Advice?

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ddgx300
ddgx300 Posts: 19 Member
edited May 2016 in Motivation and Support
I feel like I am addicted to eating. Sometimes I eat just to eat, I am not hungry. I can't stop myself. If I truly wanted to I could eat from the time I wake up until I went to bed without ever stopping. I have always been that way. I can't explain it. It makes me very sad to be this way. I try so hard to stop. I always feel hungry. Sometimes I eat in a room by myself at night so others can't see me eating. I often feel very good while I am eating and feel so lousy about 15 20 minutes after. Like when your high from cocaine wears off. I just feel lousy like a piece of *kitten*. Especially if I eat something terrible for me. I try so hard, and I know people think na this is just a weak person. I genuinely want to know if anyone else ever feels this way and if they do how did you stop? What makes it better? I try to be up beat and happy, but it hurts me so bad. I used to be lighter, defined. I could run fast, and played lots of sports. I just get sad sometimes, it makes me hate who I am. I just wanted to get that out. I am hoping it helps me feel better just to get it written down. Any one else feel this way ever? If you do what helps you cope?

Replies

  • lizzelspark
    lizzelspark Posts: 178 Member
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    I think your going to do it I think you have it in you to get to your goals ! I was where you are all of sudden one day I decided I'm going to start eating less then slowly I kept changing what I did i starting drinking lots of water then I started working out and fell in love with the high I got from working out so there's no turning back now ! Take it slow don't feel like you have to change everything right away and be happy in the small changes you take :) good luck !!
  • daniellek30
    daniellek30 Posts: 171 Member
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    Are you eating a ton of sugary, or carb filled items? I find that that will make me want to eat more. I used to eat all day every day, and now I just drink water when i'm hungry. It helps.

    I don't think it makes you a weak person, I think you might just need to evaluate what you're eating! Keep a food diary :)
  • caammph
    caammph Posts: 105 Member
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    Honestly, what you've just described there sounds an awful lot like what I went through when I was struggling with a binge eating disorder. I could easily consume more than 5000 calories in a single sitting. I wasn't hungry. I just wanted to feel better. I would for a minute, but then I'd feel worse and we'd start all over again. As @lizzelspark mentioned, small changes. I went to therapy as well, which helped me identify binge triggers (sad, stress, etc). The first thing I changed was I stopped buying the foods that I was most likely to binge on- chips, cheesies, candy, etc. Then I started adding a little exercise. Even a 10-minute walk around the neighbourhood could help me feel better and less likely to binge. I'm not going to tell you I never binge any more. I do. But they're few and far between and I now have the tools at my disposal to deal with the aftermath.
  • DylsGrandma
    DylsGrandma Posts: 69 Member
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    I would like to recommend a book to you called " Eat, Drink and be Mindful" by Susan Albers , Psy.D. This is a good book for anyone suffering from lifelong issues eating, weight and appearance. I truly believe that weight loss is more than just what we put in our mouth, we also need to get to the reason why we overeat in the first place.
  • rdgfreshstart2016
    rdgfreshstart2016 Posts: 75 Member
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    I agree with previous posts, part of it is just understanding your triggers. I used to be a carb junkie and once I started I just couldn't stop. I just stopped buying these foods and it has made my choices easier and given me a sense of willpower. I also think you need to forgive yourself and move on. I know I would be angry with myself and that would just fuel the eating.
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,709 Member
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    Good advice given already. First, you aren't alone. Many people unfortunately suffer in this cycle, but it CAN be overcome. Do NOT hate yourself because this isn't "who you are" it is simply a bad habit that has gotten out of control.

    Generally, over eating as you describe is done to mask feelings you don't want to feel. Well, it's time to address the feelings head on instead of distracting yourself with food and then blaming the food as the issue. I hope that doesn't sound harsh. That is not my intent. I just mean, feel your feelings, address them, and your eating habits will improve along the way.

    Keep reaching out here. Lots of people are here to help!
  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
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    I absolutely struggle with this too. Three books are really helping me get better, though I'm not 100% there yet:
    1. The Beck Diet Solution by Judith Beck - teaches to use CBT techniques to overcome overeating
    2. Eating Mindfully by Susan Albers - teaches mindful eating
    3. Brain Over Binge by Kathryn Hansen - teaches techniques to not respond to urges to compulsively overeat/binge eat

    Good luck! You have a bad habit, but you can teach yourself not to have it anymore - it just takes a lot of work to re-train your brain!
  • ConnorJohnWardrop
    ConnorJohnWardrop Posts: 2 Member
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    Its just trying to break the habbit, when you feel hungry or want to eat grab a bottle of water (This really does help) and try do something to take your mind of it. When I feel hungry I try do something active and sometimes I forget I was even wanting food.
  • burnfatty17
    burnfatty17 Posts: 89 Member
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    Add me brother I feel your pain and been like this a solid 20 years. It's a struggle and it's like a day at a time. You can do this !
  • BinaryFu
    BinaryFu Posts: 240 Member
    edited May 2016
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    ddgx300 wrote: »
    I feel like I am addicted to eating. Sometimes I eat just to eat, I am not hungry. I can't stop myself. If I truly wanted to I could eat from the time I wake up until I went to bed without ever stopping. I have always been that way. I can't explain it. It makes me very sad to be this way. I try so hard to stop. I always feel hungry. Sometimes I eat in a room by myself at night so others can't see me eating. I often feel very good while I am eating and feel so lousy about 15 20 minutes after. Like when your high from cocaine wears off. I just feel lousy like a piece of *kitten*. Especially if I eat something terrible for me. I try so hard, and I know people think na this is just a weak person. I genuinely want to know if anyone else ever feels this way and if they do how did you stop? What makes it better? I try to be up beat and happy, but it hurts me so bad. I used to be lighter, defined. I could run fast, and played lots of sports. I just get sad sometimes, it makes me hate who I am. I just wanted to get that out. I am hoping it helps me feel better just to get it written down. Any one else feel this way ever? If you do what helps you cope?

    I've been there. What really struck me hard one day was a quote from West Wing's character Leo who said, "I don't want one drink, I want ten drinks. I don't understand people who only have one drink. I don't understand people who leave half a glass of wine on the table. I don't get people who say they've had enough. How can you have enough of feeling like this? How can you not want to feel like this longer? "

    Those words punched me right in the gut and made me realize I was addicted to food. A foodaholic, if you will. It took a lot of time and patience and some really tough introspection to realize I was swallowing emotions, not food. I was swallowing depression, not food. I was swallowing joy, not food.

    I come from a family that ate. "Hey everybody! Aunt such-n-such is coming to town! Let's eat!" "Hey, your grandpa's coming over, let's eat!" "Hey, such-n-such got a promotion! Let's eat!" "Oh man, so-n-so passed away...let's eat."

    If I felt down, my mom's solution, "You want some chips/ice cream/generic snack goes here?"
    If I was upset, "Here, have some food, calm down and let's talk."
    If I was happy, "Hey, have something to eat and tell me all about it!"

    Once I realized that, I was able to get myself back on track. Yes, there are times that I think about food a lot. Yes, there are times that it is my go-to solution for my troubles and I have to stop myself from going there or suffer the consequences.

    Yes, it's hard.

    I was raised to become an addict. It didn't come naturally to me and I'll bet it didn't come naturally to you either. You have to fix what was broken in the past and see food for what it is - fuel for life. Nothing more, nothing less.

    That's how you start to heal.
  • ddgx300
    ddgx300 Posts: 19 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice. I am going to try this stuff. I have a diary I actually track it on here off and on, but when I would just lose it and eat constantly I would stop tracking it because it made me sad. I drink a gallon of water a day. Habit from the Fire academy. All the advice was really good and it makes me feel better to know that I am not alone in feeling like this, I though I was just crazy. In my job, guys die young when they don't try to take care of themselves. I just like knowing I wasn't alone in feeling this way. Thanks for all the support.
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
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    I'll just pile on. I call the nocturnal grazing "going to my happy place". It's stress relief I think although us guys don't always recognize our own stress. Drinking water puts a damper on some cravings, always drink some water first even if you know you are going into those Oreos. Another trick is walking. I find that walking while listening to a podcast or an interesting audio book is a great way to burn calories while doing something enjoyable. You will burn off stress too.
  • BinaryFu
    BinaryFu Posts: 240 Member
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    mulecanter wrote: »
    I'll just pile on. I call the nocturnal grazing "going to my happy place". It's stress relief I think although us guys don't always recognize our own stress. Drinking water puts a damper on some cravings, always drink some water first even if you know you are going into those Oreos. Another trick is walking. I find that walking while listening to a podcast or an interesting audio book is a great way to burn calories while doing something enjoyable. You will burn off stress too.

    Well, we're all John Wayne, right? We don't talk about our stress, we don't "share" our feelings with our buddies over poker. We endure. Sometimes we endure too much and yeah...eating our stress away, drinking our stress away, smoking our stress away or even working our stress away (Who here's got a wood shop in the garage, or something similar, am I right?).

    Sometimes, we have to suck it up and do what's healthy for us and actually talk. And I totally agree with the whole water thing - it helps.

    Also, I personally have a cup of coffee with breakfast and one with lunch - two a day is supposed to be good for you and I make sure to have it the most manly way possible - black, no sugar. The caffeine helps to reduce my snack cravings.

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