Has anyone got tips on losing a food addiction?

commissioned2011
commissioned2011 Posts: 9 Member
edited December 4 in Food and Nutrition
Im struggling my way out of a food addiction. So far my best tip is cutting meals in the morning, it tends to be a lot easier and if you physically can get to sleep without food in your stomach just go to bed when you are tempted to eat again after dinner.

Replies

  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    Food is less of an addiction and more of a dependency.
    You'll die without it.
  • callyhockey
    callyhockey Posts: 22 Member
    A lot of foods that spike insulin such as carbs are arguably addictive since they give immediate energy our body craves them to gain energy in the quickest way possible. Many artificial sugars and "unhealthy" foods are most definitely addictive. Have you ever seen or heard a child cry because you didnt let them have some ice cream or stop at mcdonalds when you drive by? Its quite common and the easiest way to see food is addictive is simply by how much many people overeat. If it was only for survival we wouldnt allow ourselves to get to a weight that is detrimental to our health or ruins our self esteem.

    In my own experience the only way im able to get rid of cravings and control the compulsive need to eat unhealthy foods is by cutting them out 100%. Some people do well with small indulgences but to me thats just a hard relapse so ive done much better in my journey when i dont allow myself any treat that i know could be a trigger for me.
  • apolinarshamler
    apolinarshamler Posts: 37 Member
    Avoid simple sugars, preservatives and additives. The withdrawal symptoms will be better in a few weeks.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    callyhockey wrote: »
    A lot of foods that spike insulin such as carbs are arguably addictive since they give immediate energy our body craves them to gain energy in the quickest way possible. Many artificial sugars and "unhealthy" foods are most definitely addictive. Have you ever seen or heard a child cry because you didnt let them have some ice cream or stop at mcdonalds when you drive by? Its quite common and the easiest way to see food is addictive is simply by how much many people overeat. If it was only for survival we wouldnt allow ourselves to get to a weight that is detrimental to our health or ruins our self esteem.

    In my own experience the only way im able to get rid of cravings and control the compulsive need to eat unhealthy foods is by cutting them out 100%. Some people do well with small indulgences but to me thats just a hard relapse so ive done much better in my journey when i dont allow myself any treat that i know could be a trigger for me.

    None of your assertions above are true.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    To lose food addiction stop looking at your usual way of eating as an addiction and start looking at it as a habit (which is what it really is). Assuming an addiction makes it seem like a steeper hill to climb and something you are near powerless to change that requires monumental will. Once you start looking at it as a habit, you will be able to make gradual tweaks (or abrupt ones if that works better for you) and replace certain habits with others.

    For example: I used to eat nuts every time I read a book, watched a show, worked on a project...etc. They were my calorie demise. I started by only having a half full bowl in front of me while working, then gradually extended that to other activities, then eliminated them all together. Now I rarely eat them because they are too high in calories and tend to drain my daily allowance more than I would like. I did the same gradual reduction with the amount of oil I use in cooking, but didn't eliminate it altogether. The easiest thing I had to do was stop eating the things that I didn't really like that much but ate anyway like donuts. It's best to start with the easiest change and work your way up.

    Carbs are not the enemy either. I deliberately eat potatoes on my hungry days because they are very satiating to me. This whole thing depends on your food preferences and the way you tend to respond to certain foods.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited October 2016
    Food addiction is a difficult term, lots of people frown at it, and in most instances it's just about bad habits and lack of understanding, but you can be addicted to a lot of things and some eating patterns do have addictive/compulsive traits or components.

    commissioned2011 wrote: »
    Im struggling my way out of a food addiction. So far my best tip is cutting meals in the morning, it tends to be a lot easier and if you physically can get to sleep without food in your stomach just go to bed when you are tempted to eat again after dinner.

    This sends up red flags to me. Almost as you think that eating is an unwanted behavior that should stop altogether. Are you saying that you want to cut out eating in the morning and in the evening? How many calories are you aiming for, and how many are you taking in per day?

    Please describe the difficulties you are having with eating. Are there certain foods, certain situations that cause trouble? Is it hard to portion control, relieve stress, find time to sit down and eat? Or what?
  • MiniMansell1964
    MiniMansell1964 Posts: 188 Member
    its a term used by people who want an excuse for their inability to just eat less
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    apolinarshamler wrote: »
    Avoid simple sugars, preservatives and additives. The withdrawal symptoms will be better in a few weeks.

    No withdrawal symptoms from cutting these. Also, I happen to think fruit is quite healthful and delicious.

    OP, what are your specific struggles and we might be able to give some tips. What has been most helpful for me is just not snacking outside of meals (other than an occasional planned dessert, which might be sweet, might not be).
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