Thread: Food Addicts Not Anonymous

hi everyone.i'm new.just joined yesterday after reading the article on emotional eating(made me sniff a bit!)'cos i recognised myself in so much of it.been overweight since childhood,lost it all once,about ten years ago,and suprise suprise,i have managed to put nearly all of it back on again!it's great to read some of you guys words,this is a great forum.the struggles of you other girls(mostly)have got me really realising i'm not alone,and the support for each other through the harsh battle of getting those eating habits in check and getting rid of the weight,whilst not being judgemental,and truly understanding how hard it is,is fantastic!we all know it's not down to being 'greedy',it's something much deeper than that.the successes of some of you is inspirational!i'm glad i've found you.i think this could be a very good thing for me.bless you all!x

Originally Posted by kristin1

Well, tonight I am eating and eating and eating and not stopping because I'm scared. Scared to feel whatever it is that I'm feeling, so I'm stuffing myself with food and wine (funny sidenote, part of it SW-friendly food!) so that I feel so full and stuffed and uncomfortable that I don't have a chance to actually feel anything else.

This sucks.

Oh Kristin, I am so sorry, you poor girl. What are you so frightened of ??? Do you have that sort of distant feeling of depression the one that doesn't surface but could if you let it.

You know inside your other head, the logical one, that no amount of eating is going to help you, that it is only going to make you feel worse and you really do not want that do you ???

Only you can overcome whatever it is. We can only be here to offer you encouragement.

You are an attractive and sensible girl and you know what you have to do..........

If it helps to talk about your fears, talk,

I am thinking of you and hoping that by now you are recovering,

hugs xxxxxxx

hi there kirstin.hope everything seems a bit better now the weekend is over.

My name is Sue and I am a food addict.

It worries me that even though I never go off plan, and I mean never, I constantly think of food. I am planning my next meal before I have finished the one I am eating. This really, really worries me.

I have developed other cravings. I constantly want to eat yogurt. I don't .I ration myself to 2 a day 3 on a bad day.

Food has become the centre of my world and staying on plan is almost an obsession.

I know it is not normal and that I should be able to approach this whole issue rationally and logically but I don't.

Thank you so much Kristin.

I agree with everything you have said. That is what worries me most I know what is happening to me and I still let it happen.

I am obsessed. I am on here as often as I can be. I want to be totally immersed in the whole SW thing. It is ridiculous really. My life is not empty, far from it, so I am not trying to fill a void.

For me to go off plan would be disastrous. That in itself is not really healthy. I can not ease up. I don't want to.

The bottom line in everything for me is reaching goal. I have altered my goal weight twice already.

Kristin I know you are right in all you have so wisely said and I am sure that eventually I will become more rational about my outlook on my new way of eating.

Thanks Kristin,

you are an angel !!!

I feel the next obsession is going to be excersise, just of to dance my way through the house to Grease.....such good dancing music lol !!!!!!!

Your support is invaluable and you make me feel normal for feeling the way I feel, a lot of feelings there lol !!!

Welcome back Kristin.

You will get back on track because you want to. It is a great time of the year for fruit, veg and even exercise, so you will be fine.

hugs xxxxxxx

My name is Zoe and I'm a food addict.
Been reading your posts Sue and Kristen and so much rings true for me too. Today I was feeling really anxious and so went on an eating binge (and I mean BINGE!) to stuff down my feelings. Now I feel bloated and sick... And really quite gutted about it.

Like you Sue, I spend an inordinate amount of time on this site. Am quite obsessed really. I've been 100% since I started five weeks ago and feel awful that I've let the side down today. Ah well. It happens I guess. Going to try to claw back what I can between now and WI on thursday.

Keep posting as we're all in the same boat, XXXX

Aaaw Kristin thankyou. I'm so glad I found this thread. It's great to meet others in the same boat. Hugs, ZXXX

Originally Posted by krupskaya

My name is Zoe and I'm a food addict.
Been reading your posts Sue and Kristen and so much rings true for me too. Today I was feeling really anxious and so went on an eating binge (and I mean BINGE!) to stuff down my feelings. Now I feel bloated and sick... And really quite gutted about it.

Like you Sue, I spend an inordinate amount of time on this site. Am quite obsessed really. I've been 100% since I started five weeks ago and feel awful that I've let the side down today. Ah well. It happens I guess. Going to try to claw back what I can between now and WI on thursday.

Keep posting as we're all in the same boat, XXXX

Firstly, it is no bad thing to have the odd bad day. What is bad is beating yourself up over it. It is done, finished, nothing you can do about it, so wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start. You are only human after all. The important thing is not to slide back anymore.

Secondly, try to address the feelings that are causing you to want to hide yourself behind a mountain of food. Is there someone you can talk it out with. Someone who will listen and give you good advice.

And lastly, what's wrong with spending our spare time on here.....NOTHING LOL !!! We could be doing much worse things couldn't we. You could be maxing out your credit card or horror of horrors, eating !!!

This place has been my salvation and I am sure it is yours as well,

If ever you want to chat PM me,

hugs xxxxxxxxxx

Aaaw Sue, you're lovely! You're quite right, I could be eating instead of typing lol... And my credit card could do with a rest too!

Luckily I have a friend I can talk to about my anxiety, but it doesn't make it go away. I've been prone to anxiety and depression since I was a teenager (the product of an abusive family). But it's only over the last 5 or so years I've been stuffing down my feelings with food. I used to be slim but using food as a coping mechanism means I've ballooned. Added to that being on psych meds that cause weight gain, it's been a disaster for my waistline!

Ah well, onwards and downwards. Thanks again for your kind reply. ZXXXX

Hi Kristin,

Originally Posted by kristin1

Hello fellow addicts, how's things for everyone? I'm doing ok, weight trend mostly in the right direction, with a few hiccups.....

Hi Kristin, I am fine.........still an addict. Once an addict always an addict. I'm doing o.k. too apart from being STS last week. Glad to see you are fine apart from a few hiccups........try standing on your head and drinking a glass of water lol !!!!! If only it was that easy.

Have noticed that my "difficult times" often coincide with the week or so just before my period, so am wondering about contraception options that might regulate my hormones and save me some of the depression lows that I get.... Any thoughts?

I am well past this stage in my life but do remember that prior to period weeks I always craved sweet thing and most of all chocolate. Strange as now, even though I still love the taste of chocolate it makes me sick.

Speak to you doctor about hormone regulation but be careful with what is prescribed.

Also, am shockingly aware of how deeply wired my brain seems to be about mood=food! The other day, our oven door broke (again, sigh, and we've no money anyways least of all for blinking repairs, grrr, rant, rave) and IMMEDIATELY I felt this urge, a physical pull, to eat food! Heavy, filling, unhealthy, food.

The money thing is enough to drive you to the cake shop ! I have managed to train myself to grab a banana or a yogurt when I get "the urge"

I didn't, thank goodness, and told OH that's how I felt, but was still quite shocked to see that, despite all the changes I've made and improvements I'm still making, there's this deep seated "gut reaction" to any kind of stress/upset.

Personally I think it must be like any other kind of addiction be it alcohol, gambling or food. Don't be shocked by it just accept it but keep yourself aware of the fact that you have too live with it and you will always overcome it.

My life still revolves around food. I am always planning the next meal, next shop etc. The difference is these days I don't beat myself up over it. And my plans all revolve around SW.

Thinking it's not a case of that going away, but of dealing with it better......

This does happen and when it does it is great. It is like being reborn.

You are doing so well, stay that way.

Sunny thoughts to all,

hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxx

x

Kristin, I hear what you are saying about gut reaction. LAst week at work I was the axact same, and I got stuck into 5!!!pink wafers that happened to be in my car followed by cake and caramel square (work's coffee morning). The whole time I was aware of what I was doing. I was "coping" in my own usual unhealthy way. Shocking really.

Originally Posted by kristin1

Me again. Been overeating steadily, methodically for nearly a week. Stresses and upsets, unexpected worries, all contributing. I really want to stop. It's just, there's almost an inevitability to it? Like I know it's going to happen, and only when I give in, eat all the bad stuff, do I feel calm. Stupid stupid stupid. Here's hoping for a brighter tomorrow! :-)

Can you find an alternative way to deal with your stresses and upsets because unfortunately life is a rocky road and stressful times jump up and smack you in the face when you least expect it. Can you substitute the bad food to give you the calm you need in your life for good food or a physical activity.

Look at it this way, if you were an alcoholic or a smoker or a gambler and gave in to your addiction the consequences would be so grave, the downward spiral would begin again. You would be lost.

For people like us, to turn to food in times of trouble is almost inevitable. The secret is to either turn to less damaging food, I ate 3 yogurts one after the other 2 days ago, because I had that almost overwhelming desire to eat and eat. It did the trick, I was eating , though I have to be honest it was hard to stop at that.

Try and be prepared. I know that sounds stupid as we never know from one minute to the next what life has in store for us, but try to always have something you can eat with you. It takes willpower and you have proved you have that in abundance by what you have done so far. The easy way is to give in.

Now don't write this off as rubbish advice because all of us have been there. You are an intelligent girl and know that the only person you hurt when you slide is you.

I find that food that takes more eating. like a crisp apple or pear, hits the spot for me. I can almost hear you sigh and say but that is no substitute for a bar of chocolate or a packet of crisps, and no it isn't but unfortunately it has to be if you want to succeed.

Try to have a couple of cereal bars with you at work and use them as syns or you HEXB.

hugs Kristin xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aw Kristin ((((Big Hugs)))). Not much advice to give except hang on in there. XXX