I tend to crave certain foods when I feel down, and I tend to talk myself into feeling like it's ok to eat high cal foods to celebrate too (the double whammy!)
Eating chocolate feels like drugs to me, I feel like I get a bit of a high from it (really have to work to keep that in check).

My exercise routine has helped with it all too. I think it has gotten harder to eat certain foods since I've been working out at the gym, bec I get into my head how much work it takes to get rid of those calories. Doesn't always stop me, but it definitely has made a big difference in how I see eating!

I related to what you said about the kid with the tantrum wanting to have what I want to have and frustrated that there has to be consequences, ha. I feel like I've gotten over a lot of my bingy feelings, but I don't have to overeat much to stall out my weight loss progress.

bf keeps a lot of foods in the house for him that I have to stay away from too: brownies, devil dogs, chocolate. I put my foot down at potato chips, because I just can't resist them, and they're a weight loss deal breaker. So I guess I've compromised with him, the stuff I feel I can be in control with, is ok to have around, and the stuff I just can't, we keep out of the house.

This may sound odd, but perceiving myself as having abundant access to all sorts of foods has been a big part of my learning to limit myself.

Not that my husband and I actually keep much junk food in the house -- we probably keep 85-90% 'real,' somewhat substantial food, I'd say -- but I just find it liberating to tell myself that this isn't the last cookie in the world; I postpone decisions regarding unhealthy foods and tell myself that if I still want one in a few days/at the end of the week, I'll plan for one. I find this very helpful. And I am still able to bake loaves of fresh rye bread and batches of blueberry waffles for the freezer.

I actually think that I (and my husband, though he has not been overweight) have felt a little desperate regarding food, which may partially result from having lived on so little income for several years. Free lunch? Cheap potatoes? Yes! I have worked to get rid of that mentality and instead adopt a disposition like I can have stuff whenever I want, if I wanted to ... which I don't. It's true and it's not. I guess I am starting to ramble. I was actually talking to my husband about this recently, about getting away from the 'value' type attitudes about food. Sales, supersizes, vacations, portions at restaurants, etc. I think it's very related.

One quick example is a week or so ago when my parents took us out to dinner for my birthday. I ordered the "small plate Salmon" (a 4 oz salmon with asparagus) while they 3 ordered heaping plates of creamy pasta. And let me tell you, I wanted a plate of pasta too. I postponed my desire. This was not exciting to me because I make salmon with asparagus regularly (in fact, I am having salmon with broccoli tonight). Whereas I don't order fattening pasta dishes ... at all anymore. But 2 things have come out of this: 1. My salmon was actually particularly great and I want to have it there again sometime and 2. I realized that it has been awhile since I had pasta and perhaps soon I will make my favorite at-home creamy pasta dish, rigatoni with goat cheese, and eat up to 1/2 cup of it for a high-end caloric dinner one night.

For me, this has been going very well and is progress. Telling myself that X is always available to me. If I still want candy next week, I'll buy an overpriced little serving of it and enjoy it. That kind of thing. More often than not I don't, but just knowing I can get X is a help to me.

im a food addict as well, i feel your pain! if only i could be addicted to exercise

I truly 100% believe that "food" is not the problem, real honest to goodness pure food...(even pure carbs)...not the problem. I do however believe that food additives are the problem. How often has any one ever binged on potatoes? Just plain potato with absolutely nothing added? I LOVE potatoes but even in my darkest days have never just binged on plain baked potatoes. Butter and sour cream are both loaded with artificial flavor and preservatives, flour is enriched with all sorts of "additives".

Have you ever binged on food that contains no corn syrup, flour, MSG, etc.? Chocolate contains TONS of additives. I bet no one here has ever binged on plain coco beans. Anyone ever binge on straight cream, or raw straight sugar? (I highly doubt it), or lard? Nope...But I have binged on french fries (processed/artificial flavor/preservatives/art. color) fried in hydrogenated oil (processed) smothered with cheese, (more artificial flavor/colors/preservatives), Ketchup, (corn syrup/artificial colors/flavors/preservatives/ and sour cream, (highly processed). Call me crazy, but food is not the problem, its what is secretly added to hook you like a meth addict.

Take a look at all the ingredients that are in the foods you crave. Pin-point a commen denominator and avoid it like the plague. Corn Syrup is a biggie for me, as well as MSG. Scary.

You hit the nail on the head with one of my issues. My husband and I don't feel comfortable wasting any food because we both came from very very poor childhoods and struggled financially for years....and if that means eating battered deep fried bacon and corn dogs because its free or cheap (omg! 100twinkies for a dollar!! Buy them!!) then we will do it. When it is hard wired in that you may not be able to afford your next meal, that is very difficult to change.

You ladies all have such wonderful insight! It helps a lot to know I'm not the only food addict out there, lol. I was having a toddler tantrum moment yesterday. I was so grumpy and no matter what I did to keep myself busy, I would end up back in the kitchen wondering around aimlessley having an inner battle with myself on whether to shove stuff in my face or just walk away. I was good though, I made myself get on my bike and ride to the gym and then jog for half an hour and do some weights...but when I got back home I STILL didn't feel any better. I usually feel accomplished and strong after a work out but even that didn't help...I dunno

I have the same problems with my husband having to have junk food in the house. He let me do the grocery shopping one week and I bought all veggies and whole foods and he complained the whole week about having nothing to eat and we ended up having to go back to the grocery store and just buying foods that he would eat. And me the whole time is grumbling to myself about how lucky he is that he can eat anything he wants and still be as skinny as a pole....argh

I seriously need to find something else that gives me that joy, that rush that eating a huge plate of creamy cheesy pasta does. Because in the past 2 weeks that i've been eating clean and exercising I feel like they have been joy-less. I mean sure I would feel good after all my work and exercise would be done, but then I would just be anxious to go to bed so I wouldn't have to be awake and obsessing about bad for me foods. ugh....I gotta do some inner-re-wiring.

Man when I went out with my husband and his mother and grandmother it was so interesting when I ordered the WW meal the waiter was like it's such a small piece of beef, but in reality it was the perfect portion size- the size of a deck of cards. So while my husband and the rest of the family gorged themselves on burgers and pastas I enjoyed my food and unlike them I wasn't holding my stomach and saying "omg I'm so stuffed..."

I would like birthday cauliflower please

I hear ya on this- this is how I'm feeling right now- I've been going to bed earlier and earlier (last night 9:30) so that I avoid thinking about food! If I start dreaming about it I'm gonna cry!

I just bought some books on amazon about food addiction and obsession- I'm hoping they'll help- I put them on my blog today

Thanks you everyone. I think telling myself that DH's snacks are his and his only is something I will try. I have to tell DH this. I'm sure he will be fine with getting to keep his snacks to himself!

Just wanted you to know that you're not alone...I think about food a lot. I like food, I ate a lot, that's how I got so big. I still eat a good amount of food, its just not the stuff I want all the time. Of course there are days where I just want to stuff my face with cookies, ice cream, chips, and other junky treats but there are other days when I don't think about what I'm missing at all.

I think it gets easier to enjoy those things in moderation. I don't think it's okay to deprive yourself of a little treat now and then, one has to find balance and enjoy life. The only thing I personally can't eat anymore or won't eat anymore is fast food. I haven't touched it since Sept 08, honestly I don't miss it. I don't want to have it as a treat because it's what got me so big in the first place. I think of it as a drug and I need to stay away from it 100%. I guess it's all personal and you have to make your own rules you can live by.

Even though I think about food all the time now I think it's so much better then the way I was living before when I was out of control and never thought twice about what I was putting in my body.

Thinking about food is smart and it will help you reach your goal.

WOW right there with you ladies I'm starting to get that rush after my workouts (replacing one addiction with another) but nothing seems to match that instant gratification I used to get after stuffing my face.

I've been thinking about seeing a therapist about this and other weighloss related issues but I haven't mustered up the courage yet. I know it will help and I'm not a stranger to therapy, I guess I'm just scared and not ready yet. aaarh so many things wrapped up in the food addiction debacle.

beerab - I'm going to check out the books you got on your blog, thanks for posting that.

omg you guys stop posting about big plates of cheesey creamy pasta you're giving me a craving!! LOL