food addiction?
TahanyE
Posts: 83
I am beyond discouraged. I am so DETERMINED to lose this weight. Im working hard at the gym (something Ive NEVER done in my life). I keep trying to clean up my diet and eat right but I suddenly find myself eating 3/4 of a pizza (yes, today) or a half pound of peanut m&m's or greasy burgers and fries or cookies or chips or taco bell or.... When I put my foot down and decide to eat healthy I become extremely cranky. Cranky is an understatement. Ive been known to THROW things. Slam doors. Scream & swear. As Im doing these things Im often in tears because I can't stop myself. Yesterday I was slamming the car door, yelling at my daughter for her non stop back talking. I was beyond irate. She wanted McDonalds when we were out and I didn't say no. The idea of a burger and fries sounded so good. My bad mood completely disappeared when I ate. Gone. I had eaten a salad before we left. I wasn't hungry. I wanted to cry. I have tried to go without bad food to try to clean myself of the cravings but it never works. I end up binge eating. I hide food. I do it when no one is around. Im so ashamed. Im never going to get healthy. I don't know what to do to get past this. How do you break a food addiction when you need food to survive?
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Replies
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Are you depriving yourself? You said you had a salad before you went out - do you like salad?
I got over my addiction by:
a) trying to focus my addiction on nutrition/calorie counting
b) not depriving myself
This wouldn't work for me if I ate only the healthiest foods. I'd have a salad I didn't really want, then go out and indulge on something else. For me, it's about compromise - I won't have that greasy chicken burger, but how about a chicken breast burger or chicken wrap? I'll go to McDonalds, but I'll skip the fries or I'll have a Happy Meal. I don't like salad, so I'll have a sandwich. I'll go to Pizza Hut, but I have to have their low-calorie pizza rather than one from the normal menu.0 -
I love salad. I actually like healthy food. Yet all I can think about is the bad stuff. Im diabetic and its really hurting my health because I seriously crave sugar, even when my blood sugars aren't low. I don't deprive myself. Even when I do eat unhealthy thing Im thinking of the next unhealthy thing I will eat all while feeling guilty about it.0
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I love salad. I actually like healthy food. Yet all I can think about is the bad stuff. Im diabetic and its really hurting my health because I seriously crave sugar, even when my blood sugars aren't low. I don't deprive myself. Even when I do eat unhealthy thing Im thinking of the next unhealthy thing I will eat all while feeling guilty about it.
Yep, I do know that feeling. I do think it's a case of diverting your attention elsewhere, but if I'm honest I don't remember exactly when things changed for me, it was a slow process. I used to think about food almost every minute. I'd constantly be focusing on my next meal or snack. To some extent I still do, but I've learnt to control it now - my focus is now on the numbers, the amount of calories I consume and how my running is going. I can assure you that if you keep trying, something does eventually change, I just don't remember exactly how. I'm still addicted, junk food is still on my mind a lot, but it's easier to focus on other things now.0 -
TahanyE, I might be completely out of line to ask this, but: Have you noticed any connection between your moods and blood sugars? Your food cravings and blood sugars? Is this a trend you've ever looked for? I'm also a type-1 (for 25 years, diagnosed when I was 10), and it sounds like we have some of the same struggles. It has never occured to me before (until reading your first post and then going to your profile page and reading you're a type-1), but I think that's something I might try and pay more attention to these things as well (I know I can get moody if my blood sugars are high, but I'd never really paid much attention if I get food cravings or give into them if my blood sugars are X or are doing X (dropping fast, on the rise, etc.)). There might be no connection (I've always just assumed it is a food addiction I suffer from too), but who knows, maybe there could be something? And if so, that might make it a little easier to help crack the solution - or at least give us something more to work with. Just curious - I really don't have any advice to offer, sorry
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Sometimes you just have to tough it out. Why is there pizza in your house? If you have to, don't go anywhere for a week if you can't drive by a drive thru (or leave your cash/cards at home, or even have hubby hold on to them). Throw out the candy. It WILL get easier to say no, you just have to practice.0
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I don't have any words of wisdom for you, but I can say that I understand. I'm the type that diets a week and thinks I should have lost 15 pounds. I know, not realistic, but it's how I feel. I also thought that maybe this nervous energy is just that, additional energy that I'm not used to having. I think, in my non-medical opinion, that some foods are addictive, such as, sugery snacks and pop. Again, a total newbie here, but I am going to try to pass by unhealthy foods, or foods with too many calories, by stopping and asking myself if that item is worth my health and not being able to fit into my clothes. I don't know if it will work...but it's a plan. Good Luck to you!0
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It is because eating those types of foods releases chemicals in the brain that are associated with pleasure. I have heard Dr. Drew and Dr. Oz talk about this many times. I can't recall all of the details, but you should Google something about this or maybe someone else that has more details will reply to this post too. Best of luck!0
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The good news is you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better.
Here's how I started:
1) tracking for a couple of weeks before I worried about losing.
(although seeing what I was eating I couldn't help but rein back a bit)
2) seeing where I could make small changes on things that weren't that important to me.
(Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
--Reducing quantities where I won't notice it so much
--Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.
3) Look at my diary and started adding foods that had positive healthy effects specifically for the health issue in my family.
I found most of the things I "should" add were really yummy too! salmon, avocado, oatmeal, mango, red grapes....
(Sort of think of food as medicine to deal with family history of various health issue oatmeal is good for heart health, mango and red grapes lower cholesterol, tumeric and cinnamon good for arthritis)
4) every couple of weeks I see where I can make another couple of small changes.
If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. (and who doesn't have stress?)
If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort.
sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.
You don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.
5) also rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me. I was happier once I gave myself a range:
ROCK BOTTOM: 1200 cal
TARGET: MFP Calories for lose 1 lb a week (when that hit 1200 I changed to lose 1/2 lb per week)
TOP OF RANGE: Maintain Calories for my GOAL Weight.
(SAFETY VALVE: Maintain Calories for CURRENT Weight - remember to keep updating this number as you lose)
I naturally tended to do 2-4 days between 1200-1300 cal then a day at about 1500-1600 cal then back to the 1200-1300 cal. (No hard science here, but I credit the zig-zagging calories with preventing plateaus.)
--As long as I stayed under the top of my range I should continue to lose, even if it is at a slower rate.
--As long as I don't go past my safety valve I shouldn't gain.
BUT... The closer you get to your goal the smaller your range. (frustrating)
6) I only worry about it 1 lb at a time.
Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people need the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as achievable. )
Food is not the enemy.
Oddly enough on my journey here I've reduced guilt over food.
I have the occasional treat and I fully enjoy it with no guilt involved.
The thing is since I'm not eating crap all the time, now the occasional treat is just that a TREAT it's special and I enjoy it so much more than when I was unconsciously shovel junk food into my face.
I figure if I've got a good plan that I can actually maintain I can keep this off for a long time to come, without feeling deprived.
Good Luck0 -
I keep a journal to funnel out negativity.
I found that when I have a craving, or I'm in a bad mood, I just write down how I'm feeling, have a glass of water while doing it, then eat something healthier (not necessarily always the healthiest choice, but pop chips instead of potato chips for example) and I don't find myself climbing up a wall with anger.0 -
I don't know how to help you or any advice to give. But what I can do is say how much your post moved me, motivated me, and made me thankful of the things I have in my life. I hope the best for you with the struggle, and praise the work you have accomplished thus far.
Maybe you should get a hobby. Every time you want to go eat an entire pizza, crochet a blanket instead or something?0 -
The good news is you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better.
Here's how I started:
1) tracking for a couple of weeks before I worried about losing.
(although seeing what I was eating I couldn't help but rein back a bit)
2) seeing where I could make small changes on things that weren't that important to me.
(Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
--Reducing quantities where I won't notice it so much
--Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.
3) Look at my diary and started adding foods that had positive healthy effects specifically for the health issue in my family.
I found most of the things I "should" add were really yummy too! salmon, avocado, oatmeal, mango, red grapes....
(Sort of think of food as medicine to deal with family history of various health issue oatmeal is good for heart health, mango and red grapes lower cholesterol, tumeric and cinnamon good for arthritis)
4) every couple of weeks I see where I can make another couple of small changes.
If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. (and who doesn't have stress?)
If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort.
sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.
You don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.
5) also rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me. I was happier once I gave myself a range:
ROCK BOTTOM: 1200 cal
TARGET: MFP Calories for lose 1 lb a week (when that hit 1200 I changed to lose 1/2 lb per week)
TOP OF RANGE: Maintain Calories for my GOAL Weight.
(SAFETY VALVE: Maintain Calories for CURRENT Weight - remember to keep updating this number as you lose)
I naturally tended to do 2-4 days between 1200-1300 cal then a day at about 1500-1600 cal then back to the 1200-1300 cal. (No hard science here, but I credit the zig-zagging calories with preventing plateaus.)
--As long as I stayed under the top of my range I should continue to lose, even if it is at a slower rate.
--As long as I don't go past my safety valve I shouldn't gain.
BUT... The closer you get to your goal the smaller your range. (frustrating)
6) I only worry about it 1 lb at a time.
Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people need the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as achievable. )
Food is not the enemy.
Oddly enough on my journey here I've reduced guilt over food.
I have the occasional treat and I fully enjoy it with no guilt involved.
The thing is since I'm not eating crap all the time, now the occasional treat is just that a TREAT it's special and I enjoy it so much more than when I was unconsciously shovel junk food into my face.
I figure if I've got a good plan that I can actually maintain I can keep this off for a long time to come, without feeling deprived.
Good Luck
THIS IS PERFECT!0 -
I've been through a similar struggle, and I can only say that you're going to want to do this and you will. For me, it was a health scare that finally gave me the willpower to say "no, I cannot do this any more, this pizza is not worth dying for, tasty as it is."
However, I have had friends and family members need to seek more help than I or any non-professional can offer. A relative who lives in a different state once explained his realization moment to me this way (paraphrased):
"So, I came in to work the other day, and there were three boxes of donuts with a sign that said 'Departmental Function - DO NOT EAT' on them in the break room. I knew we had a precinct meeting in a half hour, and I knew if I could just wait a half hour I'd have my choice of donuts. Honestly, I lost it. I ate all of them, right there, right then. Three dozen donuts. If you had told me that each and every donut was laced with enough poison to kill me, I wouldn't have skipped a beat. That's where my self-control is. I know they are killing me, but I also know that even if they killed me instantly I'd eat it."
He damn near lost his job over that one, and had to give someone else money so THEY could go out and buy replacement donuts, because he knew he'd eat them on the drive back to work.
If that sounds really familiar, get some one-on-one help. After a year of therapy, he finally settled on stomach-stapling surgery that FORCED his appetite down long enough that he could get it under control. Not everyone has to go to that extent, but not everyone lets it get that bad.0 -
Did I write this?? I can empathize with how you feel and act because I am the exact same way! I'm not diabetic but I feel the same way about food. I cook all the time for the family and it is healthy. I have children with food allergies so I'm very careful about what they eat and in the meantime, I've got chocolate hidden in my bedroom so they won't find it. Mainly because I know they can't eat it and I don't want anyone else knowing how much I eat in private. My mom does the same thing and I swore I'd NEVER do anything like that. I was a size 6, 135 once upon a time...well....2 kids later here I am hiding food. Any support groups online? In our rinky dinky town, I know there isn't anything like that or close by. Good luck to you! Good luck to us both!0
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It's really hard to change habits! You've made a great first step toward moving away from emotional eating by just being mindful and logging your food (at least I assume you are). That is a fantastic thing to do! I'm sure you know all the rest-eliminate fast food from your family diet (or at least the "trigger" places where you will not be able to make good choices and at least for a while), don't have junk in the house, etc. But eventually of course you want to be able to be around this stuff and be in control. I just wanted to tell you to be kind to yourself and just because you messed up today does not mean you are a failure! Just today I took a little serving of ice cream on impulse and it turned into like 5 servings. I hate it when I do that. I don't know if I have food addiction but I do still binge on foods that I find really tempting and don't really mean to eat a lot of. Just try to move on. I think all the suggestions here such as food journals etc are great.
I REALLY admire you with your diabetes for trying to take control of your diet and your weight. That is a fantastic thing to do for yourself and your family. WHen you want to order the fast food or eat the M&Ms think do I REALLY want this? How am I going to feel AFTER? WHat can I have INSTEAD so that when I close my food diary at the end of the time I will be happy with what I see-and when I look in the mirror and visit the doctor I will be happy with what I see and here.
You are making great strides keep it up!!!0 -
how about if your thinking of food and you've already eaten that you do some kind of housework or something like a craft just to start diverting your thoughts elsewhere just to start out like this and keep thinking up new things to keep the mind busy because your body really isn't hungry. it might work, give it a try. If not, you'll have to dig deep to get that willpower going. Keep something you can have for your blood sugar on the road so you won't be so tempted for McD's. Just trying to help, I hope you'll find something that helps you because it feels wonderful once you have reached your first goal, oh and set small goals so you don't get flustered, it might excite you enough to stop thinking bad food and start thinking what's the good food.0
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I do think its a food addiction. I use to eat in secret all the time and I've had the same problem everytime ive started a diet; I'm in a bad mood and all i can think about is food. I think I was not only addicted to the sugar but to the hand to mouth action as well. I must say though usually after the first week or two of cutting myself off from the junk food I'll slowly stop missing food so much and my mood changes completely, bascially I feel like I'm finally not PMSing anymore. So just hang in there a little while longer to kick those cravings! Something that really helps me get over the cravings is to make a healthy version. The cooking process even helps me feel like I've eatten more than what I really have. One of my favorite not so guilty pleasures is a No Pudge Brownie and scoop of Stonyfield frozen yogurt yum and only 200 calories!0
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You've gotten some good advice on ways to deal with food issues and be reasonable with yourself. However, I'm also concerned about the extreme mood problems you're describing. I worry about the effect that has on you, emotionally and physically, and especially the efect on your daughter. Do you have a doctor you could discuss this with and perhaps get some suggestions or referral for some assistance to help you both lose weight and maintain your equilibrium. Of course, we all have those times when we are stressed and find it diffiuclt to cope, but we don't want to make it a habit to lose control.
It sounds like you have extra challenges losing weight, maybe more than others. So maybe you need some more concrete advice on how to manage your health and weight loss that won't have such a negative effect on your mood, not only for yourself but also for the sake of your relationship with your daughter. Maybe you grew up in a family where throwing things and yelling were the way anger was expressed, but wouldn't it be nice not to pass that on to your daughter? If physical issues are pushing you to the point of anger, you may need some medical intervention to help with that.
Best wishes to you---losing weight is difficult, but it can be done with the right supports.0 -
It is because eating those types of foods releases chemicals in the brain that are associated with pleasure. I have heard Dr. Drew and Dr. Oz talk about this many times. I can't recall all of the details, but you should Google something about this or maybe someone else that has more details will reply to this post too. Best of luck!
Its dopamine.. =/ Eating can give you the same feelings as sex. Find an alternative to snacking that makes you feel good
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This sounds like a blood sugar issue. Have you tried the pump for better insulin control? It also helps sometimes to be on an antidepressant to control the mood swings if you are binge eating.
It is not uncommon for diabetics to binge. http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/Blog/Amy-Campbell/binge_eating_disorder_and_diabetes_part_1/
Talk to your physician. He can refer you to a Dietician and help you get better control of this situation. Best of luck!0 -
i agree with having your blood sugar tested - hubby is a T2 diabetic and oooo he can get grumpy if it drops too low - and if he doesnt eat he just gets SICK
rule out ay medical conditions before jumping to conclusions0 -
There are people who are truly addicted to food like a crack addict or an alcoholic is addicted to their drug. I'm one of those people. If you think you are obsessing about food, PM me and I'll give you information on a 12 step program I follow that has helped me understand my addiction to food.
Most of what you describe does sound like stuff I have gone through. Hiding food is especially a sign that you may be truly addicted. HOWEVER, that is for you to determine on your own. I can only relate my experience. So, if you want the information and read through some questions that will help you determine whether you really are addicted, you can move from there.0 -
I know its not my bloodsugar. I am not low or high when I have these mood swings or cravings. I am on an insulin pump now and have been for almost 6 years. My levels have been pretty good in the last few years. I can't take antidepressants as they all make me suicidal (have tried many combinations and types). Addiction runs in my family (alcoholism). Im just frustrated because most people just tell me to stop eating, get rid of the bad food from my home and not eat it. They tell me to just watch what I eat. Think about it before I eat it and then not eat it. Ive TRIED all that. It doesn't work. I eat my sweet stash I keep for lows, when Im not low. I eat the things my husband brings into the home for work (i.e. pizza). He is anti-healthy foods so for him to eat, its always cereal, pizza, burgers. removing it from the home removes his food completely. Then he eats out. And I want what he has. So I get some too. Its not as easy as just not doing it. The IDEA of eating only healthy foods makes me irritated and angry and I usually turn to eating junk. Ive looked into lots of high protein diets where Its meats (which I love) and veggies and fruits and nuts and whole grains. I end up with an anxiety attack that leads me to binge eat junk. I try so hard to stop myself but can't seem to stop.0
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I know its not my bloodsugar. I am not low or high when I have these mood swings or cravings. I am on an insulin pump now and have been for almost 6 years. My levels have been pretty good in the last few years. I can't take antidepressants as they all make me suicidal (have tried many combinations and types). Addiction runs in my family (alcoholism). Im just frustrated because most people just tell me to stop eating, get rid of the bad food from my home and not eat it. They tell me to just watch what I eat. Think about it before I eat it and then not eat it. Ive TRIED all that. It doesn't work. I eat my sweet stash I keep for lows, when Im not low. I eat the things my husband brings into the home for work (i.e. pizza). He is anti-healthy foods so for him to eat, its always cereal, pizza, burgers. removing it from the home removes his food completely. Then he eats out. And I want what he has. So I get some too. Its not as easy as just not doing it. The IDEA of eating only healthy foods makes me irritated and angry and I usually turn to eating junk. Ive looked into lots of high protein diets where Its meats (which I love) and veggies and fruits and nuts and whole grains. I end up with an anxiety attack that leads me to binge eat junk. I try so hard to stop myself but can't seem to stop.
Work on an attitude change! Positive thinking goes a long way :happy:
You absolutely CAN stop. I recently quit smoking, and my husband still does, so I kind of understand what you're going through. I am constantly taking a minute to think about and fully experience a craving. It's all in the mindset. KEEP TRYING! Lose the excuses and think POSITIVE.0 -
The good news is you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better.
This post has so much great advice, but I think the first line is an absolute winner - making small changes can add up.
I still overeat from time to time but I work on the theory that every time I make a healthier choice it is a victory. If I can keep doing that most of the time, I'm eventually going to get to where I want to be.
You might like to look at a book called "Eating Less" by Gillian Riley. Someone on the forums recommended it last year and I've found it really helpful. She suggests not focusing on losing weight but on changing eating habits.0
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