Food addiction- I need help

Food is what? Food is how you stay alive. Maybe try to figure out what like to eat but eat less of it. That is what I did. A food scale was mind blowing!

I can totally relate to this. I was getting to the point where I'd be driving/running errands in the evening and fighting with myself not to stop to get an ice cream but scared to go home because I'd find something to eat there too. I hated Hated HATED it! People would say "just don't have snack food in the house..." It didn't matter. There could be a loaf of bread or yogurt - whatever it is, I'd eat it! Somehow over the last few months, I think I've mostly conquered it. I think I just got to the point where I was so sick of being mad at myself all the time. I started to write things down and read things like crazy. If I wanted to snack, I'd write about it to try to get over it. I'd Google. I'd read forums out here. I made lists like crazy of goals. And things I could do to keep myself occupied from eating food. Sometimes I'd just go to bed early. Really early! Sometimes these things worked, sometimes not. Out here on MFP, I found connections with only a very small group of people so that I could build a relationship with people that I found really wanted to support me. I would text one of them when I felt challenged and she did the same. I took it day by day, sometimes hour by hour. Some days were wins. Many days were losers. But then it evolved into more wins than losses. I still struggle, but it's a far cry from where I was. I set an exercise goal for myself and found my exercise mojo again. That has helped a lot. I'm also trying not to restrict my calorie intake too much. I think that was also a problem for me. The daily intake was too low and then I'd feel like a failure. So I'd be depressed and then eat more. I'm learning now to eat back a portion of my exercise calories and I am more stable which keeps me from snacking. My weight loss is very slow for me, but mentally I feel stronger and physically I feel stronger with my fitness goal. Hopefully some of these ideas will help you, too. Best wishes to you! If you really really want this, you will find a way to make it happen!

I had a small problem with overeating for some time. Eating when I wasn't hungry - or even when I was really full. Often feeling like being hungry was the worst feeling and as soon as I had any niggle eating food asap. I was actually scared of being hungry. I worked out this was from getting horrific migraines when I was a teenager if I didn't eat frequently enough, the migraines went away, but the fear of hunger remained. I tried a fast window one day. Having only liquid during the day, and a small dinner of vegetables. I only did this for one day. I just surrendered to the fact that it would be awful. But it was just one day. And it wasn't about starving myself or trying to lose weight rapidly. I tried to be curious about what my hunger felt like, when it was really bad, or went away. And acknowledge "yep I'm hungry, that's the feeling I'm having" then leave it at that. It really helped shift for me what it meant to be hungry. It showed me hunger wouldn't kill me. That I could eat less food, or go without and I would be ok. It has really helped me. I am eating normally again but now when I want to panic eat I remember I was ok without it and I can make choices, instead of having to respond. Anyway I just thought I'd share what has helped me. I know everyone's reasons for over eating are different but this was an interesting experiment for me

I hear you... 3 years ago I lost almost 80 lbs. I jump started my weight loss with a juice fast to experience that actual hunger feeling as well, and shrink my stomach down so I didn't always feel unsatisfied. It worked well, and then I went to nursing school. Now that I'm done I've put on about 20 lbs and I can feel myself losing control. Time to give it another go. We can do this!

Honestly, this sounds more like something you need to speak to a physchologist/counselor/therapist about. Could be Binge eating disorder or EDNOS.

Controlling your intake once you've achieved the skills and knowledge about nutrition should NOT be as difficult as you're making it out to be.

With comments like "Always hungry, even when I'm not I eat. I feel helpless. I don't know what to do." and " It's terrible. It's all in my head. I talk myself into eating things. I literally have no control. I'm addicted and it consumes my thoughts. Then I hate myself after I binge but then continue to binge shortly after." it sounds to me like you're dealing with some sort of serious emotional distress and you're coping with food. Similar to how a drug addict needs his next fix, or just does drugs to feel "numb".


This is not healthy behavior and it may or may not subside on your own by continuously having a test with your self discipline.

It is not only about self control, heck I would say it has nothing to do with self control. I have been an emotional eater for more than 15 years but it's only part of the problem. When you eat a high carb diet, and lots of sugar your body goes haywire. The insulin that is prodused by consuming all this prosseced carbs is what makes you hungry and fixated on food. I started out 6 months ago, and let me tell you the first 2 weeks were the worst weeks of my life. I did manage to overcome it, but the prossess was very slow. At first, I logged for a week what I eat just to see how many grams of sugar and carbs I was eating. My carbs where not that high, but my sugar intake was crazy! I was eating more than 170grams of it daily( on a good day). So Each day I made a goal to eat 10 grams less and it worked. I found out that sugar for me was the number 1 culprit, and it's like an addiction. You cannot go cold turkey with sugar. Gradually reducing the amount works much better. The second thing I did was to pre-plan my entire day. I chose more protein to keep me full for longer, and every day I allowed myself for the appropriate amount of sugar. So I was fixating on the food I had chosen for the day. Whatever you do, don't go cold Turkey. It is better to pre plan all the "bad choices" , because it will give you a sense of control. I am a chocolate addict, so almost every day now I put in a small chocolate that i eat after a meal ( so I won't spike my insulin levels too much) around 250kcals, and when I get my horrible cravings I stuff myself with something that is somewhat sweet, but has complex carbs and not that many sugars. feel free to add me I would be happy to share my tricks with you! Lost 17kg/ 37lbs since I started this.

kirstenleigh123 wrote: »

Thanks everyone! It's an added challenge too because I work in a daycare and there is unlimited access to food all the time! People are always eating around me. I may not even like what I'm eating. But I eat it anyway. I wish they would lock the fridge and cupboards. I'm really hoping to conquer it because I feel like my life is on hold until I shed the pounds, and get my behaviour under control.

Kirsten! I feel like we are one in the same. I've struggled with this my entire life and have yoyo-ed in weight through changing events in my life (high school, college, new jobs, new boyfriends, getting married, etc). I too work in a daycare and have had my share of birthday cupcakes over the years, haha!

I liked a few of the pieces of advice here! Someone said "I was just sick of being mad at myself all the time." That's one of the things that has brought me back to reality a few times. And someone else mentioned exercise and magnesium supplements. I fell in love with running in high school (though I am super slow and still learning), and that was how I lost all my weight the first time. I picked it back up about a year ago along with zumba and multiple other classes my gym offered and that was how I lost weight for my wedding. I had to stop for about a year because I hurt my feet but I've been slowly getting back into it the past few months. It really does help with cravings and afterwards, I feel so relaxed and empty, in a good way. I actually take the magnesium supplements because I used to get leg cramps easily after being dehydrated, but I think they're helping with that too.

I'm sending you a friend request!