Food as a addiction?
dmfish1
Posts: 6 Member
I am not new to weight loss. I have a life long history of losing and gaining weight. I know the facts and the rules and in the end it is about balance, moderation and exercise. The most recent realization I have come to accept is that I am addict. YES. I am addicted to Food. In particular sugar,(and all the things sweeten by it) and bread type carbs.
about 3 1/2 years ago, I was considering a surgical intervention for weight loss, but my insurance did not cover intervention for obesity. I had gone to preliminary meeting, and heard about what was expect of someone who had the surgery, how and what they were expected to eat.
I met with my doctor and had serious discussion, about my Weight. she made a simple statement" sugar you just can not have it" that when a light really lit up.
the diet post surgery was eat every 2hours, protein first, veggies and fruits.. no sugar sweets etc..
I chose to eat no white potato, no rice/ pasta. sweet potato was ok
to only eat bread that was high protein and fiber based. and my 2 indulges corn chips, and fat free pretzels. I decided 3 bread type carb per day only.
I stopped eating ALL cookies, cakes, brownies, sweets of any kinds, any breads other the approved choices. I filled out my plate with protein and fruits and veggies.
I did not weight and measure my food, I ate until I was full. and snacked often. I did not feel deprived at all.. I loss 67 lbs and felt good. I added exercise after losing 40 pounds
I kept it off 2 years. then stress hit my life, I slowly starting adding those food back into my life( my old coping techniques, it made me feel good in moment, )
at first it was ok, then it began to slip out of control. just like a boozer at the bar.
I have now gain it back and am back on the wagon.
So when someone ask if not eating certain types of food will help with weight loss. Yes, because when food is addition. Like any addict you can not do just a little of your feel good thing. IT will pull you back in. some of us have trigger foods/ or food groups
I know this is a familiar story .. to many.
about 3 1/2 years ago, I was considering a surgical intervention for weight loss, but my insurance did not cover intervention for obesity. I had gone to preliminary meeting, and heard about what was expect of someone who had the surgery, how and what they were expected to eat.
I met with my doctor and had serious discussion, about my Weight. she made a simple statement" sugar you just can not have it" that when a light really lit up.
the diet post surgery was eat every 2hours, protein first, veggies and fruits.. no sugar sweets etc..
I chose to eat no white potato, no rice/ pasta. sweet potato was ok
to only eat bread that was high protein and fiber based. and my 2 indulges corn chips, and fat free pretzels. I decided 3 bread type carb per day only.
I stopped eating ALL cookies, cakes, brownies, sweets of any kinds, any breads other the approved choices. I filled out my plate with protein and fruits and veggies.
I did not weight and measure my food, I ate until I was full. and snacked often. I did not feel deprived at all.. I loss 67 lbs and felt good. I added exercise after losing 40 pounds
I kept it off 2 years. then stress hit my life, I slowly starting adding those food back into my life( my old coping techniques, it made me feel good in moment, )
at first it was ok, then it began to slip out of control. just like a boozer at the bar.
I have now gain it back and am back on the wagon.
So when someone ask if not eating certain types of food will help with weight loss. Yes, because when food is addition. Like any addict you can not do just a little of your feel good thing. IT will pull you back in. some of us have trigger foods/ or food groups
I know this is a familiar story .. to many.
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Replies
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If you really believe you're addicted to food, you should be seeing a therapist.0
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Food can be an addiction for many people.0
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TheVirgoddess wrote: »If you really believe you're addicted to food, you should be seeing a therapist.
I totally agree. As soon as I can I want to go to this eating disorder clinic near my house. I know I need therapy for my eating, but I am doing what I can and trying to lose weight in the meantime.0 -
That a food can be a trigger or that you have self control issues doesn't make it an addiction. Claiming to be addicted to some breads and not others is like claiming to be addicted to pinot and not cabernet.
If it's easier for you not to eat it, don't.
Being an addict (to anything) doesn't make you not responsible for your choices, also.0 -
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I am not new to weight loss. I have a life long history of losing and gaining weight. I know the facts and the rules and in the end it is about balance, moderation and exercise. The most recent realization I have come to accept is that I am addict. YES. I am addicted to Food. In particular sugar,(and all the things sweeten by it) and bread type carbs.
about 3 1/2 years ago, I was considering a surgical intervention for weight loss, but my insurance did not cover intervention for obesity. I had gone to preliminary meeting, and heard about what was expect of someone who had the surgery, how and what they were expected to eat.
I met with my doctor and had serious discussion, about my Weight. she made a simple statement" sugar you just can not have it" that when a light really lit up.
the diet post surgery was eat every 2hours, protein first, veggies and fruits.. no sugar sweets etc..
I chose to eat no white potato, no rice/ pasta. sweet potato was ok
to only eat bread that was high protein and fiber based. and my 2 indulges corn chips, and fat free pretzels. I decided 3 bread type carb per day only.
I stopped eating ALL cookies, cakes, brownies, sweets of any kinds, any breads other the approved choices. I filled out my plate with protein and fruits and veggies.
I did not weight and measure my food, I ate until I was full. and snacked often. I did not feel deprived at all.. I loss 67 lbs and felt good. I added exercise after losing 40 pounds
I kept it off 2 years. then stress hit my life, I slowly starting adding those food back into my life( my old coping techniques, it made me feel good in moment, )
at first it was ok, then it began to slip out of control. just like a boozer at the bar.
I have now gain it back and am back on the wagon.
So when someone ask if not eating certain types of food will help with weight loss. Yes, because when food is addition. Like any addict you can not do just a little of your feel good thing. IT will pull you back in. some of us have trigger foods/ or food groups
I know this is a familiar story .. to many.
Why did you continue to eat fruit and veggies if you are a self proclaimed sugar addict? Almost sounds like you weren't addicted to sugar at all, just an easy excuse to use
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This sounds like graysheeters anon. I read up on a few of the overeaters anon type groups, and some do encourage members to practice abstinence from sugar, artificial sweeteners,and enriched flour.
This model is clearly helpful to some. But for me, I want to learn to eat all foods, and not feel that I am powerless in the face of certain foods.
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While I would agree that you cannot physically be addicted to foods, I do believe people can have disorder eating habits. But like MrM27 mentioned, those need to be addressed with a therapist.0
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This really does sound like a case where a therapist was needed. There's no such thing as food addiction.
I don't understand the selective elimination the OP did.
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I should have added, that I have been followed by a MD through all of this, and counseling on and off.
I never said I was not responsible for my choices, as stated above I went back to old coping habits, that made me feel good, In the moment. I took the path of least resistance. Each person can have an opinion, but if you do not believe that people can be addicted to food. Then you are fooling yourself. Food is used in society to help sooth broken hearts, celebrate life, mourn deaths, just to name few. We attach all kinds of importance to food that has nothing to do with the basic need to eat to sustain life. So, if you think a person can not have an emotional/ psychological attachment to food which is difficult to control or manage ,you are fooling yourself.
I am responsible for me and what I eat. It does not make it any easier to say no, when almost everyday, Some one in your life, be it home or work is right there with cake, cookies, left over Easter candy. etc
Each person needs to find their approach or relationship with food, many people can find balance between all foods some just can not thus the Yo - Yo of weight loss world. If this was easy , I assume most of us would not be here.
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I should also add, That I do believe process sugars are addictive to the body. The more you eat it the more you crave it. I understand there are sugars in fruit and veggies, but these are combine with fiber and such, metabolize differently, more slowly. then say a donut. I did make a few food selection base things that were foods I like but really never over indulged. like pretzels or corn chips . In addition I added more beans to my diet as well.0
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I can't believe how rude and out of touch some of those comments are. The DSM-5 defines binge eating disorder as a psychiatric disorder covered by health insurance. Check it out.0
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herrspoons wrote: »It's a great excuse. But that's what it is: an excuse.
Rationalise your failure all you like. It's still failure by choice.
Would you say that to a bulimic or anorexic? Would you say that to someone with a drug addiction or alcoholism?0 -
I should also add, That I do believe process sugars are addictive to the body. The more you eat it the more you crave it. I understand there are sugars in fruit and veggies, but these are combine with fiber and such, metabolize differently, more slowly. then say a donut. I did make a few food selection base things that were foods I like but really never over indulged. like pretzels or corn chips . In addition I added more beans to my diet as well.
So frosted mini wheat would be ok?
And lol at the poster who mentioned the dsm, which doesn't have food addiction at all in it0 -
In.0
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Sigh.0
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jessicadb2 wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »It's a great excuse. But that's what it is: an excuse.
Rationalise your failure all you like. It's still failure by choice.
Would you say that to a bulimic or anorexic? Would you say that to someone with a drug addiction or alcoholism?
If the addict was claiming that's why they kept drinking/using or did the things they did, absolutely.
Saying I can't help it, I'm an addict is an excuse, even if you ARE an addict. That's why it irritates me so when people pull out the addiction thing as if that was a reason they can't help it or aren't bound by the same principles as everyone else with food. That's not how it works with what I consider real addictions.
It's also much more than simply using the substance of choice for emotional purposes, although it's that too. And it's definitely not liking the substance so much that you have a hard time not overrindulging.
I think there are food addicts, but it's pretty rare, and a tendency to overeat cookies isn't the same thing.0 -
OP your best bet is to not use the forums here at MFP. I have been a member on a different account for about 4 years and lost 113 pounds. I was extremely active in the forums and got fed up with all of the negativity. I deactivated the other account and started this new one. I still read the forums but obviously do not respond much. I just had to respond to this one because most of the people above are completely wrong.
Anyway, I am not sure if anybody above me has a degree in Science or Psychology and has studied addiction. Well I have so let me tell you that food can in fact be an addiction. Here is a quote from WebMD which is a reliable and credible webpage:
"Like addictive drugs, highly palatable foods trigger feel-good brain chemicals such as Dopamine. Once people experience pleasure associated with increased Dopamine transmission in the brain's reward pathway from eating certain foods, they quickly feel the need to eat again." The same thing happens with cocaine and heroin. Food CAN be an addiction.
Anyway, that's the basics. Feel free to do more research on your own but make sure you check the credibility of the webpage you are using first. I won't return to the forum, it's pointless.
Good luck OP. You got this!0 -
Good grief, people. The original poster simply made a candid observation about his own behavior and OWNED it - took responsibility, and did NOT make an excuse. This is my first post here, and I joined to give & receive support, not to be eaten by a school of cyber piranhas.
This site exists to help each other out during a very difficult process. If you've found success in your weight loss journey, maybe you could offer some insight and encouragement instead of insults. Is this how you behave in real life? Thanks, but I won't be sticking around.0 -
Food is used in society to help sooth broken hearts, celebrate life, mourn deaths, just to name few. We attach all kinds of importance to food that has nothing to do with the basic need to eat to sustain life.
Of course it is. My problem is with saying "I eat for reasons other than needing the specific nutrients I'm consuming" is addiction. That's just not similar to what addiction is in any other context. EVERYONE who drinks alcohol does it for reasons like this, and not for the nutrients, and yet not everyone is an alcoholic.So, if you think a person can not have an emotional/ psychological attachment to food which is difficult to control or manage ,you are fooling yourself.
Of course people do. I've struggled with this myself.
It's still not at all the same as addiction. To claim it is is to be extremely dismissive of what real addiction is, IMO. There are lots of things we do as a result of maladjusted coping habits and because we have a hard time putting off short term pleasures in favor of harder to see and realize long term goals, but that doesn't mean we are addicts or are without self control.
That said, probably some of the same tools can be used to address the emotional and coping elements.0 -
"In the DSM" = Insurance will pay for therapy. Giving the therapy industry the benefit of every doubt, in the DSM=good faith belief that therapy may help, but it does not make it an addiction, a disease or an excuse.0
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CryingInColor wrote: »OP your best bet is to not use the forums here at MFP. I have been a member on a different account for about 4 years and lost 113 pounds. I was extremely active in the forums and got fed up with all of the negativity. I deactivated the other account and started this new one. I still read the forums but obviously do not respond much. I just had to respond to this one because most of the people above are completely wrong.
Anyway, I am not sure if anybody above me has a degree in Science or Psychology and has studied addiction. Well I have so let me tell you that food can in fact be an addiction. Here is a quote from WebMD which is a reliable and credible webpage:
"Like addictive drugs, highly palatable foods trigger feel-good brain chemicals such as Dopamine. Once people experience pleasure associated with increased Dopamine transmission in the brain's reward pathway from eating certain foods, they quickly feel the need to eat again." The same thing happens with cocaine and heroin. Food CAN be an addiction.
Anyway, that's the basics. Feel free to do more research on your own but make sure you check the credibility of the webpage you are using first. I won't return to the forum, it's pointless.
Good luck OP. You got this!
Lmao webmd highly credible? And food covers a lot more than the subset of highly palatable foods0 -
Good read.
Kirschenbaum, D. S., and R. Krawczyk. "The Exaggeration of Food Addiction: Most Weight-Controllers are Athletes, not Addicts." J Obes Bariatrics 2.2 (2015): 6.
http://www.avensonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/JOAB-2377-9284-02-0009.pdf0 -
CryingInColor wrote: »OP your best bet is to not use the forums here at MFP. I have been a member on a different account for about 4 years and lost 113 pounds. I was extremely active in the forums and got fed up with all of the negativity. I deactivated the other account and started this new one. I still read the forums but obviously do not respond much. I just had to respond to this one because most of the people above are completely wrong.
Anyway, I am not sure if anybody above me has a degree in Science or Psychology and has studied addiction. Well I have so let me tell you that food can in fact be an addiction. Here is a quote from WebMD which is a reliable and credible webpage:
"Like addictive drugs, highly palatable foods trigger feel-good brain chemicals such as Dopamine. Once people experience pleasure associated with increased Dopamine transmission in the brain's reward pathway from eating certain foods, they quickly feel the need to eat again." The same thing happens with cocaine and heroin. Food CAN be an addiction.
Anyway, that's the basics. Feel free to do more research on your own but make sure you check the credibility of the webpage you are using first. I won't return to the forum, it's pointless.
Good luck OP. You got this!
Anytime you do anything pleasurable, dopamine is released. But that doesn't mean you are addicted. Don't get me wrong, people have eating disorders but it doesn't mean food is physically addictive like drugs are. It means, they developed a comfort response to a situation. It's a reaction, not a dependency.
The issue that most people have is blaming sugar but in reality, it's a variety of foods (really anything hyperpalatable) that will give you that happy feeling. For some, it's cupcakes, cookies or ice cream, others it's pizza, chicken or etc... For the OP, it was sweets. But does that mean they are addicted? Probably not. But do they need invention, yes.
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I should also add, That I do believe process sugars are addictive to the body. The more you eat it the more you crave it. I understand there are sugars in fruit and veggies, but these are combine with fiber and such, metabolize differently, more slowly. then say a donut. I did make a few food selection base things that were foods I like but really never over indulged. like pretzels or corn chips . In addition I added more beans to my diet as well.
yea, no …you can't be addicted to one form of sugar and not another. if someone told you they were a crack addict but snorted cocaine you would call BS on them.
self control issues around certain food/sugar does not equal addiction.
if you think you have an issue then see a therapist or check yourself into a rehab program for your "addiction"…
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BeachKitty301 wrote: »Good grief, people. The original poster simply made a candid observation about his own behavior and OWNED it - took responsibility, and did NOT make an excuse. This is my first post here, and I joined to give & receive support, not to be eaten by a school of cyber piranhas.
This site exists to help each other out during a very difficult process. If you've found success in your weight loss journey, maybe you could offer some insight and encouragement instead of insults. Is this how you behave in real life? Thanks, but I won't be sticking around.
so telling OP that he/she is not addicted and to see a therapist is rude..??
sorry, but we don't just blindly support OP's here…if people are going to make statements like this then they are going to be challenged on it..
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TheVirgoddess wrote: »If you really believe you're addicted to food, you should be seeing a therapist.
People don't necessarily need therapy to break an addiction. Many people quit smoking without therapy.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »TheVirgoddess wrote: »If you really believe you're addicted to food, you should be seeing a therapist.
People don't necessarily need therapy to break an addiction. Many people quit smoking without therapy.
The difference is you need food to live. Eating is not something you just quit. Of course, you *can* use the same strategies to not eat food as you can with not smoking/drinking/other drug use, but eventually death happens because humans kinda need to eat to survive.
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