Would you say you are/were addicted to food?

becs132

Member
I was talking to my husband tonight about me and my eating habits. Basically he asked me why I can't just cut down rather than have to do something like Cambridge, and I told him that I am addicted to food.

He can't understand that as he eats to live, whereas I live to eat. Obviously he is slim and only has to sneeze to lose a stone if he starts getting squidgy round the middle.

I was just wondering how you all view your attitudes to food.

Bec x
 
Oh my god, how many times have I had this conversation with my boyfriend, dad, just about everyone I know who doesn't have a weight problem. My dad's a smoker, and says he can't give up as he's addicted, I told hime I was the same, but with food, and he totally dissmissed it. I even asked my Dr about it, and she agreed with what I was saying. Everyone asks me why I have to do something as extreme as CD, rather that WW or SW. When I'm on WW or SW, I constantly think about food, points values, syns, etc, kinda like a smoker whose trying to give up, and being around a million smokers 24/7, whereas, with CD, I don't have to think about food once, like a quitting smoker who isn't around 1 other smoker. Food totally Is an addiction, in my view. But thin people tend to think thats a fat persons excuse for eating. Thats so wrong.
 
No, I wasn't addicted to food, but I was addicted to the habit of turning to food.
 
Yes, I am addicted to it, definitely. I second most of Donna's answer in fact :) xx
 
Get your hubby to walk into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and tell them all to just stick to plain fruit juice. After all, no one is forcing them to have a drink, right? As soon as I see them all cured because of his advice I'll concede that he might have a point. :D
 
The thing is even on Cambridge all I think about is eating, what I could be eating right then and there. What recipes I could be making. I imagine a damn banquet, to the point where I can actually taste it.

Somewhere along the line my 'full up' switch towards food was turned off.

it is good to hear I am not the only one.

B x
 
My hubby is really trying to do his best to understand where I come from regarding food. He doesn't have the same relationship with it as I do.

I am not a great person to be around when I am doing Cambridge because as I said I get obsessed with food. He is so wonderfully supportive and wants me to do whatever will make me happier. He met me big and he has seen me at my smallest. Both of which were fine with him in equal measure. As far as he is concerned he sees nothing wrong with me. Whereas I hate what I see in the mirror.

I am a funny case I don't eat becuase I am stressed or bored. I eat because I love the taste of food. I love trying new stuff. I think that is going to be the hardest thing for me to try and change

B x
 
Very good point - it's not always the food itself is it :)

Nope. It rarely is.
I eat because I love the taste of food. I love trying new stuff. I think that is going to be the hardest thing for me to try and change

B x

I love food too, and so do my skinny kids. In fact, I love the taste of food even more now...and trying new things.

At least that's one thing you wont have to change when you get to goal :clap:
 
As far as he is concerned he sees nothing wrong with me. Whereas I hate what I see in the mirror.


B x

My other half says the same, also says thats why he finds it so hard to understand. They dont seem to realise that their love isnt enough, we feel we need to love ourselves too.
 
My other half says the same, also says thats why he finds it so hard to understand. They dont seem to realise that their love isnt enough, we feel we need to love ourselves too.

You are so right. If only we could see what they see, all would be right in our worlds.

B x
 
My other halfs ex was a big girl, he always used to say to her (to shut her up) that if she lost weight, he'd leave her, as he likes bigger girls. He'd assured me he'd never say/do that to me, because he sees what it means to me, but he cant understand why it means so much to me. But he can eat like a horse and not gain an ounce (seriously, he has 30/32 inch waist) I've assured him that I will never be a size 8, Im nor built to be, but I just want to feel happier in myself.
 
I've assured him that I will never be a size 8, Im nor built to be, but I just want to feel happier in myself.

I've done that with my husband as he doesn't want me to get too obsessed. I wouldn't say he necessarily goes on bigger girls but then again he's never gone out with anyone under a size 16.
I think with men they either like stick thin or someone with something to hold on to. LoL.

XX
 
If anyone is in doubt as to whether food is an addiction, go to an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.. I went several times and did find it very helpful. (my problem with it is the 'higher power concept' as i am an athiest.. altho that is another discussion for another thread lol)

My point is that yes you can be addicted to food, I would class myself as a compulsive overeater.. incidentally I don't think one can be 'healed' or 'cured' by weight loss alone. I think therapy or some kind of self help has to accompany it.

Our O/H's want us to be happy, mine has settled on the fact that when I am dealing with my issues and not eating them away, I am happier.

My sister said to me a while ago that overeating is the 'safe' addiction.. I really related to that, I think that is why more women have it than men, we can compulsivly eat and still look after our children, go to work, run a home, be there for our families, parents etc... We couldn't do that if we had alcohol or drug issues.

'My other half says the same, also says thats why he finds it so hard to understand. They dont seem to realise that their love isnt enough, we feel we need to love ourselves too'
Here here Dietingdon x

Great thread btw, very thought provoking.
 
Yes I was/am completely addicted to food, however I am learning to not think about 'weightloss' as my main goal but to look at my health/self esteem and motivation as my main goal. I will always have a problem around food but I am determined to overcome it!
 
A friend once said to me that she thought being addicted to food was worse than being addicted to say drugs or ciggies as you need to eat to live.

I wouldnt say I am addicted to food but I definitely eat just for the sake of it, with boredom or depression.

I do feel though that the food element has to be removed from the equasion for me to lose weight. More so now than years ago. Done other diets and lost stones and stones being disciplined with food but since I had my baby I cannot do this anymore. Its very odd.
 
I'm not addicted but i'm greedy. I eat as I spend a lot of time on my own particularly evenings as OH works nights. I 'graze' through the cupboards and fridge picking at things i neither need nor particularly want. I didnt follow the maintainence programme last time so when i need to move up the plans that is exactly what i'm going to do and hopefully break my greed once and for all.
 
I've been pondering this (brace yourselves :D) and am wondering whether it is possible to be addicted to "food" or, like KD said earlier, more to the habit of turning to it in certain situations? Aside from the mild happy hormomes etc that things like chocolate can release, if you were truly addicted to the food itself presumably you'd need that particular food group quite early in the day. Yes, I'd be planning my day's treats pretty early on, and thinking about it for much of the day, but not actually needing it just yet. This is in contrast to my smoker friends who have to have a cigarette fairly soon after waking.

At one point I would work my way through 5000 calories per day, that's more than simply overeating a bit - food addiction possibly?

The day would go something like this:

Wake up, get ready for work. Eat a "normal" sized breakfast, think no more of it.

Mid morning - glance at the clock - ooh elevenses - toddle off to choc vending machine and promise myself I'll be "good" for rest of day.

Lunch - low cal sandwich and bag of snack-a-jacks :rolleyes:

Mid afternoon - fancy something to get me through the afternoon even though not really hungry. Sit for 1/2 hour having mental battle of shall I shan't I. Cave in and get another choc bar and crisps.

Home from work - I've blown it so will "start again tomorrow". Start raiding kitchen picking at anything and everything. Go out to get takeway and pick up ice cream and sweets to have afterwards. Feel sick 1/2 way through binge but am "unable" to stop. Go to bed feeling disgusted with myself and vowing never, ever to do it again. Then I do it all over again the next day, and the next...

Food addiction or a series of habits/triggers?

Obviously this is only my own experience and am not saying food addiction does or doesn't exist xx
 
Well done Lilypop.... love the pics.

I don't know whether I'm addicted to food or not. I just know that I eat for the sake of eating.... not necessarily cos I'm hungry but because I really have nothing else to do. I am determined to turn back on that "full up " switch that becs132 mentioned. I have to keep reminding myself that seeing my kids grow up and being part of their lives for many years to come is just more important to me than that bar of chocolate or whatever else it is I think I need.

I'm hoping that by taking food out of the equation it's gonna help me with that..... oh and the 100+ lbs I have to loose lol!!!!
 
I so relate to this thread... as Lilypop says, losing weight is just the start really, if you have issues with food. I ordered a couple of books last week to try & do the self-help thing, and this morning filled out a quiz to see how much of an emotional eater I was, ie, eating for emotional reasons and not physical hunger. I ticked every single box. Scary. And KD is right, I think for me it's not the food I'm addicted to, but the pattern to turning to food to fill other needs, and that is something I am so glad to have the chance to look at while on SS. Sarah, totally identify with your post... a lot of insight there.
I am at the start of my journey really, but people like KD, Serena & Lilypop give me inspiration when I see what they have achieved... if we all stick together we can beat this addiction too.
xxx
 
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