Combating Compulsive Eating

ana3067 wrote: »

I did it by NOT replacing foods. Replacing foods with something that I don't actually want just makes me want what I originally wanted even more. If I want a brownie I'm going to eat a damn brownie, not some lame chickpea concoction that doesn't contain any chocolate.

This....just have to learn to eat less than what you likely would have before. If I want a cookie after dinner, I have a couple as long as I have enough calories left. I just don't eat 10 like I really want ro.

Try cutting out sugar. Sugar is what makes you crave things. It may take a couple weeks, but after your body has adjusted I've found the cravings go away and you don't think about them nearly as much. Trust me, I'm a junkfood-aholic. Same goes for bread.

Any books by Geneen Roth will help: Breaking Free from Emotional Eating or When Food Is Love.

TheMainShane wrote: »

The issue is when I get the urge to snack (which is usually worse at night) I never want to eat the alternative snacks I've bought. Then I usually end up over eating whatever I do have for food. Usually it ends with me eating a second meal.

It can take a while, but I think becoming mindful of why you want to eat helps.

First, it's possible that you are eating too little, so if you are cutting calories a lot that's something to look at. Lots of people have a harder time controlling themselves if they cut calories too low.

Second, maybe keep a journal or notes on your day and when you feel hungry or like you need to eat note the time and what's going on. You can use that to figure out (a) are you really hungry or do you just want to eat for some other reason, and (b) if you think you are really hungry, can you change up your foods. From what you say above, it's probably not real hunger unless you chose alternative snacks you don't like. It sounds like a situation where you are in the habit of eating certain kinds of tasty treats and so you expect that and are missing it.

For me, what helped was to break these habits if I felt like they led to overeating. I tended to snack late afternoon/early evening at work, and I cut out snacks. It was hard for a few days, and I let myself eat raw veggies until I stopped feeling like I needed to eat at that time, but I told myself that I'd have dinner soon enough and didn't need anything else. Once the habit was broken it got lots easier.

Nighttime is perhaps tougher since there's no meal soon, so I might work in a nighttime snack that you will enjoy and just save the calories for it, but make sure it's available only in a portion size.

If you think it might be actual hunger or related to that, maybe try having dinner a bit later.

Also, a lot of time nighttime snacking is strongly habit-related or associated with a particular activity (like watching TV or surfing on the 'net) or boredom. Maybe try shaking up the routine--do something different or pick something to do if you start feeling the urge.

I finally realized that the reason I get hungry at night is because I am bored. I am divorced, children are grown, and have an older dog that sleeps a lot. Of course, you can be bored late at night while your fourteen children, seventeen dogs, and husband are all asleep. But I notice that when I have things to do at night, like work or cleaning house or whatever I am inspired to do, I don't eat as much. Also, I used to go to the Y first thing in the morning, but now, I go in the early evening and don't feel like eating so much by the time I get home. Hope this helps someone.

I struggle with this as well. It seems like when I start to eat, I just can't stop. I eat and eat and eat.. something for me to work on for sure!!!