[GreyCX]

Wasn't sure where to put this so more people would see it.

I've been doing well with losing weight and eating well, even with exercising regularly. But sometimes I get these extremely STRONG urges to overeat junk food. It's not physical hunger, and I never want to eat healthy food. These urges are different from my normal cravings (which are challenging but are easier with a plan in place). They almost fog my brain so nothing makes sense except eating a lot RIGHT NOW, and only crappy stuff. I can feel it in my arms and legs and chest and it feels like I get squeezed and kind of buzzy-feeling. It's so strange, and if I outlast it (usually 10+ minutes of constant barrage of those feelings) then it comes back in waves.

I thought maybe they were tied to emotional distress, but they're not. The urges can hit when I'm just relaxing and having a good time or completely not thinking about or worried about food or anything else. They seem random to me, but maybe I'm just not seeing the pattern. My diet is good - I track calories (1600 a day), macros, and micros. I eat mostly fresh veggies and fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains (but not many grains - I might have two slices of bread or a cup of rice maybe 3 days a week). I walk 300 minutes a week at a moderate pace with my dog.

I'm just so confused and kind of worried. I'm hoping that if I can figure out what's causing these urges that I can address the issue, or at least I'll know what it is (which makes it easier for me to deal with things). I just don't know why these urges are so strong and involve my mind and whole body.

Any insight or experience or help would be great. I've tried researching it but all I find are how to address normal cravings for food, and this isn't that.

EDIT: I forgot to say that eating healthy food doesn't stop them, nor does being full, and I've tried a lot of distractions but the issue is that my mind is like scattered but laser focused at the same time (not sure how to describe it - I've never had something like it before) so thinking about anything else is extremely difficult, event things I love and find fun.

[mjf]

When you get urges to eat junk food, what type of junk food is it? Maybe you can find a healthier alternative which is similar to the junk food.

I eat mostly fresh veggies and fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains (but not many grains - I might have two slices of bread or a cup of rice maybe 3 days a week).

Are you getting enough fat in your diet? I'd suggest eating some healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, fish, or olive oil.

[GreyCX]

Originally Posted by mjf

When you get urges to eat junk food, what type of junk food is it? Maybe you can find a healthier alternative which is similar to the junk food.


Are you getting enough fat in your diet? I'd suggest eating some healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, fish, or olive oil.

Thanks for the reply - I really appreciate it. I do eat healthy fats, and I track them in my macros to make sure I'm eating enough. I eat a mix of nuts and seeds, I love avocado and eat it regularly, though I don't eat much fish (not a huge fish fan), and I use healthy oils to cook (though they're used sparingly).

When I get the urges I don't crave any specific food. It's any and all junk in the area. It's never specific, except that I want a lot of anything/everything. It's different than my regular food cravings, which is usually for one particular food (those are challenging but nothing like the 'eat all the junk food' urges I get).

[mjf]

Do you have urges to eat junk food because it tastes good? Or do you feel to restricted when you eat only healthy foods? Or do you think there's another reason?

Have you spoken to a doctor about it?

[miniDoodles]

Hi,
I'm a M&M addict now & it's because my slim Dh daily stops on his way home from working in a factory at the $1 store to buy himself a can of Pringles & a $1 strip of mini candy bars & wants to include me buying me M&Ms.
I recently looked at the W.Watchers points & see that little 3 oz peanut butter movie box is 22 pts & ppl are only allowed 30 pts daily So if I get a craving & I eat the M&Ms he sweetly brings me, I'll have to eat 8 pts of Healthy foods & drink more water, so that's what I do on some days. I went to a W.W. meeting to observe for free & I bought their points book instead of joining because I can't afford their weekly member prices when I can't attend a weekly meeting. So reading online about their Points Program & buying their points book is helping me to be aware of my food intake. I am becoming healthier & weighing less now. People can also join W.W. online & use a food app that will also scan bar codes on food boxes for serving pts, but joining isn't good for me right now & I'm doing really well from buying their points book & attending the free meeting & reading online free recipes. Amazon also has their cookbooks that includes info on their dieting style.

Good Luck to everyone with Your choices! Our Healthy bodies are a Blessing I need 8 more pounds off to lose & reach 145#, I have a torn knee meniscus so I have exercise restrictions, losing pounds is a Big challenge but I will be successful & be able to get my knee surgery being a healthy weight again

Take Care Everyone!

[Aliana.H]

Hi, I'm a gum addict. The way I avoid to eat it is never buy it and if I couldn't get access to it, I won't eat it.

[Sundove]

Hi Grey CX,
Congrats on your weight loss and healthy lifestyle!

Your description sure resonated with my experience a few years ago when I phased off of a rigorous diet. I remember being in the grocery store and suddenly putting all sorts of crazy junk food in my cart--things that hadn't appealed to me, ever. It seemed to come from a different part of me that I did not recognize.

I read a book called Brain Over Binge that gave a plausible explanation--basically the urges come from a survival part of our brain trying to compensate for perceived famine (diet). It's rooted in our physiology. The book teaches how you can train yourself to extinguish the urges by acknowledging them when they arise, and then turning your attention away. I did not have success with that. I also went to a nutritional therapist who said the same thing---that the urges came from the a survival part of the brain. It doesn't mean we need that junk food, just that we've triggered this instinct to kick in by restricting. Junk food, ie fat & carb-laden, is a fast way to get calories and stave off starvation. It's a beautiful mechanism for survival, but difficult, if not impossible, to talk down when the "starvation" is intentional.

For me, the only way to stop those urges was to eat more, and accept a higher-than-desired weight. I am about your height 163.8cm. The weight at which I felt great with no urges to binge on junk was 90 kg. (I am large-boned, according to the wrist test). At that weight, I looked quite slim and felt healthy. It just wasn't the number I wanted to see on the scale.

I wonder if your body is telling you it needs more food, and that your healthy, sustainable weight is actually somewhat higher than you realize. A suggestion would be to add in 100 calories/day for a while and see if that doesn't get rid of the urges. If you did this, I would suggest not weighing yourself, but focusing instead on how you feel, e.g. hunger, energy level. (Instead of counting calories, you could simply plan in an extra starch or fruit, or whatever you like--not in response to the urges but as part of your WOE).

It might be worthwhile to hire a professional to help guide you. The nutritional therapist I saw was helpful, even though I did not like hearing that I needed to accept being at a higher weight. Oh to be down to that higher weight now! I learned the hard way. By trying to stick to the goal I had chosen instead of listening to my body, I eventually ate my way back up to a significant regain.

I wish you the best of luck in sorting this out. If my experience is at all applicable, I would say to get some informed support -- it's not easy to let go of the weight goals we choose.

[GreyCX]

mjf: I'm not totally sure. I think vegetables, fruits, and other healthy foods taste awesome (always have, even when I was a kid), so I don't think the taste is the big problem. I don't feel restricted when I eat just healthy foods - it actually makes me feel way happier, and I do have occasional treats (a square of dark chocolate, or split a dessert on a special occasion every couple months or so, etc.).
My doctor isn't super helpful with that part. I was just told "focus on healthy foods and moderation with other foods."
I don't know the reason. It's very confusing. I thought it might be emotional overeating but it happens even when I'm content and not worried at all. It takes me by surprise.

miniDoodles: I'm glad WW works well for you! That's great! Unfortunately, I've tried it in the past and it wasn't very successful for me (and much too expensive). I find CC is very similar but easier for my personal situation. Thanks!

Aliana: I would absolutely just not have unhealthy foods around at all, but I live with others who buy a lot of it and it's shared (so I don't even have the excuse that it's not my food to avoid it). It's unreasonable of me to expect others to not have certain foods in the home, unfortunately.

Sundove: thanks for your thoughtful response. I've been told by my doctor that I need to lose weight for my health (I have a family history and risk factors for serious medical complications, and losing weight will help a lot). But these urges happened to me at my highest weight when I didn't restrict my food at all - the only difference is I didn't try to resist them at my high weight. The weight my body wants to settle at is apparently over 98 kg going by urges, but that's not okay for my health.

I've tried eating food from 2500 calories a day to 1200 calories a day, and actually the higher I get the worse the urges get. It seems weird to me, but I've tried this more than once. 1200 is actually where I have the fewest urges, but it's really inconvenient for my social life, so I upped my intake.

At my high weight, I look very overweight and feel awful. I still don't feel very good at my current 77.3 kg. I have a small frame according to wrist test, and I have a high fat percentage (about 49% right now).

I can't afford a nutritionist right now (my insurance doesn't cover it), but that's something I'd love to do if I get the chance. I've also tried intuitive eating, WW, and some other diet plans, but IE was wildly unsuccessful (gained a lot of weight fast enough that I got new stretchmarks), and WW was like a more expensive/complicated version of CC, sadly. I could maybe do IE if I lived alone and could gatekeep the food in the home, but I do not.

I'll check out Brain Over Binge. If the urge is just a reflex of my body to save me from 'starvation,' then I feel a bit less alarmed, I guess. At least I know it's not serious and I won't actually die from it (sometimes it kind of feels that way). I can make myself resist other survival urges (fear of heights, for example, though it takes a lot of practice), so perhaps I can learn to do the same with this one. I'm hoping that your information will help me with WHAT it is, which will hopefully help me manage it.

I also will consider weighing less often and going by what my doctor wants for me and by how I feel in my body. At my higher weights I feel sluggish, unmotivated, my anxiety is way worse, and my health issues are worse. I can't stay obese for the rest of my life - it affects my health and life too much. But I am willing to be flexible about where I end up if it's healthy for me. My ideal is as healthy as I can get for my mental/physical health - looks are a perk but not my main goal AT ALL. If I felt great and was healthy at 98, I'd still be there now (probably higher). But it's just horrible to be in my body at that size - extremely physically uncomfortable, mentally uncomfortable (because of the physical discomfort), and very risky health-wise.

Thanks - I appreciate the time and effort you put into your reply. You gave me a lot to think about and look into.



Thanks to everyone who replied, and to anyone who has more information or insights for me.

[Esofia]

Could you tell us more about why you're having such a small amount of grains? Wholegrains in particular do very well in studies, in all sorts of ways relating to weight control. Digestive problems, do you dislike them, or are you following a low-carb diet for some reason? Have you tried incorporating them, especially wholegrains if possible? None of this is a lifetime commitment, you can try something for a few weeks and see how you do.