Never hungry - always eating!

[MrsMeanwhile]

My weight has ballooned in the last year or so. I never actually feel hungry but I am constantly snacking. It's a dopamine thing and I know the science behind it. I know what I should do. I eat when I'm sad, bored, lonely and it does make me feel better in the short term. Now my clothes don't fit. I've tried keto, low carb, no sugar which all really help for a few days and then stop working.

Has anyone else experienced this and found a way to lose weight and not have the constant cravings for biscuits, crisps etc?! I think I have ADHD (waiting for assessment) and possible autism too.

The weight it causing health issues now and I'm very uncomfortable.

I'm like this, wish I could stop. I think it's emotional eating, as you said. I think the solution is to keep busy, and not think of food as a reward, but it's easier said than done.

Thanks @Dragonfly97 . Yes definitely emotional eating. Life is a little tricky at home but I cannot continue to gain weight. Feel totally stuck.

Same here. I'm horrified at how the weight's gone on, especially as I'm post menopausal and it's so hard to shift! Years ago I could drop half a stone no problem; now I really have to cut back on what I eat to lose anything at all. Something that did work for me years ago, was the book Fat is a Feminist Issue by Susie Orbach. It's a little dated now, but it discusses body image and how we perceive ourselves, and use weight as armour, to protect ourselves, if that makes sense? It deals with weight as an emotional issue, so I'm going to re- read it and hope it helps. I do think the solution is dealing with our emotions.

@MrsMeanwhile I am sure I will be roundly told off for mentioning it, but if you are obese and not just a little overweight, then weight loss injections would address everything you raise. I felt stuck and totally hopeless this time last year. Now I’ve lost 8.5st and still continuing and I’m heading towards a healthy weight. My health and fitness are both massively improved, beyond all recognition really.

@SilenceInside thank you for that. I'm so glad that's working for you. I don't quite qualify unfortunately as if I did I absolutely would. Mainly to stop the food noise. But if things continue as they are then I will qualify eventually but hoping to try and find a solution that works before that. Type ii diabetes runs heavily in my family so the weight is no good for me.

I came to exact same realisation as you OP very recently. I crave the dopamine hit of eating but I’m rarely hungry.
I tried injections but because they deal with feelings of hunger they didn’t work at all. The ‘food noise’ continued and sometimes worsened and they made me wake up in the night with vomit in my throat which was awful.
The only thing that has worked for me is long term fasting. It essentially means I block out any food thoughts for long periods. Rather than obsessing about I can and can’t eat, then caving into desires or eating too much I just forget about food.

It’s massively liberating and it’s certainly not for everyone but I rarely think about food (or alcohol), I feel AMAZING, I’m full of energy and my peri brain fog has lifted. I started it for inflammatory arthritis which it has hugely helped and my pain has reduced massively.

There'll be a bunch of people in to say how unhealthy it is but it’s not. I’ve done masses of research (See the Obesity Code by Jason Fung for one). It makes your body turn to fat reserves to burn for energy

Every other week I fast for 70 to 100 hours. Water only (two morning black coffees) with flavoured no calorie electrolytes (potassium, sodium, magnesium). I also take a powdered multi vitamin and collagen. Other days I eat one hearty low carb meal a day.

The second day of fasting is the most difficult food noise wise but after that I literally don’t think about food at all. My brain does a switch, presumably as the body turns to being a fat burning machine. It’s amazing and I often feel I could go on for several days more and I’m sad to eat!! The fasting subreddits have been informative and inspiring

Result is 12kg down in a month (I am in the obese category though) and the ability to switch off the food noise!

I am the same. I am on 15mg mounjaro (weight loss jab) and it's fairly non effective on the emotional side. I am at a bit of a loss what to do, I am fine all day until I get home. The minute I walk through of the door I am like a conveyor belt and never satisfied. I am wondering it's because I've stopped eating, vaping, smoking and drinking. These things I have been doing all my life and now at 50 I am trying to stop it all. I am currently debating wat is the least unhealthy vice to have, so I can stop the evening mind battle's.

@pontivex wow, I read your reply twice now. This is so interesting. So it's unlikely jabs would work for me either.

Yes I've heard of Jason Fung but I have always dismissed fasting as I really suffer with constipation which I know will be made much worse without the continued bulk going through me.

Well done for figuring this out for yourself and i am going to try and see if I can make this work for me.

Thank you.

@nice1rodders that's a lot for your brain to be dealing with. It's hard, all these companies (food industry, tobacco, alcohol and vaping) have invested so much money to ensure we keep buying their products with absolutely no care in the world for our health. They make the products irresistible and addictive and then society scorns us for using/eating/drinking them.

It's most likely be tiredness and dehydration. Male sure you get plenty sleep and drink plenty water. Fill up with fruit and veg.

@MrsMeanwhileif you decide to do some fasting pop up a thread maybe for some mutual support! Otherwise checkout r/fasting on reddit which is really helpful.

@pontivex I've done omad today which was easy as I don't feel hungry. You're right - no cravings. My friend gave me a book by mindy peltz and while my cycle is erratic and sometimes non existent I think that I won't manage omad every day. Not sure if she has science behind her like fung though.

@pontivex to clarify - I know fung's ideas are all based on science. Unlike peltz. But fung does not (not that I've seen) factor in a woman's fluctuations in hormones.

I’m just in menopause. It’s done amazing things to my overall wellbeing but yes there may be hormone aspects. Fast like a girl will give some good pointers.
can also recommend ‘Don’t deny delay’ by Gin Stevens which is a good OMAD guide and she factors in cycles.

Also @MrsMeanwhile if you struggle with consipation then the electrolytes I mention help massively. Magnesium helps with bowel transit. You could kick off your first fast of eg 36 hours (have dinner, don’t eat the next day then eat low carb dinner on day 2) by taking a dose of epsom salts (2 tablespoons in a glass of warm water) which is just a high dose of magnesium. That totally clears you out. Don’t do it more than once a month and only do it on a day you aren’t going to be close to the loo! It’s VERY effective. From then on the magnesium in the electrolytes will keep you regular.

Have you read or watched the glucose goddess? She explains how each food group works and educates you to make healthier food choices. It's a lifestyle adjustment for a health rather than weight loss but the weight naturally reduces when we understand a little of the science behind it to make better food choices.

Weight loss injections do work and there is a clinical need for them, but as controversial as I sound, I believe these should be for those who have a medical need, the evidence suggests that weight is regained once this medicine is stopped, so in my opinion the injections for weight loss are only an expensive temporary fix

I am similar and the only thing that has ever worked for me is fasting as I can't consume the same number if calories in my window as if I was grazing all day. Unfortunately I gave my self gallbladder issues through losing weight too quickly and not drinking enough and now have to eat every few hours to avoid pain. So I recommend but don't go crazy with fast lengths and make sure you drink a lot! A friend said that hypnotherapy worked for her and may get desperate enough to try it.

Agree @Twobigbabieswater water water when fasting. At least two litres a day and I can’t stress enough the electrolytes! They maintain your cellular balance and the ability to take energy from stored fat.
My routine is two cups of black coffee in the morning, two to three litres of water through the day, usually sparkling with two or three flavoured no sugar electrolyte sachets that have sodium, potassium and magnesium. I also add a no calorie multivitamin and collagen in there and spread it out through the day. Zero calorie no sugar flavoured sparkling water helps too and in the evening I have a glass of of sparkling water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar for ph balance (and surprisingly tasty).

Me too. I’m nearly at my target weight but only because I just couldn’t stop snacking and need to get into a dress for a couple of weddings.. so went drastic for 5 days and only ate within a small window. Job done but not optimistic about maintaining it…

Thanks ladies. I have 2.5 stone to lose so I'm excited to be starting this journey.

@pontivex do you recommend an electrolyte brand (if you are UK based)?