Food addiction is characterized by compulsive eating and an obsession with weight and body image. Persons with a food addiction display an obsession with, and craving for, food and eating, a preoccupation with finding sources of food associated with pleasure and comfort, a compulsive cycle of eating, and the lack of an ability to stop abusing food.
I seem to be back to all of my old tricks. I lay in bed at night and think about my plans for the following day. There seems to be a trend.... get boys ready for the day, go to the mall, EAT OUT YAY!, come home for naps, EAT OUT YAY!, put kids to bed.
My excitement as a stay-at-home Mom centers around going out to eat. That is the highlight of my life right now, and it frustrates the HELL out of me! It has been almost a year since my banding, and it will be a cold day in HADES before I would opt to have my band removed one day. I am still a very SICK food addict. Now, granted I can't eat much at these outings, but the point is, that I LIVE for them. As soon as my kiddos go down for their naps, I look forward to going downstairs, sitting in front of the TV and eating a snack- usually a not so healthy one. I crave just "zoning out". Things are so stressful in my life right now that I am constantly escaping.
Have any of you kicked the food addiction behavior?
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19 comments:
I don't think you ever kick it. Lately I just haven't felt very driven to eat but that's also because I'm seeing great loses on the scale. As stressed as I am now, I don't really consider eating. I know that once the losing slows down it will be a different story...
I think all of us can understand how much of our weight loss battle is dependant on our mental state. If there is anything I have learned this past year, it is that eating is not just a physical activity...so much of our eating is tied to emotions. At least you can recognize it and that means you can CHOOSE to make good choices and don't let the ugly old food addiction monster rear its ugly head in your life. You have worked far too hard losing the weight to let it get the best of you now. Hang in there!!!
I don't think I will EVER kick my food addiction. I do think I can control it "relatively" well for the first time in years. I still have times when all I can think about it eating out, eating "bad", or just plain eating. However, most days, I really don't obsess.
I know with any weightloss, the one year mark is often a challenge. We tend to start making our way back to familiar old habits, some of which are not good. This is the time we (as I am creeping up to my one year) need to be most aware of these habits and try to face them and deal with them the best we can.
Good luck!
That is me. You said exactly my life. Strange, I thought I was the only one!
Nope.. Haven't kicked it yet. So much of my life is focused on "what's for dinner?" "what's for lunch" "ooo lets make cookies!" etc.. I just eat less of my obsession because of the band.
I don't know that anyone ever 'kicks' this addiction; some just go into a remission of sorts (but it always lurks, waiting for a loss of resolve and planning).
Unfortunately, the sweets/salty snacks foods create an ugly cycle, where, the more often you eat them, the more often you crave them. Going cold turkey might really help. BUT you should probably find something (a good book, some good movies, a chat with a good friend (eh, hem), playing with jewelry....that you can look forward to almost as much as you look forward to the eating out.
OR, find a snack that you can twist around so it's a treat, but it's not really junky.
Just my 2 cents. :)
I will never kick the addiction... It's what they say, Once an addict, always an addict. We are like the only addicts who can't live without our drug... We use healthy food as our methadone, but we all have our relapses. The thing is eventually we will get to a point when we can eat our drugs in moderation. One of mine is the Krispy Kreme Glazed Raspberry filled... Good God they're yummy. I had one a week ago... just one and didn't eat the whole thing. I remember eating 4 in a day on more than one occasion. But this time I cured my craving, and moved on. No binging... no other change in habits. Most of my binges were always caused by refusing my body something it craves and eating my way around until I get it. This time I just drove to Krispy Kreme after the craving didn't go away in several days. *Maria*-Blogger from "This one time at BAND Camp..." Check out my blog at mybigfatbandgeeklife.blogspot.com
I believe the reason *why* we are food addicts needs to be addressed. Why do we self medicate oursleves with food. Why do we feel the need to numb ourselves. Why are we punishing ourselves. Why the self loathing?? Only when the underlying issues are dealt with, can we begin to heal and food will no longer be an iddiction.
It's a huge journey of self dicovery and conquering.
Yes I have! But only through hypotherapy. I call it the lap band on my mind...
One of the things I've done that has helped is to focus on non-food rewards (spa treatments, new clothes, etc.) and non-food things that I like doing.
I'm not sure if this will be helpful, but consider planning something for during those break times other than eating out (obviously, you still have to eat, but plan something that you like too). Maybe a manicure, a bath, reading, watching something you like on TV, or whatever. Then, when you find yourself obsessing about food, force yourself to think about the fun non-food treat you have planned for yourself. This has helped me, and over time, I've stopped thinking of food as the only reward or comforting thing I can do.
Ah i know EXACTLY what you mean. What did it for me was allowing myself to eat exactly what I wanted (like just sitting there and thinking about what my body and mind were asking for) and working on this for a good 1.5 years. Over time the 'zoning out' (which is something I tried to explain to my family when I was struggling, and something that is difficult to explain if you haven't been there) hasn't been possible with food. Once all food was available without any guilt attached (a mental shift that takes time and, for me, took some therapy and meditation) the 'zoning out' happiness/relief feeling was lost. At first I was actually frustrated that food no longer gave me this buzz, but overtime I have replaced it with things like doing the crossword with my dad, meeting friends for coffee, shopping, reading (especially addictive trilogies like steig larsson), playing an instrument, reading blogs, writing, making collages, photography, perfume testing (as silly as that sounds, its an activity that brings me into the present), writing lists, getting into a tv series.
i was really glad to read this posting. i too am a food addict and i feel like i will NEVER be free. the food fantasies really drive me crazy... and i could go on for months about emotional eating... so thanks for sharing and keeping it real. there may not be a "cure" but it helps to see others on the path to recovery and healthier living who have the same struggles and challenges.
There is no such thing as a food addiction. Food is made up of carbs, proteins, fats and junk like artificial sweeteners. You need to begin to control WHAT combinations you are putting into your body. Your body needs food to maintain its metabolic rate. Denying food to your body is not what you have to do...you have to monitor the TYPES of food you are putting in. Help me help you...how many calories are you putting in and what type c/p/f? How many calories are you burning daily?
The only cure I know for any addiction of any sort is a 12 step program which means you move out of trying to fix the problem yourself and work the program so that it's lifted off of you.
There are several things about all your comments I find interesting. First there IS such a thing as food addiction. It's not the food itself that you are addicted to, it's the way certain foods make you feel - or even the act of purchasing foods that are 'treats'.
Second, 12 steps isn't the only way to beat an addiction. 12 Steps may work for some, but not all. So what are the rest of us supposed to do? There are many other forms of treatment, both physical and mental for issues with weight and food.
Third, Blubbery Blogger: The reason you are falling back to your old habits I would guess is because you may be changing the outside, but what have you changed on the inside? Why/how did you gain the weight in the first place? Why did you want to lose it? These are things you need to address - i.e. why you were turning to food in the first place. Otherwise, of course you will resort back to old habits of covering up those issues.
Have a nice day!
You have an award waiting for you at my blog :)
I'm so glad to have found your blog! I am only 3 days post op and already struggling with the liquid diet phase I am in, and it has been such an eye-opener to how much I love food. I love it! I knew that I would struggle, but this is really really hard!
REally interesting blog this was!
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