I am addicted to food
angelicarivera456
Posts: 3 Member
I went 2 yrs without going to the gym. Eating for any and every reason even when im not hungry. Now I started going back to the gym and ive been doing good but I get home and I find ways to eat and sneak in cookies n starchy foods. I dont know how to stop this
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We're all addicted to food. We have to eat every day or we'll die.
You have to just stop. There's no hint or trick that I can give you to make you not pick up those cookies. You have to be disciplined with yourself. You've taken the first step by creating a MFP account. Work out your calorie recommendation based on your current gender, weight, height, and activity level and log your food, making sure to stay under or at the calorie goal it calculated for you.
Maybe you can get away with some cookies or starchy foods if you plan your day and maybe eat less for lunch or dinner. All is not lost.0 -
Try interrupting your routine. When you get home, don't go into the kitchen. Go for a walk. Throw in a load of wash. Sort the mail.
You DO have the capability to make beneficial decisions. Sometimes the decision will be to have a few cookies - no harm done. Other times, you'll decide you need to walk away.0 -
Yes your right. I have to work on being self disciplined. Thanks0
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No such thing as a food addiction. People who tell themselves they are, are kind of looking for excuses. Lack of willpower is not an illness....0
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I find it helpful to tell myself "you can have that tomorrow if you still want it" - that would give you that point in time where you can walk away from it for the time being. This is like any addiction - sometimes one second at a time. Then you are the one in control of your actions. Not the other way around. Just a thought. Everyone has to find their own system that works for them.0
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Find room in your diet for cookies and starchy foods. If you can have them you don't have to sneak them in, won't feel guilty, and will be able to eat well while enjoying them.0
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I think we could all use a little education about "food addiction". Despite the term being commonly used, there's no such thing. But there is such a thing as being addicted to certain types of foods such as sugar or highly processed foods like Cheetos or fast food. People with these addictions to certain types of foods think that it is a problem with their self-discipline, but it's not. It is something hardwired into the brain.
Here are some sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/food-cravings-addiction-new-study-adds-to-the-evidence/
http://youtu.be/4BbWaB3RiTI
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-you-a-food-addict-take-the-yale-food-addiction-scale-survey/0 -
Actually food can have the same effect on the brain as alcohol and animal studies have shown that high sugar/high fat food surpasses cocaine as a reward. Its all about dopamine.
Personally I think food is addictive particularly for those people who eat as a crutch for something else. It can be really hard to curb those cravings. If I crave something I try to have a small amount and maybe choose the less calorific version of what it is I really want, and incorporate it into my calories for the day. It might mean substituting rice for cauliflower at dinner or something, but its working for me at the moment.
Find something else (something healthy) that triggers your dopamine receptors. Some people get it from exercise.0 -
dont buy it what you binge on.
theres a reason i dont buy peanut butter cups very often.....
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Try just removing some of the items from your house. Maybe not all the items, but some of them. I love cake, and if I had it in my house I'd eat it all the time. To help with not even buying some of these things, try making sure when you go to the grocery that you've already eaten recently so you aren't hungry. When I'm hungry at the store I'm a lot more likely to buy that cake than if I'm not.
Other than that, perhaps you could just make these items fit into your daily calorie goals so you don't feel deprived. Everything in moderation.0 -
Actually food can have the same effect on the brain as alcohol and animal studies have shown that high sugar/high fat food surpasses cocaine as a reward. Its all about dopamine.
Personally I think food is addictive particularly for those people who eat as a crutch for something else. It can be really hard to curb those cravings. If I crave something I try to have a small amount and maybe choose the less calorific version of what it is I really want, and incorporate it into my calories for the day. It might mean substituting rice for cauliflower at dinner or something, but its working for me at the moment.
Find something else (something healthy) that triggers your dopamine receptors. Some people get it from exercise.
NO. Particularly the bold. For starters, food does not have the same effect on the brain as alcohol. Additionally, you are mis-representing the results of the study which looked at food vs cocaine in rats; the study was poorly designed, and your conclusion from the results of the study is wrong. Additionally, food cravings and addiction are not the same, at all.
OP, why not just not keep cookies in the house?0 -
It has become a habit for you so you have to slowly learn to make new habits, as someone else said, change your routine when you get back from gym, keep busy and if it is real hunger then eat someone nutritious/filling.
Drinking water really helps imo.0 -
Good thing you are addicted to food. Otherwise you would die.
This compulsion to eat all the time could come from a variety of impulses. It pays to work this out. Knowing why you are doing it is the key to changing your behavior.
Is it boredom eating? - find another activity to stimulate you
Is it mindless eating? - force yourself to slow down and eat much more slowly. Portion out your snacks out to a cup at a time and drink a full glass of water in between.
Are you seeking comfort after working out? - pick another comfort activity. I like to curl up under an electric blanket, or have a hot shower.0 -
ClosetBayesian wrote: »
NO. Particularly the bold. For starters, food does not have the same effect on the brain as alcohol. Additionally, you are mis-representing the results of the study which looked at food vs cocaine in rats; the study was poorly designed, and your conclusion from the results of the study is wrong. Additionally, food cravings and addiction are not the same, at all.
OP, why not just not keep cookies in the house?
I summarised very quickly one study. There are others. Many many others.
There is evidence that addiction to certain foods is based in physiology not just psychology or environmental factors although these have influence too.
I also didn't mean that food has the same intoxication effect at all I meant that it triggers the same happy hormones according to some studies as far as I have researched I apologise for not having done a PhD on the subject myself while sat at work this afternoon.0 -
Certain foods do have an effect on the brain similar to substance abuse in that it releases dopamine. It's an effect on the reward system of the brain. It only effects certain people, and those people are addicted to types of foods. It's something that was hardwired into their brain. People's brains who are addicted to certain types of foods go through a different process than people who aren't addicted to those certain types of foods.0
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Speaking as someone who battles with healthy food choices and as a psychology professional who works with people with addiction I will say that while addiction to drugs and unhealthy eating habits are not the same, they are closely related. Specifically the thought processes that a drug addict has mimic the thought processes of those of us who have food issues.
Anyway, I have found a multitude of ways to cope with my unhealthy relationship with food. For one I found myself using food as a reward for just about everything; I would even use food as a reward for losing weight. Now I try to replace that reward system with something that is just as rewarding (if not more) like a trip to the spa, mani/pedi, even a mid day nap (I personally love a good nap).
When I grocery shop I would buy maybe 2-3 snacks for the week and they would be gone by Tuesday. Now I constantly have to remind myself that this is IT for the week, and I will not stop at the store on the way home for more snacks. This has helped with the nightly overeating routine that I had.
One other thing that I am currently trying is replacing unhealthy foods with healthier options. I personally am obsessed with swedish fish which, as far as I know have absolutely NO nutritional value. I am currently trying to replace them with healthier foods like fruit.
Something I believe will work against you is attempting to get rid of all the snacks at once. Cold turkey only sounds good to me when its on whole wheat bread with mayo and lettuce. Attempting to quit cold turkey often results in relapsing back into old habits. I would suggest eliminating the addictive foods one at a time, starting with the most favorite food item. It's not to say that you reintroduce this food back into your diet, but only after you have a gained a sense of self control.
Lastly, therapy helps. Trust me and I'm not just saying that as a form of self promotion, but it definitely helps because the unhealthy relationship with food may be the result of some unresolved issues.
Hope this helps. Best of luck to us all.0 -
Many would benefit from reading this great thread regarding "food addiction".
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p10 -
I also didn't mean that food has the same intoxication effect at all I meant that it triggers the same happy hormones according to some studies as far as I have researched I apologise for not having done a PhD on the subject myself while sat at work this afternoon.
The latest research (~2002) on these "happy hormones" (dopamine) is that they are really the anticipation hormones; our drive to seek out and repeat a pleasurable experience.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S08966273020060370 -
ClosetBayesian wrote: »Actually food can have the same effect on the brain as alcohol and animal studies have shown that high sugar/high fat food surpasses cocaine as a reward. Its all about dopamine.
Personally I think food is addictive particularly for those people who eat as a crutch for something else. It can be really hard to curb those cravings. If I crave something I try to have a small amount and maybe choose the less calorific version of what it is I really want, and incorporate it into my calories for the day. It might mean substituting rice for cauliflower at dinner or something, but its working for me at the moment.
Find something else (something healthy) that triggers your dopamine receptors. Some people get it from exercise.
NO. Particularly the bold. For starters, food does not have the same effect on the brain as alcohol. Additionally, you are mis-representing the results of the study which looked at food vs cocaine in rats; the study was poorly designed, and your conclusion from the results of the study is wrong. Additionally, food cravings and addiction are not the same, at all.
OP, why not just not keep cookies in the house?
I don't necessarily side with one side or the other but if you are disputing with credibility you should cite some sort of credible study. Just saying so yourself won't make it so.
As for "addiction" I am not entirely sure what defines it. I'm very familiar with out of control eating, as many here can probably identify with. Weak will? I drink plenty of alcohol, enjoy it greatly, but I unquestionably am not addicted to it. I can go for months without missing or craving it. No matter how good a glass of cold beer or wine tastes, if there's a possibility that I need to drive soon I can easily not touch it.
So, what's addiction and what's weak self control ?
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endlessfall16 wrote: »ClosetBayesian wrote: »Actually food can have the same effect on the brain as alcohol and animal studies have shown that high sugar/high fat food surpasses cocaine as a reward. Its all about dopamine.
Personally I think food is addictive particularly for those people who eat as a crutch for something else. It can be really hard to curb those cravings. If I crave something I try to have a small amount and maybe choose the less calorific version of what it is I really want, and incorporate it into my calories for the day. It might mean substituting rice for cauliflower at dinner or something, but its working for me at the moment.
Find something else (something healthy) that triggers your dopamine receptors. Some people get it from exercise.
NO. Particularly the bold. For starters, food does not have the same effect on the brain as alcohol. Additionally, you are mis-representing the results of the study which looked at food vs cocaine in rats; the study was poorly designed, and your conclusion from the results of the study is wrong. Additionally, food cravings and addiction are not the same, at all.
OP, why not just not keep cookies in the house?
I don't necessarily side with one side or the other but if you are disputing with credibility you should cite some sort of credible study. Just saying so yourself won't make it so.
As for "addiction" I am not entirely sure what defines it. I'm very familiar with out of control eating, as many here can probably identify with. Weak will? I drink plenty of alcohol, enjoy it greatly, but I unquestionably am not addicted to it. I can go for months without missing or craving it. No matter how good a glass of cold beer or wine tastes, if there's a possibility that I need to drive soon I can easily not touch it.
So, what's addiction and what's weak self control ?
Definitely have always wondered this too when it comes to food and binge eating.0 -
@LBuehrle8 , here are some resources that helped me.
How to get better at delayed gratification:
http://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification
Duhigg's book on Habit:
http://charlesduhigg.com/flowchart-for-changing-habits/
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This is a definition of addiction according to American Society of Addiction Medicine:Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.
Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.
http://www.asam.org/quality-practice/definition-of-addiction
Addiction to certain types of food as describe in earlier posts certainly fall under this description.0 -
With all my posting in here, I haven't really helped the OP with their problem. If you think you really are addicted to certain types of foods, I suggest you see a therapist who specializes in this.0
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@LBuehrle8 , here are some resources that helped me.
How to get better at delayed gratification:
http://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification
Duhigg's book on Habit:
http://charlesduhigg.com/flowchart-for-changing-habits/
Thank you! Those were interesting to read. To clarify I don't have an issue with binge eating/over eating but was just curious about where the line is between actually having an addiction or just not having self control.
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endlessfall16 wrote: »ClosetBayesian wrote: »Actually food can have the same effect on the brain as alcohol and animal studies have shown that high sugar/high fat food surpasses cocaine as a reward. Its all about dopamine.
Personally I think food is addictive particularly for those people who eat as a crutch for something else. It can be really hard to curb those cravings. If I crave something I try to have a small amount and maybe choose the less calorific version of what it is I really want, and incorporate it into my calories for the day. It might mean substituting rice for cauliflower at dinner or something, but its working for me at the moment.
Find something else (something healthy) that triggers your dopamine receptors. Some people get it from exercise.
NO. Particularly the bold. For starters, food does not have the same effect on the brain as alcohol. Additionally, you are mis-representing the results of the study which looked at food vs cocaine in rats; the study was poorly designed, and your conclusion from the results of the study is wrong. Additionally, food cravings and addiction are not the same, at all.
OP, why not just not keep cookies in the house?
I don't necessarily side with one side or the other but if you are disputing with credibility you should cite some sort of credible study. Just saying so yourself won't make it so.
As for "addiction" I am not entirely sure what defines it. I'm very familiar with out of control eating, as many here can probably identify with. Weak will? I drink plenty of alcohol, enjoy it greatly, but I unquestionably am not addicted to it. I can go for months without missing or craving it. No matter how good a glass of cold beer or wine tastes, if there's a possibility that I need to drive soon I can easily not touch it.
So, what's addiction and what's weak self control ?
I shouldn't have to cite the difference between GABA and dopamine....0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »Many would benefit from reading this great thread regarding "food addiction".
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p1
This!0 -
Just last week I was telling my husband that I am addicted to food. Anytime I use that term I always say, "with respect to people with other addictions" because I know that my issues are not the same as people addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc. I've lived with drug addicts before and I know the extent that they will go to get their next hit (lie, steal, and worst) and I would never do those things to get a chocolate chip muffin from Costco. However, I do have a hard time resisting that urge to eat that muffin. Even if I walk away from the cookies in the lunch room I still spend all day thinking about them and hoping that they are all gone the next time I walk by so that I don't have to face the temptation again. All so that at the end of the day I convince myself that one cookie won't kill me and I eat it anyway.
I understand the struggle and I'm working on finding a balance between not depriving myself and not overindulging.0
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