Food Addiction Support Group
An individual suffering from a food addiction disorder frequently experiences episodes of uncontrolled eating, or binging, during which they may feel frenzied or out of control. They will eat much more quickly than is normal, and continue to eat even past the point of being uncomfortably full. Binging in this way is generally followed by a period of intense guilt feelings...
I am a 36-year-old male who struggles with food addiction.
I am fine throughout most of the day, at least on weekdays, when I am busy with work and projects. However, I struggle especially at night, often right before going to bed, and on weekends, when I dont have much structure. I go to the kitchen in search of sweet thingschocolate, cookies, fruit, jam. Sometimes I will go for fatty, salty snacks, like chips, but they are generally not in the home. The sweet things are in the home because my wife buys them, though I tell her not to.
I am an emotional eater who eats not when he is hungry but when he is stressed. My family is disposed towards addiction: My mom is addicted to smoking; my dad to buying cars, my sister to eating.
I read several books on food addition several years ago but to be honest, I cannot remember the advice they gave. I think the only thing I took away from those books was not to undertake stressful activities in places where food is easily accessible (e.g., at home). That is difficult advice to follow.
I wonder sometimes if the only real solution to my plight is to give up stress altogether. Is this possible? Should I just give up all my ambitious projects and go off and live a simple life on a beach somewhere? But then wont I get stressed from boredom?
Part of me believes that the only solution would be to have a partner, someone who really understands me and my psychology, that I could call at any hour of the day or night, when tempted to binge, someone who can walk me through the logic of what I am doing, and how weak and lethargic I will feel the next day after consuming all that fat and sugar, who can talk me out of succumbing to the temptation. And it needs to be so simple to be able to call this person i.e., not the five steps required to unlock my phone, open my VoIP application, find the phone number, type it, hit send and then wait for an answerby that time, I would have already succumb to the temptation. Rather, it needs to be a one or two-step process at most, and the other person needs to be always available and able to make a cogent case to talk me out of the temptation. Is this even feasible? Have others been able to find other solutions that have worked?
Another solution I have heard of is to not allow for the consumption of any sugar at any time, ever, other than sugars naturally contained in foods, such as fruit. I have heard that once a person stops cold consuming chocolate, candy, cookies, cakes and the like, he or she stops craving them. Once he eats any of these things, the sugar addiction returns in full force. Is this true? If so, will the craving for these things be gone if I stop eating them cold even if my wife continues to buy them and I see them in the house or do they need to be completely out of sight in order for me to defeat the craving?
I am fine throughout most of the day, at least on weekdays, when I am busy with work and projects. However, I struggle especially at night, often right before going to bed, and on weekends, when I dont have much structure. I go to the kitchen in search of sweet thingschocolate, cookies, fruit, jam. Sometimes I will go for fatty, salty snacks, like chips, but they are generally not in the home. The sweet things are in the home because my wife buys them, though I tell her not to.
I am an emotional eater who eats not when he is hungry but when he is stressed. My family is disposed towards addiction: My mom is addicted to smoking; my dad to buying cars, my sister to eating.
I read several books on food addition several years ago but to be honest, I cannot remember the advice they gave. I think the only thing I took away from those books was not to undertake stressful activities in places where food is easily accessible (e.g., at home). That is difficult advice to follow.
I wonder sometimes if the only real solution to my plight is to give up stress altogether. Is this possible? Should I just give up all my ambitious projects and go off and live a simple life on a beach somewhere? But then wont I get stressed from boredom?
Part of me believes that the only solution would be to have a partner, someone who really understands me and my psychology, that I could call at any hour of the day or night, when tempted to binge, someone who can walk me through the logic of what I am doing, and how weak and lethargic I will feel the next day after consuming all that fat and sugar, who can talk me out of succumbing to the temptation. And it needs to be so simple to be able to call this person i.e., not the five steps required to unlock my phone, open my VoIP application, find the phone number, type it, hit send and then wait for an answerby that time, I would have already succumb to the temptation. Rather, it needs to be a one or two-step process at most, and the other person needs to be always available and able to make a cogent case to talk me out of the temptation. Is this even feasible? Have others been able to find other solutions that have worked?
Another solution I have heard of is to not allow for the consumption of any sugar at any time, ever, other than sugars naturally contained in foods, such as fruit. I have heard that once a person stops cold consuming chocolate, candy, cookies, cakes and the like, he or she stops craving them. Once he eats any of these things, the sugar addiction returns in full force. Is this true? If so, will the craving for these things be gone if I stop eating them cold even if my wife continues to buy them and I see them in the house or do they need to be completely out of sight in order for me to defeat the craving?
I have gone to Food Addicts Anonymous and have been tempted to join however, the thought of NEVER eating flour or sugar again is too overwhelming to commit to. I have asked my husband to stop bringing things in the house or cooking certain foods but either he doesn't understand or doesn't care. He continues to serve up delicious trigger foods. He will have a bowl of ice cream and then offer me a spoonful.
I wish I had some helpful advice but I am in the same situation as you. I desire someone who will stand with me in this battle and have yet to find anyone. I have friends that let me text them but their responses are hours later or an offer to pray for me. That may be helpful but when in a certain mind frame time is of the utmost importance to stop a binge before the first bite is taken. After it happens there isn't any amount of self talk, logical thinking or trick that will stop me. I wrote to let you know your not alone in the struggle.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to give up stress, or any feeling for that matter. The key is to be able to experience those emotions, but not eat because of them. Our feelings drive our actions and your go to action when you're stressed is to eat. This can be changed. You can choose to do something else. You don't have to eat, even though it may feel like you do in the moment.
As said above, you are in control, every time. It's unlikely you'd be able to find the calling solution that you're looking for, but the good news is that you can be that person for yourself. There is a voice in your head telling you to eat, but that voice is not the true you, the true you that knows your real wants and desires. Your real want isn't to eat that food, but actually to not eat it. Differentiating between the voice and your true self is a powerful thing to be able to do for yourself. However, it's important that you don't fight with the voice, but instead, just acknowledge what it's saying, and politely decline. Easier said than done, and it will feel uncomfortable at first, but the more times you do it, the easier it gets.
Your theory about sugar is true. But the problem is that we can't eliminate food from our lives forever. They will still exist and we shouldn't have to never experience the joy of eating a delicious slice of cake for a birthday. What you want to do is clean up your thinking around these kinds of foods. As unhealthy eaters, we tend to have massive chatter in our heads when it's presented and while we're eating it. The ultimate goal is to make a decision about what you will eat ahead of time and how much. Then to honor the decision you made for yourself. Again, easier said than done but it's possible. It just takes time and practice.
Keep working at it and you will get to where you want to be.