I am 23 and over the past year I have lost 50 lbs. I did it through WW and more recently through Medifast and exercising. However, even though reducing calories is working to help me lose weight I am still SO addicted to food. I cheat often and I go hardddd. I order chinese or pizza or spaghetti and I binge eat. When I'm binging I know what I'm doing... I consciously am aware that it isn't healthy and I shouldn't do it-but I can't seem to stop.

I've found recently too since my diet has changed for Medifast that the main reason I binge is out of loneliness and comfort. I broke up with someone a few weeks ago and have found myself turning to food for comfort. I hear people on this site who have changed their lifestyle and started eating healthy food and working out more... healthier choices... and I really want to be one of those people. I feel like I am currently just limiting calories and faking it and its kind of working but slowly because I keep being obsessed with food and meals and cheating. It isn't a healthy way to view food.... I don't know how to change 23 years of thinking. I need some advice. Or ways to get comfort besides this. ugh.

Hey. I feel like I know where you are coming from, to some extent. I've never been one to be a huge emotional eater.. but I get the whole binge-ing thing. I realize when it comes to sweets.. I'll eat way too many, just because they taste good or because someone else eats them. I focus way too much on how I look, how others view me, and my weight instead of focusing on the fact that I want, and need, to be healthy. I wish I had some advice for you. The only thing I can say is nothing good (okay almost nothing good) ever came quickly.. most things of real worth take time and effort. Just keep at it.

Shanny, I'm not really sure I have great advice because I am right there with you but I wanted to try to lend some support!

I definitely obsess about food, over eat, think about food, think about what to cook etc allllll the time. In general I think you (and myself) just need to break the habit of obsessing about food. Even if I am obsessing about cooking healthy food, it shouldn't be what consumes me. It is very important to find healthy recipes you love and find those special go-to foods that you can whip up and know they are good for you (BEANS!) but somehow you have to turn that energy into something else, or direct it elsewhere.

Obsess over music instead, or knitting or exfoliating! Hah! I don't know. Whenever you start obsessing over food train your brain to think of something else. Do a crossword puzzle or something!

This might not be a good idea but you could even make a list of why you shouldn't eat or order a pizza or something. Maybe not a list but remind yourself, you're gonna hate yourself afterwards, what will I gain from this but weight and shame? Etc. Have a stern talking to - with yourself! and then go off and do something entirely different!

A lot of times I will remind myself "you have had enough pizza in this life time" or insert hamburgers, fries, chocolate, etc. Because it is so true. Pizza is great, I want it all the time. But I've had it, I know what it tastes like. Its OK if I don't have it today. I'm not saying I'll never have it again, but not today. I won't binge today.

I really don't know if this helped but wanted you to know that you are not alone! Hang in there! Or even better yet, when you want to binge, come to this board and support someone else in need or find a good healthy recipe to try tomorrow or look up a new exercise to try!

I understand, when I started dating my boyfriend who I just recently broke up with after 5 years, we did nothing but eat and eat and eat, and eat TONS of fast food and junk!! I weighed 145lbs when I met him, my highest weight I got to was whopping 258 lbs!... I couldn't do it anymore... our lives were just not going where we wanted them to go... so I called it quits... but you should think this... a moment on my lips... forever on my hips... just try and stop before you eat something, and say.. do I really need this??? That helps me... Im now down to 250.5 lbs... I haven't seen 240's in a long time and I cant wait to get there.. my goal by the end of 2014 is 150 lbs, and going into the police academy like I should have done when I was fit... but instead got caught up in the romance at such a young age!! Good luck!

I am going to try 5:2 fasting no worries about food restrictions
My worse thing is beer.

shanny ~ Im in the same boat your in, I LOVE food and Im always thinking about it, I think about what Im gonna eat 2 hours after I get done eating and then after I have my last meal of the day I start thinking what Im gonna have the next day and it just goes on and on, Its a never ending cycle it seems like. steinanwine had alot of good ideas, I know Im gonna try some of their ideas and see if any of them work for me

Shanny, I definitely can understand where you're coming from, so first off, for trying to get a different mindset while you're still young! (It's weird saying this, since I'm your age ) But yep, as I stated, I definitely know where you're coming from with this, because I myself am obsessed with food. When I'm enjoying a meal, I think about how much I can eat NOW in case I get hungry LATER. When I'm exercising, I look at calories burned in terms of what more I can eat in the day. When I watch tv and the characters eat, I seriously have a drool fest. It's not like I'm depriving myself either!

One thing I'd like to ask is do you know what triggers your eating? I see that it's an emotional thing (you stated comfort and loneliness), but are there any specific activities you do where you'd notice yourself binge eating more than not? If you can figure out the kinds of activities (whether it be sedentary or movement) that trigger your eating, maybe you can find a way to avoid it. For example, I noticed I eat more or get hungry if I watch shows in English vs. Korean dramas. While the food characters eat are appealing in both, because I have to focus on reading subtitles, I normally don't find it in me to multitask and stuff my face while reading subtitles - I'd miss too much information. I also notice that if there's a really good video game or book for me to dive into, I'm not so focused on eating either. I don't know if these tips really help any, but targeting activities that trigger eating did keep my binge eating down!

Hi there,
I'm a little older than you guys (no longer a 20-something anymore) but I can totally relate to being absolutely addicted to food. Especially high carb, high fat junk!!
I saw a book recommended on here called 'the Beck Diet Solution' and it's really, really helping me see that a lot of my weight problem and diet problems can be helped with changing my core beliefs/thoughts about dieting. It's a really awesome book- I recommend checking it out.

What really helps for me is having a hard and fast rule about eating foods (with minor minor exception) that I prepare myself. I find it much easier to control my calories and any cravings, and I try to keep it as healthy as possible. You will never see me deep fry any food in my house and certainly won't see me use butter or cream in large amounts, plus I find any and every way to add vegetables into every single component of my dishes.

I can make an under 300 calorie big pizza on a flatout/tortilla, I can cook 2oz of pasta and mix it with any sauteed veggies and top the entire thing with marinara, I can pulse/shred vegetables and mix with lean ground meat and use high fiber buns to make burgers, I can cut and bake a potato for fries, I can make burritos/enchiladas/quesadillas/tacos, I can make "takeout" Chinese food INCLUDING baked egg rolls and wontons, I can make buffalo wings with hot sauce and blue cheese, etc.

I always satisfy my cravings in the healthiest way possible. I tend to either cook large amounts, divide and freeze in portions OR I cook one serving at a time (particularly helpful with pasta). This ensures that I can't go back for leftovers.

Hey shannylove! First, I'd like to say congrats on 50 lbs lost! That's awesome work and certainly something to dance about! Also, this is going to be a bit long-winded, but bear with me!

Now, to conquer that "lifestyle change" mountain, I can point you to the one thing that helped me with the most success: the South Beach Diet. I had an emotional breakdown at the beginning of the month when I weighed in at the heaviest I've ever been. I was so distraught and discouraged with everything I had ever tried to do in the past, especially since it wasn't working. I got my veggies (or so I thought!) I drank 90-100 oz of water per day...why was I on this weight loss rollercoaster still??

I did some research...that tends to be my go-to on problems in my life. I research everything! I came across this "which diet is best for you?" quiz online and decided to take it, thinking I'll end up with something short of starving myself. Turns out, I ended up with South Beach Diet. With a bit more research, I ended up buying the book (the new one, with all of the better info in it). In about two days, I read the whole thing and immediately went grocery shopping.

That book seriously changed my life. Not only has it energized me to make better choices for my food, but it educated me on why I was eating it. What the ingredients in my meals had that would make me feel better on the inside. Where I was getting my antioxidants and omega-3s. And it opened my eyes even further to the whole foods diet.

I read that book on Jan 18th and 19th, and started Phase 1 of the diet on Jan. 20th. It's now the 29th and I have absolutely no cravings for sugar or simple carbs...and I'm not exaggerating about that at all. I eat 4-5 times a day (3 meals, 1-2 snacks), and I've lost 7 pounds already.

I'm not trying to sit here and shove SBD down your throat, but it's something to look into. If anything, you can simply read the book and create your own diet that satisfies what you want. But this diet...which truly turns into a permanent lifestyle change as you progress through the three phases...is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, I kid you not. I've never been able to control myself around a piece of chocolate cake, and last Saturday I made my friend a 3-layer Devil's Food cake with peanut butter frosting, all from scratch, without batting an eyelash. I literally cried from self-pride that night when my husband told me how happy he was for me.

I hope you find what helps you the best! I just wanted to share my story with you. Good luck!!