Addicted to eating?

[Kungfupanda67]

I have always struggled with my weight, and I think I have a genuine addiction to eating shit.
Today I have eaten 5 chocolate bars, just because they’re there. Sometimes I can be eating and thinking how I don’t really want whatever it is, but I keep going anyway. I will keep eating even when I feel sick, yesterday I baked cakes for a charity bake sale and had some icing left over - I ate it on its own, I felt physically sick but couldn’t seem to stop. If there’s nothing in the house I like I’ll make some icing, or eat hot chocolate powder. I feel so ashamed even writing that, it’s disgusting but I don’t know how to stop.

I’m not hugely overweight (size 14), but I’m worried about how unhealthy I am. I have relatives on both my mum and dad’s side with diabetes and it terrifies me, but even that won’t make me stop.

Anyone got any advice? I can’t keep going on like it, but I don’t know what to do :(

Bump

Have you decided to just stop all dieting and beating yourself up?

I know it sounds silly, but I have been a binge eater for many years now. When I read how you ate 5 chocolate bars, and eat when you don't even want to and can't seem to stop, trust me I have been there many many times.

I too am not overweight but the nightly binging made me extremely unhealthy and unhappy. Something had to give.

I've tried diets and can't stick to them. I can't stand restricting myself. Then the other week I just thought fuck this. This isn't about diet and losing weight. It's about changing my relationship with food.

The difficult thing is I can't tell you why or how I am doing it, but since I made that decision I haven't binged on anything. It's been over a week now. The longest I have ever gone without gorging myself stupid. I am still eating crisps, chocolate and treats but somehow am just stopping at the one serving and have no desire to force any more food down. When it comes to food, trust me once I've failed, I well and truly sabotage myself. But something has shifted. Maybe it's because I am not overthinking things and am not telling myself I can't eat anything.

I know it's incredibly hard so I know have you feel x

Well done - it’s so hard. I was reading a bit about it last night and one of the reasons it’s so hard to treat food addiction is because you can’t give it up - you’d never ask an alcoholic to just drink sensible amounts, they have to just stop drinking, but you can’t just stop eating forever!

I’m going to try and let the weight side go, it’s not helping that I’ve got a 5 month old an dhavent lost much since she was born, so I’m beating myself up about that. Take the pressure off and try and just eat when hungry, see if that helps :(

There's a book called Brain Over Binge which considers binge eating as an addiction (rather than a psychological illness). It might be worth a look.

I'm a similar binge eater. I find it's best for me to not have binge foods in the house. There was a time when, if I didn't buy biscuits to binge on then I would make a full batch if cookie dough and eat it raw. So I stopped buying baking ingredients too until it felt more under control.

Akin to brain over binge - I have genuinely found that stopping the binges comes down to mind over matter. I have to be very conscious and mindful of wanting to gorge but maintaining a self-talk dialog in my head to remind myself that I am not hungry and do not want or need this food.

I find crunching on a bowl of ice cubes helps when I must do the hand-to-mouth movement but am not hungry, as an immediate and short term help.

I found this book - The Binge Code - far better than Brain over Binge. More practical help. It changed my life

I can relate! I told myself this week would be the week I stopped eating crap but I've had 3 chocolate bars, a mini roll and a bag of crisps already today. I think about food constantly, it's ridiculous.

Hi I just changed upon this thread while searching for tips on eating. I have a big problem with portion control. Partly because When I lost my mom at a young age I didn't know how to feed myself, my poor dad made sure I was fed upto being full but not healthy and right meals, I learnt to cook and should have remedied myself but when I am stressed I need food, it's my support system as I have no one (still miss my mom as we were so close). Now I work out like mad and still am 2 stone more than my healthy weight :(

Paul Mackenna has the answer to binge eating his (I Can Make You Thin) books,DVDs etc. are great because they concentrate on the mental attitude to food and to ourselves, learning to ACCEPT our selves, to eat really slowly and healthily (which works because you start to learn about what it feels like to feel full. You only eat when you feel hungry. It works. I lost 3 stone with it and am maintaining.

Anyone who is on this site will be bored with me going on about Paul Mackenna but it's the main way I've managed to keep my weight in control!

Thanks @ppeatfruit just ordered kindle one

Good luck