I need to incorporate my family into all of this. My oldest is being a trooper about trying new things my my youngest isn't having any part of it. So right now, I'm making separate meals for everyone in the house it seems.
Of all the things you've mentioned this and meal planning can be the biggest pitfalls. I deal with these issues as well. A husband who says he's not picky but really is, and 2 and 3 year olds who won't try new things. It quickly becomes almost impossible cooking for this many people. Here's what I've done to make it easier and more sustainable. I plan 4 kid focused meals a week (2 dinners, 2 breakfasts). This usually involves homemade pizza or pasta. Every night I'll do one kid friendly no cook side. Sliced apples, canned peaches, canned corn, freeze dried fruit, frozen steamable peas, that type of stuff. This gets them eating and they will sometimes pick at what else is offered once they've started eating.
I want my kids to learn to eat when they are hungry and stop when full. So if they express hunger even after dinner I feed them. However these are not glamorous second dinner options. It's a few saltine crackers or plain yogurt.
My husband can eat what I'm making, have leftovers, or pick some take out for himself (after the kids have gone to bed). He rarely does the second option. Maybe once a month when he's skipped lunch and really doesn't want what I've made.
One of the biggest helps to control my over eating was recognizing the full cost of it. Acknowledging both calorie counts and how it made me feel. Every time I want to eat like I used to I remind myself of this. Being sluggish, lethargic, fat, guilty, and engorged to the point of vomiting. I never want to feel like that again.
You've come to the right place for a fresh start. When you stumble don't let it pull you down and define you. Get right back up and keep going.
I'm not sure not to insert a picture. So here's a link to a picture that make me smile and feel inspired. http://howareyou.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/how_success_works.png0 -
I have always said an alcoholic can give up alcohol. It may be a struggle but you wont die without it.
Heads up, an alcoholic actually could- and often do- die without alcohol in their system. Watching an alcoholic detox is very scary and very dangerous. Most serious addicts have to d/t in an ICU or, at least, a critical care unit. Maybe not the best analogy.
That being said, I''ve had similar issues, OP. The biggest thing for me was learning to stop eating when I realize I'm eating because of emotions rather than hunger. Sometimes I catch myself stopping halfway through a bite like, "what the heck, this isn't even that good." Consciously thinking about my food while actually eating it, rather than thinking about it all day then blindly scarfing it down was the biggest and most difficult change I had to make.
Truth. My dad coded three times during detox over ten days. He was what is know as a functional drunk. He drove, worked, played golf and went to church with a blood alcohol level of 1.3 and most people I knew wouldn't have believed he drank at all. Scary stuff.0 -
Firstly, I would like to thank those who can relate and who shared their story, offered support, and/or shared tips. It is greatly appreciated! MFP is proving to be a great tool thus far. I hope that we can continue to support each other throughout this life-long journey.
Secondly, if, for some reason, I sounded like I was 'joking' about this topic or making light of the word 'addiction', all I can say is that I feel very strongly about this and this is NO joke. I smoked for almost 20 years and the fact that I could quit cold turkey was a comforting feeling (tough but cold turkey works best for me) and while I haven't quit completely, I could take it or leave it now. Food, however, is not something that I can just cut out all together. This is an on-going thing with each passing day. This is something that I have memories of from a child to today. Eating but not in moderation, eating alone because you know what and how much your eating is not right. Maybe the word addiction is not how some of you would describe it (and that's ok), but to me, it's not just a 'I love food', it's a battle and it's affecting not only my weight gain but my health and the only way to describe how I'm feeling at this point.
With that being said, if I did offend anyone by using the term, I do apologize as that was not my intent.
I'm beginning to think that a lot of it has to do all the processed, greasy crap that I put into my body for years. One thing that didn't occur to me is my sugar intake. I mean, I've thought about it in the past week because I have gone over my sugar a few times in my food log, but never gave much thought to why this is important.
I don't know a lot about blood sugar and how it relates to cravings and crashes.
I'm also starting to realize how important meal planning is going to be and cooking different, healthy meals. When trying to pinpoint when looking back over the years, I think this may be one of the main reasons why I give up. I don't prepare well enough for weekends away, I lack in trying/cooking new recipes (I can cook but not healthy cooking).
Finally, I need to incorporate my family into all of this. My oldest is being a trooper about trying new things my my youngest isn't having any part of it. So right now, I'm making separate meals for everyone in the house it seems.
After a few days of headaches, b*tchiness and being down right irritable, I'm feeling pretty good today and hopeful that I'll get through this.
Thanks again for all of the support! We can do this one day at a time!
Hey I totally understand where you're coming from, and I agree!
It can be an addiction, several studies have proved this. Google food addiction for more info. It can become a chemical dependency in the brain, similar to which an alcoholic or drug addict experiences, (especially the likes of bulimia and binge eating disorder, where a lot of food is consumed in one sitting). For some people, the same reward and pleasure centres of the brain that are triggered by addictive drugs are also activated by food, especially those foods high in fat, sugar and salt, they trigger feel-good brain chemicals such as dopamine. Once you get the hit you want more...
I was diagnosed with binge eating disorder last year and have been having CBT, which has helped a lot. Totally get what you mean about it being harder to give up or control though. One of the "Steps" in recovery for an addiction (think it's the first?) is to admit you are powerless over it. Addicts who try and control their drinking or drug taking normally only manage it for a couple of weeks before lapsing back into old habits, the answer to their recovery is abstinence. But with food, you can't abstain completely. So yeah, totally get where you're coming from!
In CBT we did something called "formulation" firstly, looking back at past experiences to identify why we may feel/think certain things about ourselves and others. We also identified trigger situations that would make me more likely to want to binge. Thought about possible strategies for coping with trigger situations and tried putting them into practise.
I found I'm more likely to binge when alone because it's "me" time to relax and reward myself...it's like a treat. I'm also more likely to binge when I don't have a proper eating routine. For example I used to go ALL day with no food at all then once the evening came around I'd be starving and plan a binge because A) I'm starving and
I deserve it because I've been non stop busy all day with work/housework etc.
Eating a breakfast, lunch and dinner works. I'm not as hungry in the evening, a normal size meal satisfies me and I'm less likely to think about binging.
Eating healthily doesn't have to be hard. You say you can cook, just not healthily. How are you cooking now that makes it unhealthy? For example, if you shallow/deep fry everything...learn new ways to cook stuff, most stuff that's fried can be grilled or baked in the oven...you immediately drop calories by dropping the oil. Planning ahead helps. Get a slow cooker. Have stuff in that doesn't take too much prep if you're short on time. Log everything. Stick to your macros. xx0 -
sloth3toes wrote: »
There are 12 Step food fellowships who work with and treat food addiction for those who self identify as such.
The support is intense and face to face. Food selections and measurements are controlled and recorded meticulously. The food plans are restrictive and exclusive. Meaning certain foods are excluded. Everyone is encouraged to be sponsored by another member with long term abstinence from overeating. Weight loss happens if the strict guidelines are adhered to. Everyone in the group identifies as a food addict so you'll get no conflicting information or stories about eating in moderation and how everyone can do it. These groups aren't for people who eat pop tarts, mashed potatoes with gravy and ice cream in moderation. MFP is.
FA (Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous)
If you REALLY think you're an addict which means you CANNOT control your intake of certain foods and can't be alone with food choices, I would Google these and find a face to face meeting in your area.
These groups don't take the addiction word lightly or joke about it. Nor do they casually dismiss the possibility of addiction in relation to food and eating.
Newmeadow rocks !
Yes! I works!0 -
There is no such thing as food addiction. The sooner that you realise this, the better you will feel for your attempt to lose weight.-1
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I have the same issue and I believe you can be addicted to food just as you can be addicted to cigarettes, video games or anything else that takes over your life. I find that if I have other things to do that will keep my mind off of overeating. I don't buy food that I know I will overeat or if I do buy something like Doritos I will buy the smaller snack size bags instead of the family bag. It is about learning to eat in moderation. I leave snacks in my car so if I really want it I have to inconvenience myself to go and get it then I ask myself "do I really want it that bad"? most times I don't. Good luck0
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I have the same issue and I believe you can be addicted to food just as you can be addicted to cigarettes, video games or anything else that takes over your life. I find that if I have other things to do that will keep my mind off of overeating. I don't buy food that I know I will overeat or if I do buy something like Doritos I will buy the smaller snack size bags instead of the family bag. It is about learning to eat in moderation. I leave snacks in my car so if I really want it I have to inconvenience myself to go and get it then I ask myself "do I really want it that bad"? most times I don't. Good luck
Video games arent an addictive substance, like food. Nicotine is, so you cant compare.0 -
I have the same issue and I believe you can be addicted to food just as you can be addicted to cigarettes, video games or anything else that takes over your life. I find that if I have other things to do that will keep my mind off of overeating. I don't buy food that I know I will overeat or if I do buy something like Doritos I will buy the smaller snack size bags instead of the family bag. It is about learning to eat in moderation. I leave snacks in my car so if I really want it I have to inconvenience myself to go and get it then I ask myself "do I really want it that bad"? most times I don't. Good luck
Video games arent an addictive substance, like food. Nicotine is, so you cant compare.
Just because they don't have an addictive substance in them doesn't make people NOT addicted to things. People with addictive personalities can become addicted to a number of things because of how it makes them feel while doing/eating those things. You should probably do some research before coming in here and telling someone they are faking their issues.0 -
I have the same issue and I believe you can be addicted to food just as you can be addicted to cigarettes, video games or anything else that takes over your life. I find that if I have other things to do that will keep my mind off of overeating. I don't buy food that I know I will overeat or if I do buy something like Doritos I will buy the smaller snack size bags instead of the family bag. It is about learning to eat in moderation. I leave snacks in my car so if I really want it I have to inconvenience myself to go and get it then I ask myself "do I really want it that bad"? most times I don't. Good luck
Video games arent an addictive substance, like food. Nicotine is, so you cant compare.
Just because they don't have an addictive substance in them doesn't make people NOT addicted to things. People with addictive personalities can become addicted to a number of things because of how it makes them feel while doing/eating those things. You should probably do some research before coming in here and telling someone they are faking their issues.
Faking their issues? The point is that people may have an obsession with food and like yourself compare it to a clinically addictive substance such as nicotine as an excuse to hide behind. This is rather living in denial and does not combat the root cause.
As you have suggested, it is their personalities which are addictive, and not the food, so this is a question of willpower, not an addiction.0 -
I guess for me it is exactly the same, but maybe for different reasons.
As a child growing up in the 70's, my parents worked but money was real low, we never knew where next meal was coming from.
Everything was home cooked, and most times healthy things to, as fast food back then was super expensive.
Mum drilled it into us kids, we don't have the money for anything to be wasted, so if you open something you eat it, never leave anything.
So we didn't leave anything, but as time went on, cost of living got easier, but those drilled in teachings from a small child never left.
So more food comes in, more ya eat, more ya eat more ya crave thus the cycle continued.
My only way of dealing with it is to not keep anything in the house food/drink wise that will go off quick once opened.
So everything I have is either frozen or packet dried food, so when I do open something it doesn't trigger those feelings that something going to be wasted.
But as the OP said, I think of food every minute of every day, but knowing I will have to go and prep the food then cook it, or let something thaw out first, helps to stop me from having it.
I guess I have just hit that point where I realised i'm never going to get rid of those thoughts so why bother wasting effort trying to, just because i hear them don't mean I have to listen to them.
But from experience for those people like ourselves, we need something that makes us want to ignore those thoughts.
For me it was not going blind, I had to sort my diabetes out which gave me that focus the last 3 years and counting, it funny, I got told I was going to die and I laughed and said yayy i'll be pain free, but getting told I was about to go blind, that kicked me up the *kitten* to sort myself out.
Hope that helps.0 -
My problem I suppose is a lot like your own. I have always known when I should stop eating, when I really couldn't eat another bite, but to me, I grew up in a house where you ate everything on your plate, whether you liked it or not, because it was "wasteful". And usually we were given portions much larger than they should have been. But if it's really good, I don't care how full I am, I want to keep eating it. Because it's so delicious! Fast Food, chips, cookies and ice cream are always my downfalls. It's nothing for me to eat a good sized container of ice cream. Or a whole pack of chips ahoy chunky with a tall glass of milk. Or munch on a full sized bag of kettle cooked chips. And sometimes, I even feel hungrier after eating it! But for me, I can stop doing those things if my mind is put to it. But I have relapsed on more than one occasion. It's tough, but you have to stick it through! Good luck to you!0
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I have the same issue and I believe you can be addicted to food just as you can be addicted to cigarettes, video games or anything else that takes over your life. I find that if I have other things to do that will keep my mind off of overeating. I don't buy food that I know I will overeat or if I do buy something like Doritos I will buy the smaller snack size bags instead of the family bag. It is about learning to eat in moderation. I leave snacks in my car so if I really want it I have to inconvenience myself to go and get it then I ask myself "do I really want it that bad"? most times I don't. Good luck
Video games arent an addictive substance, like food. Nicotine is, so you cant compare.
what about gambling?
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I have the same issue and I believe you can be addicted to food just as you can be addicted to cigarettes, video games or anything else that takes over your life. I find that if I have other things to do that will keep my mind off of overeating. I don't buy food that I know I will overeat or if I do buy something like Doritos I will buy the smaller snack size bags instead of the family bag. It is about learning to eat in moderation. I leave snacks in my car so if I really want it I have to inconvenience myself to go and get it then I ask myself "do I really want it that bad"? most times I don't. Good luck
Video games arent an addictive substance, like food. Nicotine is, so you cant compare.
Just because they don't have an addictive substance in them doesn't make people NOT addicted to things. People with addictive personalities can become addicted to a number of things because of how it makes them feel while doing/eating those things. You should probably do some research before coming in here and telling someone they are faking their issues.
Faking their issues? The point is that people may have an obsession with food and like yourself compare it to a clinically addictive substance such as nicotine as an excuse to hide behind. This is rather living in denial and does not combat the root cause.
As you have suggested, it is their personalities which are addictive, and not the food, so this is a question of willpower, not an addiction.
You don't know the difference between addiction and dependence. LORD I miss the Ignore feature!!!!!
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OP I hope you find support here or elsewhere
I think it is strange what they choose to call a disorder in the dsm 5. Caffeine intoxication, gambling disorder. There are eating disorders, like binge eating, but I don't know if they considered anything like food "addiction"
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-5_codes#Substance-Related_and_Addictive_Disorders0 -
This is not hard... I eat everything I like. I am having great success. I just eat less of it....calorie deficit...weight loss.....easy....works....end...0
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I dont think food represents a physical addiction like alcohol or cigarettes. But you do develop an emotional and mental dependence upon it.0
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I think it comes down to how you define addiction. I mean, gambling addiction is considered a mental addiction, heroin addiction is physical, and things like cigarette addiction are a combination of both. IMO, food addiction, is also a combination of both. Some here have said it doesn't exist, but I think it does.0
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