Does it sound like I really have a food addiction?

So much of this stuff is mental. You've been maintaining for 2 years. Food does lose its sparkle and allure because we are in maintenance. You're not eating it all back. Great job being very moderate.

You just enjoy food. I read once for some food is just something the need to survive for others they seem to just taste food more and it's more enjoyable

Food is a necessity of life, so in that sense, we all are addicted to it to survive. It appears that you are doing well, so there is nothing wrong with eating out. You’re making good choices, and maintaining your weight loss, pretty much. Sounds like that’s all any of us can hope for.

I assume the problem is financial more than physical. In which case you have a habit that needs to be moderated. That does not make it an addiction.

The reason why some habits feel compelling is because they have an instant reward and we like instant rewards. To get a handle on my food and drink issues I had to grow up which is funny to say because I am middle aged. I may have been mature in many ways but when it came to food and drink pleasure I was basically the 8 year old in the candy store and I kept saying yes instead of being the adult.

If you need to get a handle on your finances you will need to set additional boundaries like the ones you maintain with calorie control. The very fact you set boundaries and maintain them also proves you are not addicted AND you can control this. You just have to want to do it and start applying the tools you already possess to a new area.

danielleg0094 wrote: »

Per my previous messages, I have maintained an 80 lb weight loss. I’m no more than 10 lbs heavier from my lowest weight two years ago. I will say, I think I’m addicted to food. I love food, I have a cheat day once a week. I eat in moderation but most of my money goes in eating out. If people saw what I eat, they’d assume I’m probably very overweight. I make decent choices when eating out but the fact that I love food from outside so much is a concern, I see people content cooking from home and making smart decisions. This is an issue isn’t it?

Nothing wrong with eating out a lot per se.

If you are spending more money than you can afford, or it causes you to eat more calories than you should, that could be problematic (but still not necessarily an addiction.)

My father, who had his own weight problems, used to say, "Some people eat to live while others of us live to eat." There's nothing wrong with that. The problem comes in when you eat so much food that you weigh more than you ought. So, now, I must limit my intake but I can still love food and enjoy what I eat. I live to eat.