Food Addiction Support Group

I think you may be referring to my post about Sugar Addiction. I've done it before and the first step is to clean out house. Remove all sugar and sugar-laden products from the home. With no temptation at home makes it a safe place. It's near impossible to go out into the world without having sugary snacks about. I would say avoid places you have no business going to (i.e. - bakeries, candy shops, etc...). If you have a real problem with craving sugar while you are out and about do this: get a nice thick rubber band and wear it around your wrist. Whenever you are tempted to get a sugary snack, discreetly snap the rubber band. Eventually your brain will get the point that the cravings bring discomfort.

I hope this helps. :)

I put the bad stuff in a cabinet that I always forget to check for food. Then I forget the food is there but everyone else in the house can have it when they want. Though I do try to keep the junk as limited as possible in the house.

This is tough, I don't have any binge food in my flat but then I live by myself so that is easy and works for me. Why not get the whole family off sugar? Do a trial couple of weeks saying you want to be more healthy along with the family.
As for shopping I have something to eat before so I am full and then avoid going down those problem aisles. Also shopping with a friend is good as I am to embrassed to buy binge food in front of them.
I'm not saying this works 100% but it helps me now and again. Good luck

I have found for me, its not always the food that is key--if I am going to binge, I'll find something, even if I've cleared out the high sugar stuff. I think that last week, it was high fiber cereal, not appealing to most. I guess it was crunchy, and it did relatively little damage in the long run, but I still felt out of control. I am never sure what foods are "safe" to have around. One critical factor for me is not to spend too much time "home alone". That is dangerous for me. My thinking gets screwed up, and my behavior follows behind.

I'm wondering if my problem is two-fold. First, it's the taste buds. Just tasting a sweet treat makes me want more and more until I'm out of control. Secondly, it's chemical or biological or something. So if I eat something that doesn't "taste" sweet, but has lots of sugar in it (starches, sauces, basically anything that's not a "whole food" then it still makes my body go out of whack and can give me cravings and withdrawal. Luckily, it's just me and my husband and he's willing to do the journey with me. We just don't keep it in the house. And when we go out, I have him to help me be mindful of my decisions. Anyway, I just thought I'd share this as a reminder that there are other dangerous sugary trigger foods out there that may not even taste sweet, but can still cause problems.

Thanks for touching on this bacdeusa. And to remind us to stay out of places that offer un-necessary temptation!

I have tried eliminating sugar in the past with very positive results. No more cravings, better sleep, minimal to no depression, more energy, etc. My problem is staying off. I try to eat whole grains instead of anything with white flour. The second I have some type of candy in the house or junk food it all goes downhill. I say, I'll just have a little bit. Who am I kidding? I have a problem with alcohol and drugs too and refuse to have any of that stuff near me, so why torture myself with the candy and sweet treats? I'm very embarrassed to tell my boyfriend about this (it's his candy) because I'm afraid he won't understand or think its silly. Have you tried explaining how you're feeling and your issue with food to your family? If they want a sugary treat they can go out and get it. Just like if someone around me wants to drink, they can go to a bar.


My coping mechanism is physical activity and also not sitting in the house by myself. That's when my head gets carried away and I can hide my bingeing.

I am working to eliminate snack/junk food from the house & then find a way not to be at home as much. In fact,I'm looking to volunteer for a local animal shelter to keep me away from over-eating on weekends.

~C