[Elvish]

Almost 80 hours w/o the Oreos.

[Mommy2NQ]

Welcome me to the food addiction group. I have been fluctuating between 130 to well into the 200's for the last 16 years. Right now im on the higher end of that scale again. I was hoping when I started pre nursing courses that I would be soooo busy that I wouldn't have time to snack. Isn't working though. At 34 I am worried that the pounds will not drop off as fast as when I was younger. Its really depressing because the majority of my friends are thin.

[mom2twinboys]

I was slender for a long time, though some family members were always scolding me about eating too many sweets. Maybe they didn't think I was slender. I'm 5'7" and graduated from high school weighing about 128 lbs. Lost a few in the first few weeks at college, then slowly gained so that I weighed nearly 140 when I graduated. The year I got married I changed my habits a lot and lost from 145 to 125. I was a perfect size 8! Weight crept on again so that when I got pregnant 5 years later I weighed 157. The day my twins were born, I weighed 203. Ten days later, I was down to 160. Since then, the trend has been up, and right now I'm at about 210. About 2 years ago I did Weight Watchers and was exercising at Curves, and lost down to about 186. I thought I could track points on my own and save money, but you see where that got me. Curves fell by the wayside because the only time I can do it is early a.m. (and I am *so* not a morning person) or at lunch, and I like the social outlet of going to lunch with a coworker.

*sigh* today I ate a whole bag of "Poppycock" (caramel coated popcorn with pecans)...

[ricced]

i tried several reducing formulas to decrease my appetite. then i got into this c-fiber powders that makes you eat less gradually. u just got to drink water from time to time coz everytime you have fiber in your body u need water to get rid of it. c for urself.

[TheCommuter]

I agree. Many people have addictions to food that are very real to them. 2/3 of all Americans fall into the overweight or obese category. I am sure that many, if not most of these individuals have some sort of addiction to food.

Food addiction is capable of killing people as swiftly as alcohol, illicit drugs, and tobacco. People die all the time from the complications of obesity-related afflictions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and so forth. In other words, food is harmful if not utilized in moderation.

[rn/writer]

Food addiction is sometimes not taken seriously--think of chocoholics or getting a sugar fix--but if you've ever watched one of the shows about the super-sized folks who are struggling, it doesn't seem all that humorous anymore.

All you have to do is look at the crowd in a mall food court to see how strong this compulsion is. Just as with alcoholics, many people will tell themselves that they're not really addicted--they can quit any time they try to get serious. But just let them try, and then watch the sweat break out and their hands begin to shake with the effort.

This ranks right up there with nicotine, drugs and alcohol in level of challenge. Only, as some have pointed out, you can't entirely stop eating as you can with with smoking. Even quitting smoking is said to be "going cold turkey," and right there you have yet another reference to food.

Anyone who understands the true nature of addiction and addictive thinking would not hesitate to recognize someone willing to enter the battle. No matter what they see as their "drug" of choice, the fight is still the same.

[psyknurs]

My oh my...you hit the nail on the head!!! Food addiction is my best friend. I have even become morbidly obese and want to get help, maybe someone can offer some help in here. I eat when I am happy, sad,lonely, glad, up, down...you name it. I need help..I really do!!! My health insurance won't pay for gastric bypass because I'm not sick enough. So what the hell...I'm a healthy obese person??? C'mon, you think that the insurance would want to help me so that I can get off my meds and prevent future illness. We live in a real backwards society as far as the insurance companies are concerned. Anyway, I'm gonna try to get them to consider me again, I WANT TO LIVE!!! I just think that if I could get a little surgical intervention that I could work on the behavioral part and get healthy for once in my whole life. I have been heavy for as long as I can remember. I do want to be healthy as soon as I can. Any suggestions???

[psyknurs]

I am definately going to try to get the book, to try to save myself from myself. You all are so great and open in here, thank you to all that have posted, or will post!!!! YOU ROCK!!!!

[flightnurse2b]

It can threaten and overwhelm your life just like smoking, drugs, or alcohol. that mind set is one of the reasons why people with COE are hesitant to get help... because they don't think food will kill them.

i am on the other side of the food addiction spectrum. i have been a relapsing and recovering anorexic and bulimic. i use food to punish myself... to gain some form of control over my life... and just when i think i have it under control, i find myself stressed out and wanting to restrict or purge.

i have been hospitalized numerous times for my eating disorders and also have been in many different day groups.... and there was a vast range of us there, sometimes you can't just look at someone and know that they are eating disordered..there are overweight anorexics, and underweight COE's. it is very interesting to see the stereotypes provided for people with various edo's such as anorexics are always 70 pounds, bulimics are alwyas chubby and coe's are always obese... because it is so very untrue!!!

there were anorexics, bulimics and compulsive overeaters there... all for the same reason.... one way or another, we are addicted to food and using it for control... whether it be eating for comfort, overexercising to compensate overeating, or not eating at all.... it is an addiction and a disease that encircles one important part of maintaining life.... eating.

i understand the food addiction and daily struggle with it. food terrifies me. eating is always an internal battle. but the first step in getting better is understanding that it is an addiction and sometimes its too much to try and overcome on your own.

i hope you guys don't mind me joining your group.

[mom2twinboys]

Someone else pointed out that we can't stop eating altogether, but if I cut back the fat and calories I'm not going to suffer the same kind of physical withdrawal that an alcoholic does when he/she doesn't have a drink, or even that a smoker does when going without nicotine. I haven't experienced either of those (thankfully) so I can't assume that my missing food is anything like that.

I do have cravings (mainly for fat & sugar) and they can so overwhelm my mind that I can't concentrate on other things.

I actually really like a lot of healthy foods. I really like a lot of "unhealthy" foods. Which is to say, I like to eat.