I am addicted to food

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Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    @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/
  • momo_t90
    momo_t90 Posts: 288 Member
    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.
  • momo_t90
    momo_t90 Posts: 288 Member
    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.
  • LBuehrle8
    LBuehrle8 Posts: 4,044 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    @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. :)
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
    clhoward6 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....
  • ninyagwa
    ninyagwa Posts: 331 Member
    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!
  • tanyaheartsfrogs
    tanyaheartsfrogs Posts: 49 Member
    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.