Addicted to food???!!!!!?

Question

HI!!

Have you ever thought to yourself maybe I am addicted to food?

This is me

I’m overweight.
I have almost always been overweight.
I love food, I think about what I will have for lunch at 9 am in the morning. (I AM NOT GREEDY)
I have asked for help many times…doctors say eat health …I did but I ate so much of healthy food that I still didn’t lose weight. Doctors say you must eat smaller portions. But would he say the say to a alcoholic. “Instead of drinking 10 cans of beer drink only 1 a day” NO he wouldn’t!!!


With today’s media publicity around this topic everyone blames parents for over feeding their children not giving them health food .BUT why hasn’t anyone look at the actual problem which actually lies deep within individuals mind. Addicted to food is real as much as drinking or taking drugs. The difference is that there are solutions to the last two were as there is not practical solution to people that can not say no to food. We can blame everyone from media to parents and doctors…but maybe we should concentrate on each individual separately and not stereotype that all fat people are greedy/unhealthy and so on…


What do you think….Have you ever fell that no one understands you …..Have you ever thought that there is not enough help out there… Or I’m being over paranoid...???

Answer 1

Hi :)

Have you considered getting in touch with Overeaters Anonymous? Different than a diet, it follows the twelve step programme. Might help. For more information, see: http://www.oa.org/index.htm

I understand completely where you are coming from, if I could give up food completely I'd be cured. I can't have just one drink, so I have to be sober. If only I could give up food too. Funny, I can admit to you all on here that I am an alcoholic, but I know that if I admitted I was addicted to food, I'd get much more stick than I have recieved for being a 'drunk'.

People also don't seem to understand that if you eat enough fruit and vegetables, you will still gain weight. I remember a documentary on a guy who went on a diet, and he gained weight even though he was only eating oranges. Yes, but he ate 80 oranges a day.

For me, it definately isn't about feeling hungry or full, and drinking lots of water doesn't help. I drink 3+ litres of water a day, and I rarely feel 'hungry'. I eat for other reasons.

Hope you find your solution.

Best wishes :)

Answer 2

I think theres a lot of food addiction in America whether you are overweight or just plain skinny. People nowadays are always looking for the new diet, counting calories, low carb meal, etc. But when food becomes such a part of your life where you have to think about what it is to eat for one meal after the next it isn't healthy. At the same time, parents can be attributed to kid's health. What does a 5 year old know about eating healthy? If you give it a donut, and it taste good, they will eat it. BUt if you establish good eating habits and good portion control, it shouldn't be a problem. When I was a kid, going to McDonalds was rare, it was like a treat, it wasn't a daily thing or weeekly even, yet i know families who don't like to cook and order pizza one day, fast food next, Chinese takeout , and so on. Yes, I agree that the individual needs to take care of their own body, but if there is no reason a child should be obese in my opinion unless there is a serious medical problem. Nowadays I feel like people often use that way too much " oh my metabolism is slow..or its the thyroid....my family is on the bigger side...yadi yada yada" Does that mean you can't be healthy just because your metabolism is slow?????Also on your correlation people can live without alcohol, its not a neccessity for living. Food is a neccesity. Not enough or too much of it kills you in the end. To me, the most important aspect about food is portion control and limiting fattening foods. I don't think most ppl know a large french fries from McDonalds packs in 500- 700 calories just on fries alone, add a burger you have your calorie consumption for a day. Then one wonders where the weight is coming in. In essence you are what you eat. But let me ask this is a fat person healthy? Is a healthy person fat?because what is it to be trully healthy? When you are constantly thinking of food, that is not healthy. When you are overweight it is not healthy. Being healthy isn't a month thing or a weekly thing, its a lifestyle change. Just like giving up smoking or alcohol, you don't give it up for a month and then go back to it. PPl go on diets for a week and then give up. It takes burning 3,500 calories to lose a pound!!!!! IT isn't easy to lose weight! THat's why losing weight books, energy drinks, diet pills SELL!!!!!!! IT is not easy to lose weight. it takes weeks to do it. But being healthy has to come from a decision to understand and take care of your body.

Answer 3

I too have a food addiction but am only a size 10.

When eating dinner, I plan what to eat for dinner the following day. I have been known to eat left over curry or chocolate for breakfast. I heap my plate up, my portions sometime put my partner to shame.

I guess I'm lucky and have a high metabolism.

They say that chillies increase your metabolism and they make a lot of appearances in my cooking, exercise is supossed to increase it too.

Instead of smaller portioned main meals how about looking at snacks with less calories? Grapes, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Broccoli (I love broccoli) all have VERY few calorie. So when you get your munchies reach for them instead.

My desk at work is filled with rice crackers, grapes, nectarines, rye bread. This means I can snack throughout the day whilst not taking on very many calories.

It also means that when I get home, my eyes aren't too big for my belly and I don't get carried away with my dishing up.

Don't dispair, I'm sure you'll find something that works for you.

Good Luck from a fellow foodie :o)

Answer 4

I'm the same way. I have a very hard time losing weight, but I've gotten pretty good at maintaining my weight. I work out a lot, so that helps. And as far as eating, I eat healthy things, but like you, I eat too much of them too. So what I do is I eat a piece of fruit or salad before and after my meals, I drink a lot of water, and really think about what I put in my body. This way, I feel very full without consuming a lot of calories. Hope that helps a lil.

Answer 5

Hi:
I think this is a true affliction in that people need the gratification of eating often. I do think it is an addiction and a need to feel a sense of caring. I have always thought of myself as a person who loves food and abuses the power of food. Is there any way that you can look into nutritional assistance? This may sound like a cheesy answer to your question, but I feel for you and have seen many problems on TLC regarding overeating and the consequences of overeating.

Answer 6

No, you are not being paranoid at all. What you say is valid, especially in comparison to alcohol and drugs. You say there are solutions, but as an alcoholic, I can tell you that it was FAR easier to change my food addictions than to get off of alcohol. I am now of the mindset that BOTH are centered around undiagnosed food allergies. Consider having allergy testing done to see if that true in your case. When I tested postive for wheat, soy, eggs and commercial dairy, and found suitable substitutions for both, my excess weight dropped off swiftly and dramatically. What so few people realize is that commercial meat and dairy is LOADED with growth hormones and steroids that contribute to obesity, and is why so many young children are obese and developing more rapidly than is normal. Girls are developing breast much earlier than they used to. Email if you need further info or support. I had to give up meat, poultry, wheat, soy, eggs, commercial dairy, tomato, avacado, and other things. At first, I felt very deprived. Now, after years of searching and research, I have found a way to accomodate my cravings and nourish my body without going overboard and without feeling deprived at all.

Answer 7

You should read Paul McKenna's "I Can Make You Thin". It comes with a CD too. He totally changes the way you see food and it's brilliant. Diets work for 10% of people (because they put the weight back on afterwards), while his weight loss programme has proved successful for 70% of people. It's really good - he talks complete sense. You can order it on Amazon for just over £5 at the moment. At least look at some of the reviews on there and see what you think.

Answer 8

Carole Caplin said in her programme about health and diet, that food we buy that has all those additives in them create hunger in us. I think she made a good point try to cut back on food with additives, eat simple things, avoid ready meals. A member of my family who was about a stone overweight, eats healthy and walks a lot recently went to Weight Watchers she has had great success, for her it was reducing the size of portions. So don't give up keep trying you will find what is right for you.

Answer 9

i am not overwieght but i had a friend like you. she decided that she was through with her life being the way it was and decided that she was going to loose weight. at home she would binge, so she got busy doing anything pottery classes, dog lover groups, anything! After joining those clubs she was to busy to binge. Then she started going to the gym. I personally love the gym (I'm allmost addicted to it) because it releases stress for me so we started going together and i became her "personal trainer." we had some good times at the gym. just talking. I love the gym even without her but she hates the gym unless I'm there. she says she needs someone to talk to there, to keep her mind off the work of the gym and food.

i think all you need are some activities to keep you lively, and busy.

Good luck!

PS there are people like you around you. you might do some good talking to a therapist and he may help you the reason of you being addicted.

Answer 10

I think what your saying makes sense. I believe that food can be an addiction for some people. And yes I think with the majority of Americans being overweight that food help would be very smart!