Chicks in Control Overeating? Binging? Share uplifting support and gain control!

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Old 02-21-2010, 01:25 AM   #1  
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Default emotional eating vs. food addiction

I posted a few days ago asking if anyone avoids flour/sugar because I was thinking I should try giving it up. I did and by day 2.5 I was so angry and upset I gave in. By that last day I was thinking: OMG I can't go another day without eating what I want. This is too hard, it isn't possible. If life is like this without sugar- No thank you. I'd rather be fat. I'd rather be unhappy. I will do anything to never feel like this again!!!!

Yea- I was basically going crazy. But now, after having spent an hour eating through a bag (and may I add my personal temptation-in its most pure form) of Reese's Eggs and reading a post about emotional eating- I really believe what I do is not emotional eating. I feel like I am physically and mentally addicted to certain foods and going without them is torture. I wasn't upset, sad, bored, happy, elated, lonely, or anything. I needed sugar- and I needed a lot of it. It was a drug- and I needed my fix. This is not to say that I won't give it up- it's getting fairly obvious I need to stop doing drugs. I mean sugar.

So maybe I am fooling myself, but does anyone else think there is a difference as well? Sorry if this is long-winded. Thank you everyone for sharing and posting every week- it is this forum that has kept me from losing my mind in the last 2 months!!
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Old 02-21-2010, 02:12 AM   #2  
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I don't know for sure, but I'd say it's the same as the difference between alcohol abuse, and alcoholism. People who have a good stiff drink after a hard day or a stressful event might not be in trouble yet. And they may or may not develop a full-blown addiction later.
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Old 02-21-2010, 02:37 AM   #3  
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I do think there is a difference. But I also think people use the term emotional eating to describe their food addiction. Because I know from experience that giving up an addiction is a very emotional process most of the time. So by the time someone gives in to their temptation, they are in a very emotional state. Which makes them confuse their giving in to a very real addiction to food with eating because of emotions. I also think people call it emotional eating because the idea of being "addicted" to food or sugar or chocolate or salt is not a very widely accepted school of thought. But thats just my theory about it.
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Old 02-21-2010, 04:43 AM   #4  
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I think there is definitely a difference between physical and emotional addiction, although both is often present in the same individual.

When we eat emotionally, we`ll usually gorge on things which tend to create physical addictions to that food, e.g. sugar.
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Old 02-21-2010, 08:12 AM   #5  
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I do believe that there is a psychologic component but I also believe that there is a physiologic process that makes it extremely difficult to control the psychologic one.

When I do Atkins and limit carbs to vegetables and some dairy....I have very little hunger and NO cravings or binge behavior.
But when I DO eat carbs, especially sugar, items with corn syrup, processed grains, etc......I am ravenously hungry most of the time, have almost constant cravings and sugar-binge, mainly in the late evenings.

Most addictions DO have both a psychologic and a physiologic component. For ME, eating high levels/simple and processed carbs is like an alcoholic working in a bar. The struggle becomes almost torture to try to control.

And what's so unfortunate is that often, we and the rest of society...blame our lack of will-power for being overweight....when in reality, there is a big physiologic component that makes it extremely difficult to control....that needs to be factored in.

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Old 02-21-2010, 08:45 AM   #6  
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The hardest thing for me is WHAT do I eat when I am feeling emotional and just want chocolate or something sweet??? Lately I just take small handful of nuts (no salt) or tea. It usually does the trick, but I think its like an emotional memory that makes me want the sweet stuff. It takes a lot of control---but now since there is no chocolate in the house it helps not eating it! Out of sight, out of mind I guess. . .
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Old 02-21-2010, 09:25 AM   #7  
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Last night, hubby asked me, "Do you want some pizza, Love?"

I joked, "I don't know about the pizza, but I'll take some love."

Which was pretty profound, I realized after I said it. Food represents love to a lot of people, and I think hubby is one of them. And, I think I'm another. I need to learn to separate food from love.
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Old 02-21-2010, 09:40 AM   #8  
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Great point Lovebirdsflying,
I have to remind myself, food is not love, it will not make me feel better, in fact, it just usually makes me feel worse.

Deena - I agree with you, when i eat on the south beach plan and limit my carbs, i don't have the cravings or binge behavior either. Eating sugar usually just makes you want more sugar, it's a vicious cycle. I've heard it called "kiddie cocaine". You get some sugar, you feel great on the sugar high, the high wears off and you feel like crap, so you eat more sugar.....and it goes round and round.
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Old 02-21-2010, 09:41 AM   #9  
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And when I say "limit my carbs" on south beach, i mean eat the good carbs, not the bad carbs. It's not a low carb diet.
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Old 02-25-2010, 01:27 AM   #10  
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I think there's a big difference. I don't get hungry before noon on my days off--I have to force myself to eat something small when I'm at home so I don't get hit by major cravings later in the day.

But at work, I frequently give in to the urge to have sugary drinks and a doughnut, or even chicken wings and dip. It's not really appetite or blood sugar, because I do it even when I think to myself that I really don't feel like I can stomach anything. I'm currently stuck at a job I hate, and I've gotten so used to using food as something to look forward to. Even though I always bring a book, I just feel obsessed with the idea of eating/drinking junk food to alleviate my stress.

The best success I ever had on a diet was the month or so where I made sure to pack food and leave all cash and plastic at home before I went to work. I'm just so much better at self control once I've left work for the day.
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Old 02-26-2010, 07:54 AM   #11  
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I agree with Deena. Our bodies obviously have a physiological response to certain foods like sugar, refined carbohydrates, sugar substitutes, corn syrup, and salt. I feel a big difference in how I function (mentally, emotionally, and physically) when I eat "clean" meaning whole foods, complex carbohydrates, and avoiding simple sugars, diet colas, and too much starch.

I believe that there is a physical addiction to these foods that drives us insane when we try to go off them. But realize that once you do you'll be ok and you'll start to feel better. It changed my life when I stopped drinking diet sodas and using chemical sweeteners in my coffee.

It's a very slow process but my life goal is to eat a healthy diet, not a fad diet. So when I look for peanut butter I look at the ingredient list. The only thing it should say on the list is "peanuts" and nothing more. If the list includes words that are chemical sounding, or if I see the word "corn syrup" I run the other way.

A good hard and fast rule is to go shopping and buy 90% of your groceries from the perimeter of the store (fresh real foods and produce), and only 10% from the aisles (packaged processed food). You can break your addiction but it takes a while.
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Old 03-02-2010, 01:13 AM   #12  
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I get pissed off and angry when I can't eat sugary foods and junk. I'm not angry just because I can't have it. I'm angry because I can't control even a small taste. Its more like being angry at myself for not being able to do what I think is "normal eating".... its something to work on for me... i'm still trying to find my way.
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