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Original poster

I think I am addicted to food :-(

82 replies

Frascati · 11/04/2007 17:44

I just do not stop eating.

I am always thinking about when I will be eating next and just love food.

I am piling the pounds on and really not sure how to manage it.

I know I need to cut calorie intake as I hate my body but then to cheer myself up I reach for the crisps, choc, biscuits etc. Vicious circle

OP posts:
Elasticwoman · 11/04/2007 19:45

Organise more exercise into your life. If you're doing a class or playing tennis, you can't be stuffing your face. Exercise is said to regulate appetite and it works for me.

However, if your exercise is walking too close to a cake shop, or cleaning the kitchen, perhaps time to rethink your schedule a bit.

Original poster
Frascati · 12/04/2007 12:16

I find that when I exercise I want to eat crap afterwards though.
I am thinking about weight watchers but as I am a big size 12/borderline 14 don't want to look stupid iykwim.

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Londonmamma · 12/04/2007 12:29

I would question whether you 'love' food. It sounds like you are using food to deal with your emotions rather than as tasty fuel. If you truly loved it you would treat it with more respect. Lots of women do what you do and it's hard to overcome because you have to deal with food every single day. Start keeping a food diary so that you can see your patterns. Record everything you eat, how hungry you are and also record how you are feeling when you eat and where/how you eat eg sitting at the table? standing in front of the fridge? walking along the street? If you restrict yourself to eating sitting down at a table you will automatically cut down.

Read some books about compulsive overeating.
I had a binge-eating problem for many years and am completely over it now. Life is great without it! Good luck.

Original poster
Frascati · 12/04/2007 12:31

Thanks Londonmamma.
I will do that.
So pleased you managed to overcome your problem xxx

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3andnomore · 13/04/2007 18:13

HI there...
recently I have started getting myself some Jason Vale books...one of which is called "Chocolate busters" (it didn't help me, btw...but that is a different story)...and the info in the book is a real eyeopener...and can be translated to other "comfort foods" too.He talks a bit about the whole "food addiction" thing and something really hit the spot...because, like you mention, I sometimes can't stop eating...but oddly enough this tends to be not somehting I have a problem with if I eat fresh unprocessed natural foods, but only those manmadestarchy, even more often refined sugary ones...and there is a reason for that...it's because they are a drug...sugar especially...and they create what he calls false hunger...
and he also very much goes into detail about us connecting emotions with food, and why that is so...it really is very interesting!
Am going to embark on his 7Ibs in 7 days Plan and then do his 14 days turbo change plan...so, hoping that will jumpstart me and motivate me
Definately love the juicing bit...
anywya, even if you wouldn't consider a juicing detox/juicing in general, teh chocolate buster book mihgt be a good read for you(The reason it didn't really help me, is because I pretty much knew the stuff ebforehand, and obviously it had never put me off beforehand, lol)

3andnomore · 13/04/2007 18:15

Frascati, we are a similar size then, and I have been doing WW...and in the past had great success, but this time, I just couldn't get myself into the right mindset
I really like tehir coreplan though, as that really encourages healthy eating habits and getting to know yourself, ratehr then having points and maybe ending up still eating rubbish, only less, lol...

Londonmamma · 13/04/2007 19:35

How are you, Frascati?

Original poster
Frascati · 13/04/2007 21:40

3andnomore ~ thanks for your story. Great to hear of things that work. i am considering ww but I am not excessively overweight. I am probably average but I hate the barrel I have developed around my middle.
London ~ I am feeling ok apart from my major blow out at pizza hut today
It seems all I can think about is my next meal/snack etc. I really feel like it is some addiction.
I want to ditch the junk for good but it's so hard.

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Londonmamma · 13/04/2007 22:03

Sorry to hear that Frascati. You do sound like you've got in to a destructive behaviour pattern with food. I'd be careful about going down the diet route because it can make you obsessed with things you can't have. Do try to become more aware of what leads you to overeat and have a list of other things at your fingertips that can distract if you want to eat but are not hungry. Make sure that every thime you eat it is a special occasion. Sit at the table, use cutlery, chew well etc but don't go on a diet!

snowwonder · 13/04/2007 22:13

londonmamma,,, can you recommend any good books on over eating?

thanks

3andnomore · 13/04/2007 22:13

Frascati...honestly I know where you coming from...it is hard to completely ditch the junk...obviously as of monday I will ditch it completely for 3 weeks and then see where I go from there...but even though the last few weeks I had my chocolatebinges (reading the chocoalte buster book made me have chocolate at the forefront of my mind...which made me crave it, lol), but I also have included some juicing and I do feel the better for it!
I realised today that my skin feels really nice right now, so, which must be down to those Juices. (Might aswell, as my first week of juicing brought me out in hives, lol...so, haven't juiced and smoothed any citrusfruits...and think it was that!)
Anyway, am rambling as usual...!
When I joined WW this time I was 11st3Ibs and I am 5'6...so, by no means was I obese...and many women are like that...you don't have to be obese to benefit from WW or SW or anything...as long as you weight in over their lowest joining weight for your height you can join!
Bloody Junk food though, isn't it...life would be so muhc easier and better and nicer and healthier if they would not be allowed to produce and sell that stuff, sigh...

Londonmamma · 13/04/2007 22:36

Hi there Snowmama
If you'd asked me that a few years ago I could have reeled off a list as long as your arm! The thing is it is so not a problem for me any more (and it lasted 17 years!) that I am out of touch with the books currently available. I'll have a look on Amazon for you and see if I recognise any that helped me. In the meantime, the tips I've written for Frascati are not just for her. Don't wait till you have the perfect book in order to start getting better. I used to read self-help books while bingeing, convincing myself that 'tomorrow I'll start my recovery'!!

Londonmamma · 13/04/2007 22:36

Sorry, Snowwonder

snowwonder · 14/04/2007 16:48

so what finally clicked for you? how did you break the cycle and how bad was the cycle, were you overweight?

ill understand if you dont want to disclose this info

Original poster
Frascati · 14/04/2007 17:14

I tried on about 10 outfits before I found one that I felt ok with.
I am so unhappy with my figure and I know what I need to do. It's the doing it that's hard.
Monday I am changing the way I eat.

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snowwonder · 14/04/2007 17:30

right me to how are we going to do it?

i have looked at books on amazon, but would really like londonmamma to recomened some before i blow my money- thanks in advance

Original poster
Frascati · 14/04/2007 17:31

Can we not set up a support thread on here?

My main aim is to get down to 10 1/2 stone. Would love to be 10 but that's not gonna happen for a while yet!

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anotherfoodaddict · 14/04/2007 17:37

I know the feeling frascati. I wake up thinking what is in the house to eat? I've done ww and lost weight but I've just hit a wall. I ate loads of chocolate and junk food over easter and now I just can't seem to get my healthy eating mojo back. Dh thinks he's helping by getting on my case about it but that just makes me more secretive about eating and that's no good either. I'm just not in the right mind set and I need something to snap me back into it. I like the start of the 7lbs in 7 days plan...I wonder if I could find something similar on line? I want to start afresh on Monday. I don't want ANOTHER fat summer.

October · 14/04/2007 17:38

Message withdrawn

anotherfoodaddict · 14/04/2007 17:38

count me in Frascati. Maybe there's somewhere online we could look, do a sort of detox week to get started and to help shift those first lbs. I might have to stop cowardly name changing though...I'll never remember to keep this up.

Celery · 14/04/2007 17:43

I've always been very scornful and snobbish about weightwatchers, but after a year of trying to lose weight on my own, I joined out of sheer desperation. You don't need to join a meeting, you an do it online, so no need to feel stupid!

I am addicted to food, and can't stop thinking about it, and couldn't stop eating. I'm not obese, I started at 11 stone 10, but I was really unhappy.

Weightwatchers is working for me, I'm doing the Points plan, and I like that I can still obsess over food ( how many points is something worth etc ) but that my calorie intake is controlled. I don't think the core would work for me - I don't think I would stop eating.

I've lost 9 pounds in 5 weeks.

Original poster
Frascati · 14/04/2007 17:47

anotehr food addict and october ~ hopefully we can join together online?
My other big problem is wine I drink too much. So not only am I addicted to food I love my drink too
Celery I am serious about doing ww. I think if I knew I was being weighed it woudl make all the difference iykwim

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snowwonder · 14/04/2007 17:49

good for you celery thats great.

i find the whole thing just awful constantly thinkin about what can i have, and it is awful i hate it controlling my life,

i acually find the milkshake diets easier as i dont have to think about food etc, just know all i can have is the milkshakes, but it is when i stop, because i havent delt with the problem the weight goes back on.,

October · 14/04/2007 17:51

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Frascati · 14/04/2007 17:52

snow and celery ~ it's horrible isn't it?

I was thinking the other day how badly I am disrespecting my body. How much harder it has to work to process all the crap I eat

OP posts: