i am in need of help, I'm a food addict

You never really overcome an eating disorder...you just learn to deal with it and control it better. I had exercise bulima with a sprinkling of anorexia. It was difficult to deal with and still affects my life everyday. I think you should go see a doctor to understand why you are doing this. They will have more insight at what causes your urges and why you feel the need to fulfill them.

Hi there. First, I want to commend you for your very raw honesty! I know it's super cliche, but the first step IS admitting the problem!! I definitely think your S.O. is on the right track- OA can be an awesome resource for people with food addictions. I also think it would be a good idea to do that in conjunction with seeing a counselor/therapist. Addictions are extremely difficult to overcome- the more resources, outlets, and accountability opportunities you give yourself, the more likely you will be to overcome it. I wish you the best of luck!! You can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I used to be a stress eater. over a couple of years i have managed to convert to a stress activity type. where having a bad day now means i have to go out and run it off. but sometimes I still go back to food snacking.

for me I tried to remove one bad food per month. small little changes. like no more sugar in coffee. which i drink a ton of coffee so that was the hardest. but then next month, no more chocolate chip cookies and so on. i think i would need a book to keep track of all the crazy things i have cut out now.

another recent thing i have discovered. i do love the chocolate covered almonds. and for the what ever calories is in a small hand ful of those. i can have about three pounds of fresh strawberries. like when I do want to snack and eat. i allow myself to just eat as much as i can of the fresh strawberries instead of the nuts and chocolates.

its hard, still. i know. and not always the same. sometimes i do end up having both strawberries and the chocolate covered nuts. but then i use that as motivation to go out and be active.

i started thinking of everything food in terms of time or distances. like a mcdonalds cheeseburger is a 2 mile burger or about 30 minutes of jogging. for me.. or it used to be anyway. keeps changing calories i can burn as i change weight. frustrating. but the idea, i allow myself to just eat anything bad for me i want, as long as i put in the activity calories before i eat the food. using the food as a reward. or on days when i can't do that, yea, im out there into the wee hours of the night walking or jogging off the extra calories. after a few weeks of running until 1:00 am, in the wind, rain, cold dark nights, i kind of learned to be better with what i eat. because when everything suddenly has a real cost associated with it, i was able to tangeably feel with the pain in my legs exactly what that debauchery of feel good snacking costs me.

and, for logging. i did the "it is what it is" logic. where i logged everything. always. be honest. sometimes i have bad days. sometimes i am 4,000 calories OVER my daily quota. big deal. sometimes i can't even run that off in a day. thats what tomorrow and the next day is. like its the get up and keep trying again attitude. and the be honest with yourself and you can do it. I know you can. !

Hi! I am also a food ADDICT! I do go to OA. The first meeting is so hard to walk into, and then it all seems so weird...but keep going back. They tell you to go to at least 6 meetings before you decide if OA is right for you, and I think that it a good idea. Each group is a little different. They vary in size (no pun intended). Even if you are not religious, don't let it put you off - the "higher power" thing. Your higher power can be whatever you want it to be. It is that voice in your head that tries to steer you in the right direction. And yes, the 12 steps are a little scary. The bad voice - the food addict voice - will tell you that this is for other people, not you, blah blah blah. And that is why they say to go to at least 6 meetings! If you still don't like it, you can stop any time. They DON'T tell you what to eat, or beat you up, or make you drink chicken blood (lol). It is just a bunch of other people who "get it" because they too are food addicts. They might be bulimic, they might be old, they might be weird, but just give them a try. What have you got to lose? Except the non stop obsession with food. Friend me if you want. I love meeting and getting to know new people. Thanks!

It is quite illuminating and very nice to hear people sharing here. I too am a stress eater. I deal with that head on. Reduce the stress. Recognize that it is coming. And try to mitigate the situation before hitting the snack bar. In a reverse way, enjoying food could be effective too. Once you develop an appreciation and respect for the food, I don't know ... you won't abuse it ? I dunno. Very very hard. Look forward to more insights from all.

First, off, I know it's a little odd to say, but HEY!! IT'S GREAT TO MEET YOU! I literally am in the exact same boat.

I was diagnosed with an atypical ED last year. I have binge-eating disorder, and night eating disorder. Food was all I thought about.. and even when I tried to control it, and I couldn't, I knew I wasn't just some "fat person who loves food" anymore (or as society would make us THINK we are) I realized that I truly had a psychological disorder that manifested itself in my eating.

A lot more people have ED than they think. For so many years, it's been "taboo" to be overweight. TV and advertising then adapted the idea of the "bigger" person, and even their "plus size" models make some of us sick. Not one muffin top.. not one set of "cottage-cheese" thighs.. And people like us dealing with real problems surrounding food.. eating all alone so we can eat as much as we want (this results in me eating at night when my fiance is at work.. or when everyone else is sleeping..) or buying a bunch of junkfood and pretending at least somebody else is eating this feast with me... hey, I'm another statistic!!

My ED comes around in high-stress times. I truly believe the first step to getting better is to establish a treatment program with a real, live psychologist/psychiatrist.. there are more than likely sad things that happened to us and food was a constant. For me, I was bribed with junk food as a child... pints of Ben+Jerry's ice cream to babysit my sister so my mom could go out and drink... pizza for the same reason... sometimes both in the same night... food is affordable. And when you're young, you typically don't do drugs or drink... so food is pretty much the most accessible thing for addictive behaviors in people 18 and younger... the doctor may be able to help you figure out what exactly is the reason you began you disordered eating... the trigger.. once you figure out the trigger you'll be better able to control exactly when you may most be weakened enough to go off track and binge.

I also figured out physical activity, especially like, punching a bag or getting into boxing or martial arts, can really help get some emotion out. And especially for people like us, who battle with emotional disorders, physical outlets are a really effective way to manage your eating. I've only recently started exercising, but when I do it consistently, I am less likely to eat so much. Because my happy feelings are being re-introduced into my body in a healthy way... No more chocolate to make me happy... running on the treadmill does it for me now. Plus I have more energy. I'm not saying my exact routine will work for you, but you should definitely start trying to see what works for you.

THIS IS SUCH A LONG POST, I'M SORRY FOR BEING LONG WINDED..

Just know there are a lot of us out there. Old, young, male, female, "fat", "skinny", black, white. And I'm always looking for new friends

I hope you feel better soon!