Do You Identify as a Food Addict?
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LauraZaber wrote: »I just started BACK keeping a food diary. A few years back, I did really well - lost almost 50 lbs then gained back roughly 25 of it. Need to get those back off and of course the older you get the harder it is. Started back 2 days ago and have done OK so far but need to stay focused. Appreciate any support!
welcome back I have been back awhile and still just gaining and losing the same few pounds.. used the app a few years ago with much success now back to square one .. good for you catching yourself early..0 -
Hi, @LauraZaber
It's a journey, that's for sure! Glad you're taking steps to move toward where you want to be.0 -
Yes, I do.1
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I've been working on my food addiction for years, but it wasn't until I left my husband that I could work on losing weight and really getting to grips with it. I don't like the way I feel when I binge, it's not fun. My boyfriend has done a lot to help me articulate my emotions instead of shoving them down and eating them (I'm also autistic spectrum, which is another layer of fun) and the good thing about MFP is that if I panic at the idea of not being able to eat chips with my sandwich, I can if they can be fit in my calorie budget.
And today I forgot the chips and that was okay. I'm not going to say I'm done eating chips or anything like that. But I now know I don't HAVE to have the chips. I'm already good with having chocolate just present in the house and not eating it. I may be within sight of chips being optional and something I don't need. And that's a big honkin' deal for me.2 -
@AlexandraFindsHerself1971
Yes, I can relate to this. After my divorce I was also able to grapple with some unhealthy connections with food in a way that I was not able to while married in that particular situation.
Bingeing feels terrible for me, too. I am not at a point yet at which I can eat "trigger foods" even if I track them. They continue to send me over the edge. So far, I am still in an avoidance stage, or just knowing that if I have pasta or sugar that I most likely will experience a binge.1 -
@ladyzherra Yes, I can relate also. Sorry about your divorce, I know how hard it is. And I am also unable to resist trigger foods even if I track them. But, like you, I also see food differently than I never did before. Making baby steps but it can be so difficult. I even binged before a weigh in! lol But not giving up and will continue to learn! We can do it!2
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Hi. Yes. I'm a food addict. I've often thought about it in those terms, especially in those moments when I'm being most honest with myself. No diagnosis as such, though I'm not bothered about that - I know where I'm at.
Despite being an IT professional, I don't really do forums (or any social media really), and feel a little awkward just landing here unannounced. So, here's what I've just put in the welcome forum.Hi all,
I've used the app a couple of times but only used it seriously once (back in 2013 when I lost ~20KG).
Quite a lot has happened since then. Had a little boy in 2014 and lots of other care responsibilities, and stresses. Had some mental health issues along the way (you could argue that I still do), sleep apnoea, high blood pressure, binge eating, lack of exercise. All the good stuff.
Due to some long term financial commitments, my wife and I decided I should get some life insurance. I've spent the last few days doing health questionnaires, and generally being turned down for life insurance. Pretty sobering and pretty miserable.
So here I am. Committing myself to:
- Losing weight
- Getting fit
- Reducing my blood pressure
I'm 46, 185cm (6ft 1in), 138.1 Kg (304 lbs). I peaked a few weeks ago at 140.1 Kg (309 lbs).
I'm here to have some accountability and maybe some encouragement.
Wishing the best of luck to everyone that is here.
Cheers
Steve
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I am 100% a food addict! When my husband would go out of town for work I would salivate at the possibilities of what I would eat without him getting upset or judgy on me. Sometimes, I would buy my favorite junk food and hide it from him! I tend to not do that anymore since I have 2 kids who KNOW when there are snacks in the house and can sniff them out. Now, it's just me gorging on food that's already in the house like chips, granola bars, soda, etc. It's not junk food per se, but it's definitely me eating loads of 'normal' foods. I don't know if that makes sense.3
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@EightTooMuch I also binge and overeat savory, everyday, otherwise healthy foods. I like them!1
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Yes, I am an emotional eater and binge eat. I am so very tired of yoyoing. I desire to have control of what I put in my mouth, and when. I feel like I would do so much better if I lived by myself, as my family does not eat as healthy as I need to eat. I am here for support. I must gain control in order to be healthy and feel better.
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Hi everyone! After a month in MFP, I found out there are groups here 😂
I am so glad to have found this one, I am a food addict, been working hard on binge eating for over a year and a half ( struggling with it since 15y.o.). I am so much better than I have ever been, so I decided to start working on losing weight (dieting would always send me on crazy binge cycles, so I allowed myself to eat anything I want while I was working on binge eating habits, and my weight went up like crazy).
I was really scared to start working on my weight/building healthier body as I don't want to fall back into binging, however I became so uncomfortable in my body that I decided I need to find a way to work on weight without causing binge cycles.
I really like mfp, the community aspect helps to stick with eating better and exercising. I am mostly in control of my eating, sometimes on *kitten* days I can overeat a lot or binge, so continuing to work on those habits.
So happy to see that I am not alone trying to lose weight while managing addiction.1 -
stevebirch1974 wrote: »Hi. Yes. I'm a food addict. I've often thought about it in those terms, especially in those moments when I'm being most honest with myself. No diagnosis as such, though I'm not bothered about that - I know where I'm at.
Despite being an IT professional, I don't really do forums (or any social media really), and feel a little awkward just landing here unannounced. So, here's what I've just put in the welcome forum.Hi all,
I've used the app a couple of times but only used it seriously once (back in 2013 when I lost ~20KG).
Quite a lot has happened since then. Had a little boy in 2014 and lots of other care responsibilities, and stresses. Had some mental health issues along the way (you could argue that I still do), sleep apnoea, high blood pressure, binge eating, lack of exercise. All the good stuff.
Due to some long term financial commitments, my wife and I decided I should get some life insurance. I've spent the last few days doing health questionnaires, and generally being turned down for life insurance. Pretty sobering and pretty miserable.
So here I am. Committing myself to:
- Losing weight
- Getting fit
- Reducing my blood pressure
I'm 46, 185cm (6ft 1in), 138.1 Kg (304 lbs). I peaked a few weeks ago at 140.1 Kg (309 lbs).
I'm here to have some accountability and maybe some encouragement.
Wishing the best of luck to everyone that is here.
Cheers
Steve
Hi Steve! Rita here, it's really nice to meet you and good luck on your journey! I hope the group will give you the support you need!
Feel free to add me in friends as well if you are looking for some extra motivation
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I must gain control in order to be healthy and feel better.
I also feel a drive to control. This desire, for me, has resulted in .ore troubles than solutions, though. I have found that when I practice a mindset of acceptance -- in which I am.open to feeling the discomfort that my addictions bring -- rather than to overcome or ignore or power through or force, that my problems do begin to shift. It's a tough mindset to establish. But it has been my only way through that has worked.1 -
@human_bean
Thanks for sharing your story! Fear....there is almost always THAT lurking somewhere around this experience, isn't there?
I have been grappling with my addiction since I was 16, and actively learning and working toward healing. It has been a life long journey, as I am now 40.1 -
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@ladyzherra
I would love to hear more of your story, is addiction something that you still deal with?
I'm wondering at times if illalways deal with it or the day will come when I just don't need to think about it.
How are you managing addiction and weight loss?0 -
human_bean wrote: »@ladyzherra
I would love to hear more of your story, is addiction something that you still deal with?
I'm wondering at times if illalways deal with it or the day will come when I just don't need to think about it.
How are you managing addiction and weight loss?
@human_bean
I have been working on understanding my food addiction since I noticed it when I was around 16-18. I am now 40 and I have dealt with it in many, many ways through the years but have never overcome it. From spending two decades as a fitness trainer and body builder to a year being bulimic to a year intermittent fasting to stopping all exercise because of adrenal fatique, to decades of panic attacks, I have been through so much around this situation. And yet, because I have an emotional connection to food, if I do not deal with the emotion then the food will deal with me. Every time. Current I have a new situation. Frankly, there is always a new situation. Whenever emotions are difficult -- whether positive or negative-- I have to grapple with the reality of food addiction. I continue to be open to learning and exploring. I remain curious about this addiction and all its layers0 -
I came to realise i was addicted to food after my alcoholic ex husband said i was. I did some research i noticed I most definitely was. Since then stress from living with an alcoholic and my pregnancy made me gain weight to my heaviest,142kg. After my son was born i decided to change my eating habits, ive lowered my calorie intake and walk daily for excercise and i have lost 12.2 kgs in about 10 weeks. Keeping a food diary really helps and I plan to lose another 50kgs to get to a healthy weight. Im not giving in to my cravings and I'm determined to drop this weight once and for all.0
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ladyzherra wrote: »human_bean wrote: »@ladyzherra
I would love to hear more of your story, is addiction something that you still deal with?
I'm wondering at times if illalways deal with it or the day will come when I just don't need to think about it.
How are you managing addiction and weight loss?
@human_bean
I have been working on understanding my food addiction since I noticed it when I was around 16-18. I am now 40 and I have dealt with it in many, many ways through the years but have never overcome it. From spending two decades as a fitness trainer and body builder to a year being bulimic to a year intermittent fasting to stopping all exercise because of adrenal fatique, to decades of panic attacks, I have been through so much around this situation. And yet, because I have an emotional connection to food, if I do not deal with the emotion then the food will deal with me. Every time. Current I have a new situation. Frankly, there is always a new situation. Whenever emotions are difficult -- whether positive or negative-- I have to grapple with the reality of food addiction. I continue to be open to learning and exploring. I remain curious about this addiction and all its layers
Thank you for sharing your story with us! It is difficult to read about other people's struggles, but it is helpful to know I'm not alone in this and we can all support each other. Thank you so much for your vulnerability 🙏1 -
chey7suey21 wrote: »I came to realise i was addicted to food after my alcoholic ex husband said i was. I did some research i noticed I most definitely was. Since then stress from living with an alcoholic and my pregnancy made me gain weight to my heaviest,142kg. After my son was born i decided to change my eating habits, ive lowered my calorie intake and walk daily for excercise and i have lost 12.2 kgs in about 10 weeks. Keeping a food diary really helps and I plan to lose another 50kgs to get to a healthy weight. Im not giving in to my cravings and I'm determined to drop this weight once and for all.
Thank you for your story! So proud of you for doing such good job! Keep it up!1 -
Yep! I realized I was an addict when I met my hubby. Hardest thing to over come....you can't just stop eating. Food is fuel food is fuel. Eat because of hunger not because of feeling. My mantra on a daily basis. I've gotten it under control in the past I can do it again. Let my mom and the move get me down and I got into baaaaaaad habits again!! Time to change!!!1
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@chey7suey21 I learned many years ago when I showed up at an eating disorder group when I was 19 that alcoholism and binge-eating and bulimia are, in many ways, the "same" disorder. I was not surprised to read that your alcoholic husband was able to identify your eating disorder.2
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Not sure if this post is still running. I do have a eating disorder but I have traits from a few of them. So I am not specific1
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I'm not new to MFP or to this specific group, but I've been away a long time. Yes I think I am a food addict and a stress eater. I eat to get through the day, promising myself that if I do a few hours of work I'll reward myself with a bag of cookies or chips. Once I start with those kinds of foods I have a hard time stopping and more often than not I'll eat the whole bag without even really realizing it. I'm also a closet eater. I rarely eat much in front of other people because it embarrasses me to think that they might find me gross. Weird thing is that I often have trouble getting enough calories on a healthy meal plan. As someone said earlier, celery and lettuce just don't trigger the same behavior. Because of the binge issue I find I'm better off just avoiding trigger foods completely. My problem is that doesn't work for long. I'm motivated for a week or two and then.....as you said, "life" gets in the way.2
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Hi all, I thought I’d leave the website for Food Addicts Anonymous here. I am not a member, but have attended another 12-show program and bee sober for over 5 years. I have a close friend who has been sober through FA for over a decade. FA seems less well-known than OA.
http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/0 -
Yes! I was attending OA for the last few years but took a break lately.1
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I am definitely a food addict. I totally crave unhealthy foods and use them to cope. sometimes the craving is beyond overpowering. i am recovered alcoholic and a recovered vaper. Food is so much harder because i don't want to completely cut out all treats but I am so bad at moderating.1
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catgirl2289 wrote: »I am definitely a food addict. I totally crave unhealthy foods and use them to cope. sometimes the craving is beyond overpowering. i am recovered alcoholic and a recovered vaper. Food is so much harder because i don't want to completely cut out all treats but I am so bad at moderating.
It is so much harder to recover from food addiction than anything else. All other things you can walk away....stay away. Food is a necessity! Once you do gain control it feels so good. On my way from a 30 lbs relapse!! Getting back in a RYTHUM!!0 -
I agree! I have overcome addictions to nicotine and drugs, but the combination of sugar/fat has been a struggle all of my life. Some say eat intuitively, in moderation. I try but once I start eating sugar it is really hard to stop. Others say refrain from eating your trigger foods or follow strict guidelines. This only works for a while until I feel too deprived to continue. My problem is that I love food and want to eat what I want but also look and feel good. That isn’t working for me either!2
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pipwickens wrote: »I agree! I have overcome addictions to nicotine and drugs, but the combination of sugar/fat has been a struggle all of my life. Some say eat intuitively, in moderation. I try but once I start eating sugar it is really hard to stop. Others say refrain from eating your trigger foods or follow strict guidelines. This only works for a while until I feel too deprived to continue. My problem is that I love food and want to eat what I want but also look and feel good. That isn’t working for me either!
Gotta find a balance. Something that works for you!! I can't cut out all the sugar either or I'll just snap and beat someone down for their last Oreo!! Hahaha I usually have at least 1 cheat day a week. Sometimes 2!!! 5 days on 2 days off still gives me progress. Slow and steady wins the race!!1
