i really think i am addicted to food and have no will power

[lollipoppet]

I am hoping to miraculously lose weight for my wedding next year, have started going to the gym etc but this is quite useless if I can't stop stuffing my face! I find I am constantly looking for something to eat, when I get back home from doing shopping I can't wait to eat everything I've bought! It doesn't help that I'm at home on mat leave and it's so easy to graze all day.
Has anyone tried hypnotism or that virtual gastric band thing?
I really have no will power, need help! (if you're planning to tell me to stop buying treats, dp would have a fit!)
Thanks!

I think Paul McKenna / Eat Yourself Slim self hypnosis is quite useful for learning to eat only when hungry, and for you worth a go, but yes I am going to say to stop buying food to graze on. Can also be useful to log everything you eat on MFP to get a feel of how much you actually are eating.

Could your DP buy snacks himself and keep at work? Once you are underway with things you will manage with them in the house but at the start you need to banish the temptation. If he really wants to help you he will not have a fit unless he's very selfish and not supportive.

And yes, going to the gym not going to help you loose weight unless you restrict your eating. The gym uses a depressingly small number of calories.

HI Lolli,
what you are describing sounds very familiar...
Just to give you a little background. I'm also on Mat Leave, have 2,5 yo ds and a 10 mo dd. I feel like I could eat constantly, but in fact after two pregnancies (and twice within the last three years gaining and losing three stone!!!) I am actually a slim size 10 (with a little belly lol),
My advice: Keep very very extremely busy during the day. Walk everywhere you can, meet as many other mums and their dc's for playdates in the park etc as you can. I find that the more I'm out and busy the less I eat. I don't go to the gym (no time, no childcare), I just walk everywhere and we have loads of hills where we live which seems to help...I would be a lot bigger or wouldn't have lost the baby weight for a start.

You need to think about why you're eating. Is it boredom? Is it because you're upset/lonely/stressed/happy? Do you eat as a reward to yourself, or out of habit? Are you constantly grazing and finishing off the kids food or is it mostly treats and/or booze? Or is it because you genuinely love the taste of food, or the feeling of fullness?

Think about why you're doing it, and try your best to treat the real cause of your "hunger" - if it's boredom find something to do, if it's loneliness call someone or go and see someone etc. If it's just a case of you liking food too much then all you can do is make healthier choices and just have minute portions of treat food.

Thanks for the replies ladies. Definitely agree that being out of the house helps a lot!
I do think I eat out of boredom to some degree but more so just because I love the taste of food, like if I can't decide what to have for my lunch, I'll think sod it, let's have both! (disgusting I know!) And I will eat til I am over full and feel sick. Just want a way to control how much I'm eating and gain some will power!
I'll speak to dp about supporting me and maybe he can keep stuff in his shed! I never go in there!

I lost almost 5 stone after my 2nd pregnancy by doing slimming world - some people may not be a fan but it really is about healthy eating and eating the right foods. You eat a tonne of food following it which is great for me as i love my food too and eat a lot! I am back following it again as I put a lot of weight on again during my 3rd pregnancy and have managed to lose a half stone in the few weeks I've been back. You can do it if you really want to and imagine how great you will feel at your wedding if you manage to! I do agree with others though that you need the support of your dp and need to not have the 'wrong' foods in the house. Good luck!

I you are constantly craving white carbs and sugary things I would seriously reccomend you look at the Radiant Recovery website and read 'Potatoes not Prozac' it has completely changed my life.

If you just crave all food then Paul Mckenna may be useful, but if was hopless for me as I was totally addicted to sugar, so telling me I could eat whatever I fancied just completely backfired.

I think the "Adore Yourself Slim" (Lisa Jackson) hypnosis fit better with a healthy eating plan (as unlike Paul Mckenna) the focus is on healthy eating, not eating whatever you fancy.

I tried slimming world for those reasons! Didn't work for me though, I can't control myself and will just stuff myself because "im allowed"
Need to change my brain and gain will power- apparently being the centre of all attention when I get married and photographed all day is not incentive enough?! Which is why I was considering hypnotherapy...

Sorry to hear it didn't work for you as sw was the only way I could do it. Afraid I haven't tried any of the others so can't comment on hypnotherapy etc. Good luck with whatever you try but don't be too hard on yourself and I'm sure you will look beautiful on your wedding day no matter what size as how you feel is all that really matters!