I can't seem to break my food addiction

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mitzi2013
mitzi2013 Posts: 47 Member
in Motivation and Support
I wake up every morning at 4am and exercise. As a matter of fact, I exercise 3-4 hours a day total. I enjoy it and it helps me so much. I just can't stop thinking about food... ALL DAY!!!! I don't overdue it very often but I take bites here and there of sweets or mashed potatoes if my kids are having them. Every once in a while I totally gorge. Sometimes I feel so full and guilty it literally makes me sick. If I'm alone I think about what I can eat before someone gets home and sees me. My trainer says I just need to eat clean and it'll become a habit. It's just not that easy for me. I don't know how to change my thinking patterns. Any advice is very welcome. If you've been here and beat this please let me know how you did it. (and if you know me in real life please do not tell anyone about this. It's a personal issue)
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Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Your profile and diary are closed so I can't get a good frame of reference to try to state what I may see is going on.

    Don't know your age, height, goals (weight loss), exercise (other than 3-4 hours a day), etc..

    I will say if I exercise 4 hours a day I would be totally famished but let alone have time to eat and gorge.. Tell us more other than you are "addicted to food".

    Edited to add: It sounds like it could be B.E.D. and/or some type of disordered thinking... this I cannot help with...
  • lessismoreohio
    lessismoreohio Posts: 910 Member
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    For me it is an every day battle. Take it one day at a time one meal at a time one bite at a time. The only failure I believe is in not trying.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    mitzi2013 wrote: »
    I wake up every morning at 4am and exercise. As a matter of fact, I exercise 3-4 hours a day total. I enjoy it and it helps me so much. I just can't stop thinking about food... ALL DAY!!!! I don't overdue it very often but I take bites here and there of sweets or mashed potatoes if my kids are having them. Every once in a while I totally gorge. Sometimes I feel so full and guilty it literally makes me sick. If I'm alone I think about what I can eat before someone gets home and sees me. My trainer says I just need to eat clean and it'll become a habit. It's just not that easy for me. I don't know how to change my thinking patterns. Any advice is very welcome. If you've been here and beat this please let me know how you did it. (and if you know me in real life please do not tell anyone about this. It's a personal issue)

    Eating until your sick is not normal behaviour, speak to a doctor.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    mitzi2013 wrote: »
    I wake up every morning at 4am and exercise. As a matter of fact, I exercise 3-4 hours a day total. I enjoy it and it helps me so much. I just can't stop thinking about food... ALL DAY!!!! I don't overdue it very often but I take bites here and there of sweets or mashed potatoes if my kids are having them. Every once in a while I totally gorge. Sometimes I feel so full and guilty it literally makes me sick. If I'm alone I think about what I can eat before someone gets home and sees me. My trainer says I just need to eat clean and it'll become a habit. It's just not that easy for me. I don't know how to change my thinking patterns. Any advice is very welcome. If you've been here and beat this please let me know how you did it. (and if you know me in real life please do not tell anyone about this. It's a personal issue)

    Eating until your sick is not normal behaviour, speak to a doctor.

    THIS.... +1
  • kristenlarkin
    kristenlarkin Posts: 235 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Commit to short periods of time. Be strict on your self for 2 weeks. Absolutely no cheating. You can get through anything for 2 weeks. After the 2 weeks, it should become a habit. Also, always have good choices for snacking food on hand. Things that are ready to grab and eat and don't have to be cooked is best. Things you really like, so when you want something you have a healthy option and won't take bites of the sweets. Pickles, help get rid of sweet cravings.
  • SillyCat1975
    SillyCat1975 Posts: 328 Member
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    You are working your body too hard. OF course you are starving, you think a bite here and a bite there won't hurt you, but in truth those bites add up. Log every single thing you put in your mouth, remember this is a lifestyle change not just a diet. You look great! I think we all tend to turn to something that has made us feel good before at some point. Whatever circumstances you may be going through, a lot of us find comfort in it, you should maybe talk to someone and see what's causing you to feel this way. Again, you work out an extreme amount, give your body some time to rest. You look great!
  • mitzi2013
    mitzi2013 Posts: 47 Member
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    I'm 36. 5'5 and I started at 251 pounds. I'm currently at 214. It has taken a couple years to lose this much. A lot of ups and downs. My ultimate goal is to be healthy. The number isn't particularly important but somewhere between 130 and 145 sounds good to me. The reason my diet is private is because I don't keep up with it like I should. The days I eat well I log everything but then when I break down I stop logging.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    mitzi2013 wrote: »
    I'm 36. 5'5 and I started at 251 pounds. I'm currently at 214. It has taken a couple years to lose this much. A lot of ups and downs. My ultimate goal is to be healthy. The number isn't particularly important but somewhere between 130 and 145 sounds good to me. The reason my diet is private is because I don't keep up with it like I should. The days I eat well I log everything but then when I break down I stop logging.

    OK.. I see a huge problem as to what and how you explain using the MFP tool. Again the "food addiction" or gorging until your pretty much sick is a disorder. You do not use the tools you choose to use therefore no commitments or behavior modifications and especially finding your relationship to food.

    Sorry to be so blunt and I do not find good excuses in anything you posted...

    You really don't need a long 6 page or 10 page full of comments stating so.
  • dparizeau
    dparizeau Posts: 10 Member
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    Want to change everything? This does: http://whole30.com
  • misstweedy
    misstweedy Posts: 45 Member
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    First of all, "eating clean" means very different things to different people (no carbs, paleo, no processed food, the list goes on). It sounds like you are restricting yourself quite severely and that it's a strategy that doesn't work for you. I know it doesn't work for me, I do much better if I allow myself treats as long as I can work them into my calorie budget. It may also be that you are simply restricting your caloric intake too much and are just not getting enough fuel. That's pretty much bound to lead to binging.

    Having said that, the excessive secrecy and guilt-tripping around food does sound fairly unhealthy and is something you should talk to a professional about (not your trainer though, he/she does not appear particularly helpful on this account).
  • mitzi2013
    mitzi2013 Posts: 47 Member
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    I'm not looking for excuses. I've had enough of those on my own. I'm looking for advice. You've now given yours, so thank you.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    mitzi2013 wrote: »
    I'm not looking for excuses. I've had enough of those on my own. I'm looking for advice. You've now given yours, so thank you.

    See a doctor
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
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    3-4 hours a day of exercise is a lot! and needs to be fueled. however, the emotional issues and addiction behind the food, and guilt and obsessive thoughts however are not good. have you spoken to a medical professional? also, there are over eaters annonymous groups that can help people with all sorts of food issues, over eating, under eating, fear of foods etc. perhaps try one of those? i am part of an eating disorders anonymous group which is similar, and works the way aa or na would. very helpful the support that is there, that could be a good start if you cannot get to the doctor or afford visits or something like that. sounds like a binge eating type of issue. i hope you can work it all out! also, what are your reasons for the 3-4 hours of daily exercise?
  • mitzi2013
    mitzi2013 Posts: 47 Member
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    I'm currently doing a weight loss competition at my gym. It has 7 weeks left. Before that I worked out about half as much, sometimes not at all. I thought the competition would help with the food issues. In a way it has. I'm not eating fast food at all and I make better choices when I go out to eat. It's when I'm home that I have the self control problems.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Id reappraise your approach and check the basics such as logging, calorie deficit and amount of exercise.

    You then need to put as many things in place to stop you breaking your deficit as and when you choose because its self sabotage. Set your calories at a realistic level, eat the right type of foods to both fuel your workouts, give you adequate nutrition and satiety. Mini binges are often a sign of trying to be too aggresive.

    Take it one day at a time and commit. Review each day and as you ont wnat excuses, then when you are binging or breaking your deficit through absent minded eating make a not of it an how you were feeling plus why. You need to understand it so you can recognise and avoid it in future. Its not about eating clean but portion control, which you must surely know considering your weight loss success so far.

    At some stage you simply have to commit.
  • nikkib0103
    nikkib0103 Posts: 968 Member
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    You work out a lot so it's not surprising you are hungry. My advice to you is this, log all the good and bad and in between. My guess is you will see a pattern emerge. Once that pattern os there you might be able to make the modifications you need. You might also consider seeing a therapist if there is a pattern of emotional eating. It is not easy to stop eating stuff we love but awareness of the what, why and when of it all makes a huge difference. Good luck.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Exactly what exercises are you doing?

    On the days you do log ... how many calories are you logging?

  • mitzi2013
    mitzi2013 Posts: 47 Member
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    I take a lot of classes. I enjoy spin, zumba, body pump, and body combat the most. I don't exercise to make up for the eating or anything. I genuinely enjoy it once I get started. When I keep up with my food log I generally eat between 1200 and 1400 calories.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Your answers make it impossible to even ballpark estimate what you burn or what you eat.

    See a doctor. If you are putting forth any effort in those classes, you simply do not provide your body with the fuel it needs on the days you log. That leads to binges that none of us here can assess because you don't log them.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited March 2015
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    There is a lot of things being said here that are off.

    For starters she has a trainer (supposedly helping her exercise/eat clean) to advice her to get into better habits??? And then she is on a weight loss competition that will help her with her food issues????

    I question this because I am relying on the "facts" she is writing in the post.. (contradictory to say the least).. As I mentioned this will go on for 6 pages or even 10 pages and the same conclusion will be relevant...

    edited: Not committed to the "weight loss competition" that has 7 more weeks?? and what is the grand prize? is there any incentive and does she want to win it? ??? ???

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