Do you think you are/were addicted to food
 

I noticed that Lillian mentioned that she is reading a book on food addictions. For the past year I've felt strongly that for me, food is an addiction. That is, I need the chemical change the food brings about. I just borrowed a book on this topic from the library--well, I think that's what the book is about :dizzy: based on the description. I'm going to start it later today. Just wondering what you all think about this for yourself (or is this a topic that should be in another forum?)

I've often wondered about it too! It always annoyed me when people assume all fat people (especially women) had a traumatic childhood or were abused in some way -- hey, I just happen to LIKE FOOD AND HATE EXERCISE! hahaha

For a LONG time I thought I was addicted to "whites" and "chocolate" but I can't imagine any other addiction where it's kinda gone in 3 days so I think I used it as an excuse -- in MY case only of course! Lots of people can get addicted to lots of things, so why not food?!?

I've stopped making excuses for myself, and "grew up". And the once self-proclaimed chocolate addict had a case of chocolate bars in the house for 3 or 4 months and never touched 'em and then gave it all away after hallowe'en

That being said, I'd never be so arrogant to presume that I'm "cured" not that there was anything more than denial and laziness to be cured of LOL, I'm always constantly vigilant not to slip back into old patterns, not do the easy and familiar, to be strong and when i'm NOT strong - to fake it til it clicks in LOL

I'm really interested in what other folks' experiences have been - neat thread

I have some foods that I can't have in the house, because if they are here, I will eat them until they are all gone. :hyper: And that's like an addiction. Mostly they are carbohydrate foods, especially mixed with fats.

I've gotten so I can have some of these foods back in the house, although I have to portion them out ahead of time and restrict myself to a serving. An example is tortilla chips.

With others, notably ice cream, I may never be able to have it in the house again. That's OK. If I have to have it, I can go to an ice cream store and get an appropriate serving.

Jay

I am extremily addicted to foods. I have an addictive personality though, so i am always addicted to something. When i was younger and would date a new guy, i would get addicted to him and forget all about food. When i have a vacation coming up, i get addicted to that and forget all about food. When i am dieting, i get addicted to that. I weigh constantly, exercise a lot, etc. But whenever i get bored and have no other addications that scream for my attention, i always fall back on food. So food is my default addiction i guess.

It is terrible though. I am just like any drug addict out there. I will make sure i have money for my fast food. I make sure i arrange my errands to times when i will finish them up around a mealtime...so i can swing by the food place on my way home. When i finish one meal, i fixate about what the next meal will be. It is disgusting and just like a drug addict constantly looking for that next fix. It is embarrasing and harbors all kinds of shame. Just as drug addiction does. I hate it. But it has been a condition i have had since childhood. So i guess it is like those alcoholics that go to an AA meeting, after 20 years of being sober, they still say, "hi, name is So and SO and i am an alcoholic". I used to think, no your not, you have been sober for years. THen i lost 100 pounds, only to gain it back. And i learned and understood, why after 20 years of sobriety...they still know that deep down, they are still an alcoholic. No matter how many times i lose weight, or how many times i put it back on...i will always have a weakness and addiction to food.

I would love to read a good food addiction book. I dont know if it would help me though. I mean, i know i have an addition. I just dont know how to break that addition for good.

I am addicted to food, I've just learned to control my addiction somewhat and I too can't have certain foods in the house.

I definitely have what I would call trigger foods. I am not sure it is an addiction or not. But I try not to start with those foods because then I won't stop until they are gone.

I soooo understand thinking about what the next meal will be - even when I am eating healthy - I have at times thought that is because of my perfectionist personality - have to know whats coming up. I don't do that with other areas that I am also a perfectionist in though so I've been thinking about food addiction.

I also would like a suggestion on a good, easy to ready book on the topic - not covered up with all the scientific data.

I definitely have trigger foods that I am addicted to. There's no such thing as one tortilla chip (or in fact any kind of chip) for me. One book that really helped me think about my trigger foods was "Why Can't I Stop Eating?" It's because of that book that I kicked out a few more foods than previously (in this case, caffeine containing things. Who knew it could be such a trigger?:dizzy:). Kicking out the trigger foods has definitely made a big physical difference to my cravings;)

I have a food addiction, and what has helped me recently was a line that Dr. Phil says all the time: What is the payoff? He says that everything we continue to do has a payoff, that is why we keep doing it despite negative consequences. I didn't hear him say this related to food, but I just started thinking over the past week what my payoff is for eating bad foods and binge eating. It is doing something for me, or I wouldn't be doing it.

I have done a lot of journaling and realize that it is my comfort, my best friend. the least bit of stress and I turn to food. Someone upsets me or my children drive me nuts...food. Happy times, something to celebrate...my mind always turns right to food. It distracts my mind, gives me something pleasurable to focus on, and don't think about the bad things going on while I am stuffing my face. Then after a binge I'm too sick to think about anything else. I feel there may be more to it, but that was a big revelation to me, though probably obvious to others.

I have trigger foods that turn on cravings for me, the main one being sugar. The least big of sugar and I get intense cravings for more and more food, usually carbs. I cut that out as much as possible now.

I've been thinking about this in myself as well. Am I a food addict? Yes, I want to say yes. Partially because if it was just an interest in food then it would be easier for me to turn on and off my desire to eat. But I say it's an addiction, because sometimes I go into this numb place (see my blog) and just eat purely for the action of eating. Sometimes, I don't even really taste the food or enjoy it but I eat because it's in front of me, I'm bored, I'm avoiding something that requires my attention, I'm afraid or stressed about something, or I'm needing it to fill a void in my life.

I'd be interested in knowing what you find out and if there is validity to food addiction as a clinical issue. I think it's an eating disorder. It's like anorexia but in the other direction.

Isn't it odd that our minds allow us to find comfort in food when we know we really can't.

I believe there is a STRONG possibility that food and overeating it, is an addiction. And therefore that I was/still am "addicted" to it. But like all addicitions, it CAN be controlled. Yes, it's darn difficult, but it IS doable.

Of course what makes food even harder to control and manage, IMO is the fact that we still need it in our lives every single day, several times a day. Cigarettes and alcohol and other drugs can be completely removed from ones lives, whereas food is actually REQUIRED, making it that much more difficult to control :(. Difficult, yes - but it's doable.

I remember posting something a while back about how quitting smoking (which is a true addiction to nicotine) was actual easier than trying to eat healthier.

I agree that eating junky food is like an addiction. Once your body gets used to it, you actually go through a "detox" stage when you stop eating it.

Yes. I think that food is an addiction in the same way that drugs and alcohol are addictive - both physically and psychologically. And yes, I believe that I suffer from that addiction. I also believe that it is in my power to control that addiction. But it can be so difficult.

This is me to a 'T'. I eat because it's there, I eat because I'm bored, I eat because I constantly think about food and what's on the menu for the next meal, I eat to fill voids, I eat because I'm stressed, I eat because I think I am hungry even when I am not. What I really need to do is turn my focus around...instead of grabbing food when I'm stressed or bored I need to get on the Elliptical(which is collecting dust right now) and kick my big butt into gear and take of the weight and become a healthier me.

I think I have a binge eating disorder and I have some bad habits with turning to food for comfort. I do have a physical drive and reaction if I eat sugary or fatty carby foods, but I call that a binge eating disorder and not an addiction.