Withdrawals from food

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sharpshooter_babe
sharpshooter_babe Posts: 2 Member
edited July 2015 in Food and Nutrition
I have been losing weight & at the same time having withdrawals from food. Food is my addiction. Or used to be. Does anyone have any tips on getting rid of the food withdrawals?
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Replies

  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    What is the nature of the "withdrawals"?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Yes. Headache and fatigue lasted a week or so.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I never did. I never saw anyone who did. Except for caffeine, I don't think I know of any food substance that could cause any sort of withdrawal symptoms.

    Why kind of symptoms do you have?
  • MissElectricEyeliner
    MissElectricEyeliner Posts: 122 Member
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    I've been fighting with B.E.D (binge eating disorder) since I was young. I tend to get extremely moody and insane cravings when I try to eat "better" or more mindfully. Sometimes I crave a food for days or even weeks. I even often dream about eating food. I try to eat things I like in moderation to keep the crazy cravings away. If I mess up one day here and there I don't beat myself up over it and move on.
  • LessofPenny
    LessofPenny Posts: 53 Member
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    I think that if you are a sweet eater or a salty eater....you just need to find foods that are healthy to supplement those things. It is actually a good question for someone just starting out. It takes a little time, but if you stay with it and try your very best....your taste buds will go through a change. make your diary public.....I find that great for accountability and friend people like myself that do the same. It will give you ideas of things you can give a try that maybe you like, but forgot that you even liked it. I log it even if it a slip up....that way when i don't lose, I can look back on my week and the truth is in the....donuts....or whatever. good luck to you!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    I never did. I never saw anyone who did. Except for caffeine, I don't think I know of any food substance that could cause any sort of withdrawal symptoms.

    Why kind of symptoms do you have?
    I think food withdrawal starts with hunger and then moves on eventually to death.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    edited July 2015
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    OP, if it is caffeine withdrawal, it will pass. Drink lots of water, take some painkillers for the headache if you have to, but it will go. However - there's nothing inherantly wrong with caffeine, so if a coffee gets you through the day, hit it up.

    Other 'withdrawal' sysmptoms you may feel will likely be psychological. It's hard when you start to change things up and you might feel like things are "bad" or that you can't have them, which leads you to start to fixate on them and crave them. You can either find a replacement, or have those things in moderation. The biggest obstacle is in your head, so you need to rationalise it - don't make it bigger than it is. You're not going to never have your favourites again, you can even have them in your calorie goal.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    Perhaps you are having cravings, not withdrawal? Sometimes if you look at something from a different perspective, it can make it easier to handle.

    For example, you want a certain food. You think, I'm addicted, it's withdrawal! This is terrible! It's hopeless and out of my control! Or you think... I want this food. It's a craving. I can handle that by either reasoning with myself, or by making conscious choices, either working a bit into your daily calorie allotment, or going cold turkey if eating some causes a binge.
  • carriecarrot
    carriecarrot Posts: 70 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Anyway, I am guessing you either mean missing certain foods you used to enjoy before committing to weight loss, or that you feel hungry eating fewer calories.

    Missing certain foods - I definitely have this problem! My plan to combat this is to cook with creativity. Think of ways to make a tasty low-calorie dish. Designing and cooking your own recipes is satisfying and fun for me... perhaps even more fun than a fry lover burger from Rally's or a Snicker's bars! This could also include finding ways to "lighten up" favorites, and if you cannot/do not want to do this on your own, you can always find some recipes online. Skinnytaste.com has a lot of good recipes.

    There is also -
    Having 1 cheat day a week (a day where you eat what you want)
    Fitting those foods "in moderation" within your calorie limits (personally doesn't work for me... Lol I always go overboard. But everyone is different!)

    Hunger -

    I have trouble with this one too. My best advice is to try to eat lean protein, whole grains, and vegetables... foods that are generally bulky but also low in calories. With the right foods, you can eat a large VOLUME of food, but stay within your calorie limits.

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Apart from caffeine it's merely a behavioural change (and not a physical withdrawal although it might seem the same)

    Is like trying to stop a toddler from having a tantrum, you just have to be patient and determined wait until they (your behavioural symptoms) grow out of it

    Consider your head and desire to lose weight the parent

    And listen to it

    Your body changes over time so does your mind

    It just takes commitment and a CICO no food is bad approach IMO
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    edited July 2015
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    And to the OP, I never experienced any physical symptoms, but the psychological effects of my changes in diet were tough. Hang in there, it does get easier!
  • azucker88
    azucker88 Posts: 108 Member
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    I try to find low cal options to curb the craving, food was my drug, now I try to keep active, when I feel hungry I get up and clean or drink some water, the first two weeks were the hardest. I'm 29 days in, it gets better.
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
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    I think rabbitjb nailed it as far as the withdrawal part goes. Personally I would hazard a guess that you probably have your calorie deficit set too high, here is a link for figuring out an appropriate calorie intake...

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
  • chandelierbee
    chandelierbee Posts: 95 Member
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    I think you need to get a friend or family member to distract you and go out and geocache! It's so much fun. Or go somewhere like in the city like for me, i go out to seattle and go experience pike place and eat fresh fruit and there's so much life since its been super sunny. Or play video games, there's always the Call of Duty diet, where you play for so long that you forget to eat or don't have time to get food after each game. Jk, that was me once upon a time, I played to escape reality but don't spend too much time. Do you eat every 2 hours ? I do and I havnt had any difficulties with withdrawals that I adapted my cravings toward fruit and chocolate chips :3 msg me or take a look at my diary but don't look today...
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    chandelierbee wrote: »
    I think you need to get a friend or family member to distract you and go out and geocache! It's so much fun. Or go somewhere like in the city like for me, i go out to seattle and go experience pike place and eat fresh fruit and there's so much life since its been super sunny. Or play video games, there's always the Call of Duty diet, where you play for so long that you forget to eat or don't have time to get food after each game. Jk, that was me once upon a time, I played to escape reality but don't spend too much time. Do you eat every 2 hours ? I do and I havnt had any difficulties with withdrawals that I adapted my cravings toward fruit and chocolate chips :3 msg me or take a look at my diary but don't look today...

    But... but... Doritos? Mountain Dew?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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  • vinerie
    vinerie Posts: 234 Member
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    It's a proven fact that a brain responds to sugar the same way a brain responds to cocaine. Much processed food contains sugar. So changing your eating habits is absolutely going to result in withdrawal symptoms. :( best thing you can do is fight through the withdrawal, and limit the chance you might slip up (I.e. At this point you may want to eliminate all junk food in the house.) it DOES get better.

    If you want some more info on what you're feeling, the documentary Fed Up is great. It's on netflix right now.

    Good luck!

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