I'm a food addict..

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christinanaomi84
christinanaomi84 Posts: 26 Member
in Getting Started
I'm finally starting my weight loss journey after gaining covid weight... I always wanted to but never really had the time to focus on myself... I am finally in a place where I can focus on me and the things I want to do for myself... My goal is a little radical...and I'm sure a lot of you won't agree with me... But there is reasons why I am going to such extremes.. I want to stay in a 1000 calorie deficit... Fasting from 7pm to 6 pm every day...now the reason for this is...I am a food addict.. I think about food all the time..and I obsess about it.. the only way I have beat prior addictions is cold turkey.. I can't do that with food.. but I can set up strict restrictions for me... I need to remove the codependency I have with food..

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  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    There's a difference between a 1000 calorie deficit and a 1000 calorie goal. The way the OP words her post, you can't be sure which idea she's espousing. Depending on how much she weighs, a 1000 calorie deficit might not be extreme at all - but a 1 hour eating window is very short. Not that I think there's necessarily a problem with One Meal A Day, either. Perhaps we need a better explanation?
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,175 Member
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    autumnblade75 wrote: »
    There's a difference between a 1000 calorie deficit and a 1000 calorie goal. The way the OP words her post, you can't be sure which idea she's espousing. Depending on how much she weighs, a 1000 calorie deficit might not be extreme at all - but a 1 hour eating window is very short. Not that I think there's necessarily a problem with One Meal A Day, either. Perhaps we need a better explanation?

    Here she talks about a 1200 calorie deficit (same confusion about what she means - deficit or calorie goal) but in any case it sounds too restrictive:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/46153001
  • nessashaste
    nessashaste Posts: 10 Member
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    I've done OMAD and it works wonders. I find it easier to have one pre-planned meal a day than a chaos of snacking and whatnot.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    Lietchi wrote: »
    autumnblade75 wrote: »
    There's a difference between a 1000 calorie deficit and a 1000 calorie goal. The way the OP words her post, you can't be sure which idea she's espousing. Depending on how much she weighs, a 1000 calorie deficit might not be extreme at all - but a 1 hour eating window is very short. Not that I think there's necessarily a problem with One Meal A Day, either. Perhaps we need a better explanation?

    Here she talks about a 1200 calorie deficit (same confusion about what she means - deficit or calorie goal) but in any case it sounds too restrictive:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/46153001

    I agree that THAT thread certainly sends a lot of red flags that OP is being far too restrictive. But I'd suggest that she means a 1200 calorie deficit there, since her intake doesn't seem to add up to 1200 calories! Yikes! A deficit of greater than 25% is pretty aggressive. More than 50% is extremely, dangerously low.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,023 Member
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    christinanaomi84 wrote: »
    I'm finally starting my weight loss journey after gaining covid weight... I always wanted to but never really had the time to focus on myself... I am finally in a place where I can focus on me and the things I want to do for myself... My goal is a little radical...and I'm sure a lot of you won't agree with me... But there is reasons why I am going to such extremes.. I want to stay in a 1000 calorie deficit... Fasting from 7pm to 6 pm every day...now the reason for this is...I am a food addict.. I think about food all the time..and I obsess about it.. the only way I have beat prior addictions is cold turkey.. I can't do that with food.. but I can set up strict restrictions for me... I need to remove the codependency I have with food..

    Everyone has a co dependency with food - they need it to survive.

    Forcing yourself into a 1 hour eating window seems most unlikely to stop you thinking about food all the time.

    Would have exact opposite effect IMO.
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 825 Member
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    First of all, I applaud you for wanting to get healthier. Many of us have developed some unhealthy habits during Covid and it's not easy to change. Good for you for seeking out a healthier lifestyle.

    I think I understand where you're coming from. I love to eat too. I have breakfast and think about what I'll eat for lunch. You get the picture. That said, I try to think about food in terms of nutrition and fuel for my body. Now that I'm older, a number on the scale isn't as important to me as overall good health. I try (notice I said try) to choose healthier options throughout the day. It isn't always easy but honestly, I like myself more when I do! I workout because I want to be healthy and I realize that exercise is a great tool for doing so.

    When you first begin a weight loss journey, it's easy to be enthusiastic about it. But remember, we're in this for the long haul. Healthy habits is the key to overall good health.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,568 Member
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    How about we start with your stats. How tall are you? What is your BMI? How active are you?

    If you’re needing to lose a lot of weight then maybe a larger deficit makes sense. But if you’re already at a good weight that’s a very different story.
  • Marilynsretired
    Marilynsretired Posts: 5,452 Member
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    Food addiction is a problem - suggest reading the book Bright Line Eating by Susan Pierce Thompson as she is a professor re food addiction and talks from a scientific point of view how food affects the brain and how a person can get this under control. Excellent read - and after reading if you think it is something you would want to try I have a group for people following Bright Line Eating - it has helped thousands of people - so email me if you are interested in joining the group -but you would need to read the book first to understand how it works
  • cindylepley
    cindylepley Posts: 1 Member
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    I too struggle with Food addiction, I found Overeaters Anonymous and finally went in and stayed starting in March of 2017. I continue to struggle, but my affair with food has changed. There is also Food Addicts of America. For me this is not my first recovery program, I have a few others on my bookshelf as well, I got serious about who I am in May 2002, but it has taken some serious pitfalls to get ok with my unmanageablity around food. I have a loving sponsor, a doctor, and therapist who all support we along the way, and of course some step work beyond the treadmill.
  • patriciafoley1
    patriciafoley1 Posts: 137 Member
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    I am a food addict. Actually everyone is, because we need it to survive. But in the conventional sense of those who live to eat and those who eat to live, I'd probably be more in the first category. However, some of that I think is more of a refined carb addicton, than a food addiction. I find if I stay away from refined carbs, I don't want them, and I don't obsess over food. In fact, plenty of times i go to bed having eaten less than a 1000 calories, because I am satisfied and I don't want more. The days when I want to eat and eat, are the days that I eat too many carbs.

    So I recommend trying eliminating refined carbs as much as possible from your diet for a start, and see if that doesn't get the monkey off your back.

    As far as your planned schedule and calorie intake, I'm no expert, and a lot depends on how much you have to lose and what your height, etc. is. But I think it would be better to go into this not setting yourself up to fail by an impractical regime. Though it is true that if you are eating the right food, veggies lean meats, and low fat cheese, you can eat a lot of food in 1000-1200 calories.
  • sylvia270
    sylvia270 Posts: 33 Member
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    It sounds like you are trying to use intermittent fasting to discipline yourself. That is a very restrictive window. You may also need to look into other coping mechanisms to regulate your emotions or whatever else is going on. I am going to try the am I hungry app.

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