Over-eater/ food addict -- looking for empaths

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Hello! I'm Heather, 28 years old and looking for friends on MFP who are like-minded or understanding individuals. I am in the 350 lb category currently, which puts me at a place of needing to lose anywhere from 175-200 lbs to reach a healthy weight. I am looking for friends who are in it for the long haul, like me. Friends who can encourage, commiserate, and stick together through this journey. If you're in this category, please send me a friend request. I want to be in your corner; I want to create a support system with you.

A little bit about me:

I have a love/hate relationship with food. I am addicted to it: it's the itch in that place that's hard to scratch, something I think about all day. My days have revolved around what meal is next and when I get to eat next for so long.

Food has been my go-to for just about every emotion in my life and I'm learning to change that behavior as I work to make food choices that are healthier for my body. Re-learning how to listen to my body so that I know what being "full" is, and stop eating when I reach that point instead of eating until I'm miserable.

Taking the plunge to change my eating habits has been difficult and I feel that I truly think about food all day. Even when eating healthy, or maybe more-so when I'm eating healthy because I obsess over it. What time am I eating next? How many hours will I be at work and how many meals do I need to have packed so I don't get hungry and make a bad decision? I look at the clock a lot. My work day is a series of repetitious glances at the time on my computer. 11:15, okay at 12:45 I will take my break and have my carrot sticks. 11:40, only 65 more minutes. 12:15, 30 minutes until my carrot sticks... etc. You get the idea. But it's obsessive, it's not hunger. I'm not so hungry that all I can think about are my carrots, it's honestly just the fixation on the act of eating, I suppose.

That being said, I have much work ahead of me and I look forward to sharing my journey, even if I don't make any friends on here :smile:

Replies

  • _hmoney
    _hmoney Posts: 14 Member
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    Thank you! I'm so happy to hear someone else's story. I am thankful for your openness. I sent you a friend request ;)
  • ChasingChocolate
    ChasingChocolate Posts: 20 Member
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    I understand what you're going through! I've struggled with binge eating and food obsession since my mid teens. I lost 50 pounds in high school but gained it all back years later and then gained another 40 on top of it. In 2014 I started the weight loss process again and have lost almost 75 since and have gained much better control over the binge eating and have learned it's still ok to eat everything you love as long as it's done in moderation.
  • Meghanebk
    Meghanebk Posts: 321 Member
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    If you are truly focusing on food to the extent it disrupts your daily life, you may want to consider looking for a therapist. Someone who does cognitive behavioral therapy can help you figure out strategies to deal with that kind of distracting focus.

    Also, make sure your weight loss goals on MFP are reasonable for you. If the food focus continues, try resetting your loss rate to 1 lb or even 0.5 lb per week. It's better to stick with a long term slow loss than give up from the stress of unsustainable fast loss.

    I agree with the poster above about varying your snacks - for me, I need protein or fat to feel satiated. I could eat half a pound of carrots and still be terribly hungry half an hour later.
  • higherstandardspc
    higherstandardspc Posts: 2 Member
    edited December 2016
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    Hello _hmoney:

    Just for the record, I'm not a health professional nor claim to be, I'm just an individual trying to share my personal experience with you and what has helped me in my early infancy stages of weight loss.

    Happy Holidays, this is my first post lol I came in here to see if I could find my wife's invite and at the moment have no clue where its at. I created both our accounts mine for weight loss and hers for weight gain I sent us both and invite from each other lol but I will figure it out I'm sure.

    While looking I stumbled across your post (near the top) lol so I figured why not try and help. So here goes my attempt ; ) I hope you can pull out some encouragement and especially an understanding.

    I have a friend who his whole family is into homeopathic way of life, they eat very well none of them are obese as for me I should weigh 180 but topped out at 279 I will be 56 on February 22nd my goal is to be at 212 by that date so far so good just a smidge off currently at 257 suppose to be at 254 by tomorrow we know that will not happen lol.

    Anyways my friend directed my attention to a doctor named Joel Wallach he has written many books, a nobel peace prize and holds several phds however bottom line he has something to sell youngevity no way at this time can we afford it >>>but<<< I do listen to his many videos that are free on youtube and he gives away so much helpful information, its from there that I draw a direction from.

    His whole thing is we are void of NUTRIENTS and we are so I have been finding foods / ways to get the 90 essential nutrients that are needed for long healthy life, THIS IS NOT SALES PITCH ;) I do not buy this product at this time however I likely will once my weight it down for it cost $100.00 per month per 100 lbs. that would be $400.00 for me and my wife. This is not a weight loss plan at all however as a result of using the product people gain who need to gain weight and lose for those who need to lose the weight.

    I do not speak well on this issue however I would encourage you to listen to 2 of his videos Dead Doctors Don't Lie and Cereal Killers both by Dr. Joel Wallach and see if you pull out useful information as I feel I have. I have gone as far as downloading those videos and more from him and listen to them often pulling more information I can use now without putting out large sums of money to lose weight.

    My average weight loss is slow and steady at around 0.7 lbs loss per day, I do not / will not exercise at this time nore would I tell someone to for what I have heard of in Joel Wallach videos. That puts me to an advantage in my opinion for with this little app (My Fitness Pal) helps me document what I do from day to day, I only use the free part of it at this time "it seems ample for us".

    A goal I have for a couple of my friends is to show them they can do what I do "if successful" and without exercise as a doctor would be telling me to do, Dr. Joel Wallach will go over this point in those 2 videos I posted for you to look up if you feel so inclined.

    Now if I read correctly you can't get your mind off of food its an addiction to you, Dr. Joel Wallach hits on that exact topic he says we binge eat and keep on looking for more food / the munchies constantly because we are lacking specific minerals, its not the food he says its the lack of minerals. Well I can't afford his supplements for now so I have started researching foods that are high in mineral content, I have no idea if the information I get is legit however I have had >>some<< success on suppressing my apatite...and trust me I binge eat if I'm not on top of it or at least that is historically how its been up until lately.

    For what its worth here are a few of the things I do...wright or wrong... here is what I have been doing with what I feel is great success personally.

    Just some unprofessional / non doctor / non professional advice listed below, Once Again I'm Not A Doctor Or Health Professional just an individual suggesting what has helped me might help you is all ; )

    1. First and foremost Love yourself ; ) you are a beautiful child of God AND KNOW THIS ; )
    2. Make reasonable daily goals, then short term goals and long term goals Rule: Make The Goals Attainable
    3. Research Joel Wallach I believe there is something in there for you "Dead Doctors Don't Lie and Cereal Killers"
    4. Research Negative Calorie Foods
    5. Give away foods that is not good for you, maybe consider giving them to someone in need or just tossing it out.
    6. Bring in foods you can eat all day long and not hurt you such as Celery, Carrots, Cauliflower, Brussels etc.
    7. Try to stop eating 3 hrs before bed time.
    8. Drink water as instructed by this "My Fitness Pal" app.
    9. Take 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tsp cinnamon this is suppose to help with your gut / digestion
    10. Research what peppermint oil does for the digestive system "if your gut is not right or capable of absorption of the foods you intake then its starving and you go on the hunt for more food in search of nutrients and until the need is met the body and mind calls for you to eat until the need is met, so its not just you its your body telling you are in need possibly.
    11. Do not weigh in every day only 1x per week after you wake up and what we do is weigh in after a bio movement.

    I did some research and found that Beef Bone Broth has alot of nutrients and other useful things in it so lol I purchased some Beef Neck Bones from a meat market For $0.99 per pound spend $15.00 for 15 lbs and ended up making 32 quarts of Beef Bone Broth and got around 8lbs meat to boot for that $15.00 so I figure we did well seeings Beef Broth costs so much in stores and by making it myself I know more of whats in it.

    By the way I know this is long however I just wanted to help if I could is all, if there is something I can help you with after you read this and hopefully listen to Dr. Joel Wallach those 2 videos and another great person to get Excellent info from is Dr. Mercola he is awesome Both those guys talk about how bad Sugar is.... believe it....sugar is VERY BAD get away from it its the #1 aging food you can consume.

    If you want more information feel free to contact me through this media I will look back later to see if you have posted...if so I will post again or give you a way to contact me for more info...for what its worth ; )

    Sorry I do not know how to request a friend invite or such in this area feel free to send an invite if you like in the mean time I will look to see where that is lol.

    TTYL:

    Kathy & John
  • higherstandardspc
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    Sorry _hmoney when I was saying Nutrients I meant Minerals we are void of minerals
  • raizelchaya
    raizelchaya Posts: 54 Member
    edited December 2016
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    Heather, you have several good comments here to your post so I will be brief. You mentioned that you are not even hungry when thinking about eating carrots, so I agree that you are looking for something else to "fill you up" rather than actual food from hunger. Like you said you reach for food as a result of every emotion: tired, bored, angry, sad and in need of love etc. There is a great series of books by Geneen Roth. One is called Food is Love. This one came out about 20 years ago and there are probably other authors that have written similar ones since then but I would recommend any of Geneen's books. I just wanted to reiterate about the carrots or eating lots of veggies to fill us up has not been the answer for many here. I have learned here that it is protein and fat that will fill us up which has helped me emensely with losing weight. MFP is a great place to find much support if you reach out and you sound like you are very open to learn about yourself and find solutions.
    Much Success in your journey here,
    Raizel
  • Tanithtae
    Tanithtae Posts: 1 Member
    edited December 2016
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    I relate to this so much! Sometimes the thought of having something nice to eat for lunch or dinner gets me through the day at work and I get excited for yummy food. I also am somewhat of a food addict too and I am on the verge of getting type 2 diabetes so that really needs to change!
  • Melo_65
    Melo_65 Posts: 24 Member
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    I'm with you! I'm 51 and started out right below 300 lbs. I'm down to 250 but this season has been hard. I had seen 149 and am slipping back up. I was exercising six days a week and my back went out (chronic problem). I was bedridden for a week and still having difficulties in doing things. I love to cook, love food and it is where many of my childhood memories were centered around. I can certainly empathize. Let's all work together to improve our health and support one another
  • Ceeceeann
    Ceeceeann Posts: 25 Member
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    You and me both. I think about food a lot and before I started changing my lifestyle about two weeks ago all I did was plan lunches and dinners. These past two weeks have been hard but it does get easier and now that I have set meals and calories I find myself thinking about food a lot less. Or trying to get creative with food examples being the cauliflower pizza or cauliflower fried rice. Etc.
  • hannahbanana0480
    hannahbanana0480 Posts: 46 Member
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    Same here...I obsess over food. Everyday I re-start my diet and by 5pm, I've blown it. If I don't exercise, i do even worse, which is terrible because that's when I need to exercise the most! I always have the attitude that I will just start over tomorrow. It's been about 4 years now! Luckily since I eat relatively healthy during the day, I haven't gained but I haven't lost either. Starting to look into therapy or a group to help fill me up with something I'm missing that I compensate with food.