I think I am addicted to food

[crzyblndstar]

I am convinced that I am addicted to food. I am obsessed with my weight and pretty much hate the way my body looks. I am not severly overweight, but I could stand to lose about 20 pounds to be an "ideal" weight. I enjoy working out, and when I do it on a regular basis, I feel better about myself. My problem is....I love food. I cannot control myself. If I eat something I like, I will continue to eat it until I am stuffed. And it is worse if it is something sweet. I cannot eat just one cookie or brownie, or one piece of cake. And when I am done, I feel horrible about myself. As a matter of fact, I feel horrible about myself while I am eating, but it's like I can't stop myself.I hate that I have no control over this.

 

I so badly want to have the "perfect" body. I see girls that have these cute little petite bodies and I get so jealous that they can eat what they want and not gain an ounce.

 

And another thing that brings me down is the fact that no matter how much I work out and eat right, I will never have a nice stomach without getting a tummy tuck. I have the loose skin from getting stretch marks when I was pregnant. Thinking about this just makes me want to quit.

 

A couple of months ago, I had been working out often and eating really well, and physically feeling good too, even my self esteem was better. I felt like all my hard work was finally paying off. It only took like 7 months to do that. And, for some reason, I quit. I quit eating good. I quit working out. I just stopped and I don't know why. Now, I cannot seem to get myself back into it. It's like I CAN NOT force myself to go. I don't know what to do. I just want to feel good about myself and I know the only way I can do that is by finally being happy with my body. GRRR!!!! I so hate this.

[Valley Lilly]

Holy macaroni I LOVE FOOD too!!!

 

I work out everyday, i enjoy it. But well, you can't eat EVERYTHING you want. You need to balance.

 

Forget about girls with "perfect" bodies. That doesn't even exists and it's pretty relative.

[Pedigree]

If I eat something I like, I will continue to eat it until I am stuffed. And it is worse if it is something sweet. I cannot eat just one cookie or brownie, or one piece of cake. And when I am done, I feel horrible about myself. As a matter of fact, I feel horrible about myself while I am eating, but it's like I can't stop myself.I hate that I have no control over this.

 

You have to try and decrease the amount sweets/cookie/brownie/etc. that you eat as it won't help with trying to look good. Try and slowly decrease your snack eating. Ie. if you snack everyday of the week, decrease it to snacking 6 days a week the week after and snacking 5 days a week the week after, etc., etc., etc. It's slow but it's steady and wins the race.

[lonelybird]

Hi, people use all kinds of things to compensate the void deep down in soul; such as addictions; and I found out that is true for me as well. when I ate many food I found that I was just thirsty for some care and some love. yours seems like food additction

 

It might be a sign that you aren't satisfied in your soul or lack of love. and there are many ways to make you feel good about yourself. exercise self-control, begin to fill your mind with positive things, when you want to eat food, begin to do other interesting new things, some thing can really draw your passtion and attention. a nice body helps to have a good image about self, but not all. a very beautiful girl can feel broken and ugly inside.

[littlekitty]

I would suggest seeking counselling for your food additicion. You need to look at why you eat this way. You clearly do have an 'issue' with the way you eat, and you are using food to cover up a problem.

 

Perhaps even CBT would help.

 

Then, as you are working on that, and getting back into your fitness routine (the first time back is the hardest btw - then you get the buzz which makes you want to go again), you could put the money you are saving by not eating the whole pack of cookies, or the whole cake, into a jar. Start saving for that tummy tuck if that's what you really want. And get in your best shape ever ready for it!

[crzyblndstar]

Thank you all for your respsonses. I have always had problems with the way I feel about myself and thinking I am fat. Even when I was little, I felt this way. I really am considering getting into counseling for it and finding out why I use food to make myself feel better. I have begun my "diet" of eating better and working out again. I really do feel better when doing this, sometimes it is just so hard to keep up with. I just hope I don't complete the cycle again by doing really well for a few months and then just stopping out of nowhere.

 

I definately need to do something. When I gain weight, I gain it in my belly first, making me look somewhat prego. I have noticed lately that I am beginning to look like this again and it doesn't really get to me until someone else notices it, which happened today. One of my co-workers asked me what was up with my belly. Nice, huh? You better believe I will be at the gym today. I will force myself if I have to. Thank you all so much for your great advice.

[torranceshipman]

Crzyblndstar,

 

The reason you were eating better when you exercised regularly is because regular exercise stimulates a hormone in your body that helps to regulate appetite. No exercise=lless ability to regulate appetite. Also it releases serotonin in your body which makes you feel good - when you dont exercise you seek serotonin from sweet carb's. I would stake my life on the fact that you eat pretty much all carbs/carbs & fat and virtually no protein or fiber (fiber will keep hunger at bay too).

 

What you need to do RIGHT now is get a good multivitamin, a really good fiber supplement that you can add to each meal, and to make sure that every meal has protein (e.g. white meat/fish) and green fibrous veg in it as WELL as carbs (eg rice), and that you add your fiber supplement to all meals - right now you are just junkin out on simple carbs that make your blood sugar rise and crash - the moment it crashes you'll want more sugar again, hence endlessly obsessing about trying NOT to eat sugary treats, lol (thast includes white bread, pizza etc as they contain a lot of sugar, strangely and are totally carb based), but giving in and then feeling bad. It'll also mess up your digestion, eating like you do (and that bloated feeling will make you feel even worse) but doing what I've suggested plus drinking lots of water and no coffee (but green tea/peppermint tea is fine)...will give u more energy, help you feel better and help you change eating patterns.

 

And....doesnt matter how much gym you've missed. Doesnt matter. Get your kit tomorrow and get your butt down there!!

[torranceshipman]

ps I am all for therapy when it helps, but also, please do realise that you have tricked your body into treating carbs/sugar like they are a drug, seeking lots of highs after the sugar crashes, because of the diet you have gotten used to-so yes, food now is a drug to you, and that is rooted as MUCH in physiology right now than it is in mental issues.

 

Right now your physiology is kinda governing you, rather than the other way round - but it is brilliantly quick to reprogramme your body to NOT crave carbs like this. A therapist probably wont pick up on physiological responses like this as they arent trained to have an in depth understanding of human biology/dietetics. Simply get down the gym as much as you can and re work the diet (just the basics in my previous post will make a massive difference) and that'll work wonders. Plus it sometimes works to have a 'cheat day' once a week where u allow yourself to eat what you want, then as the diet progresses change/cut down that 1 day to 1 cheat meal a week - that way....guilt free eating of treats once a week is guaranteed!! Good luck girl.

[CanadaGuy]

Learn about nutrition, you can still east tasty foods, just cut out the junk.

 

Also, if you want to get back into shape, connect getting in shape with what it will do for you.