[Blackcat99]

So those who have utilized programs like weight watches and over eaters anonymous can you explain a little bit more about them and their processes? I've contemplated looking into both as options, but I'm rather afraid to.

I can talk about overeaters anonymous meetings. I go to meetings which usually last an hour. It is just like an AA 12 step meeting except we replace the word alcohol with compulsive overeating. Some people will talk about things that are bothering them in life. For example, instead of me getting angry at a family member or co-worker and going out and "overeating" about it, I now express myself and tell other people at my meeting what is bothering me. We just take turns listening to other people's problems and also talking about the good things that are happening in our lives. Some people, especially when first going to meetings don't say anything, they just listen. They just pass a basket around during the meeting for contributions. Most people put $2-3 dollars in the basket and some people can't afford to put anything in the basket and that's OK too. It's so nice to have friends with the same addiction. Everything that you say at the meetings are kept confidential. Food addiction is a chronic,progressive and ultimately fatal disease. It is chronic because the condition never goes away,progressive because the symptoms always get worse over time and fatal because those who persist in the disease will die an early death due to its complications.

[NYDreamer]

Ouch, ouch, ouch! The one thread I was avoiding just smacked me in the face....Ahh, food. The thing is, I don't eat when I'm depressed, but I eat when I'm happy, studying, bored or just because the food is there. Two years ago, I started dating my ex and developed bad eating habits again, eating chips and cake at midnight. He stayed slim, and I gained 30 pounds....13 of them are gone now, but I feel like, what's the point of trying to lose it? I'm just going to gain it back and then some anyway.

It's a cycle. Gain weight, lose it, gain it back plus more, and repeat. I want it to end.

[lovingtheunloved]

Wow. It's astounding to me the number of nurses I know personally who struggle with addictions...

I'm addicted to food in a different sense than what others have posted. I've battled anorexia and bulimia for 15 years. I finally went to residential treatment in summer '07. I'm only six months out of treatment, and recovery is the hardest thing I've ever done. The treatment facility I went to was amazing, but what struck me more than anything was the other women there who were in rehab for the 5th, 10, or 15th time. They spend their entire lives going from hospital to hospital...I do not want to live my life being sick. It is a daily struggle to choose to cope in a positive manner, and not use the old behaviors, and I don't always make that choice, but now that I've experienced a little bit of life without an eating disorder, I'm going to keep fighting. I'm only 24, and I've wasted so much of my life. God has kept me alive for a reason, and I don't want to waste any more of the precious time I have. Despite the battle and the mistakes, I AM winning.

[bekindtokittens]

Many thanks to Commuter for starting this thread and to everyone else who shared their stories and made me feel less alone, especially the person who recognized that eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. This board has everything, doesn't it?

At age 8, reacting to stressful life events, I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Since then, I've lost the same 60-80 pounds and gained them back numerous times, and bounce around from underweight to obese on a regular basis. I eat when I'm hungry, full, happy, sad, depressed, etc. I'm obsessed with chocolate and baked goods and will leave the house at 2am in my pajamas if the urge comes on too strong. I've read all the books, taken Nutrition classes, and I know how to eat healthy. But once I start the "new eating plan for life", that little demon in my head starts talking. The one that tells me that if cutting down to 1500 calories a day is good, cutting down to 500 is even better! If exercising for 1 hour is good, 4 hours is better! So then I get scared and chuck the plan. I sure wish there was a reset button on the back of my head that would make food exactly what it is supposed to be--energy for my body, nothing more, nothing less.

[Simba&NalasMom]

Originally Posted by 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???

I'm far from an authority on health insurance, but I wonder if it's one of those deals where they routinely reject first requests....just kind of thinking out loud, I guess. It is absolutely mortifying that we are a world power and are in this healthcare crisis. Sorry to hijack the thread.

As far as food addiction: I went vegan a couple weeks ago (mostly because I'm a huge animal lover and read some really disturbing propaganda). I didn't notice a difference in how I felt until today, when I gorged on cookies and Hershey chocolate (eggs and milk). UGH, I felt miserable. I am convinced I have a sugar addiction; I really "get off" on the sugar high and then crash really hard. The question is, what can I do about it? I feel so out of control while I'm pigging out, but then I can go days or even weeks and do ok. I don't get it! Thanks for listening.

Psych, I totally get what you're going through. Hang in there...hugs.

[Ms Kylee]

Weight Watchers' program is simple. If you weigh x amount of pounds, you find that weight in the book. Each weight has a range of 25#, so a person who weighs 120# will fit into the 120-125# range (I am just making up numbers here). That range will get I think, 20 points (It might be 22, I can't remember now). Each food is assigned a point value, so what you eat, you add up the points and when you hit your total number allowed, you quit eating for the day, or finish the day with no point foods. You also get points for exercising, which you can swap out for extra food points, but I never added the points when I exercised. You can eat what you want (I had chocolate every day) so long as you count it in your points.

The meetings are great support, but I need the social end of things. (Geminis hate being alone. *LOL*)

[RNSC]

As far as food addiction: I went vegan a couple weeks ago (mostly because I'm a huge animal lover and read some really disturbing propaganda). I didn't notice a difference in how I felt until today, when I gorged on cookies and Hershey chocolate (eggs and milk). UGH, I felt miserable. I am convinced I have a sugar addiction; I really "get off" on the sugar high and then crash really hard. The question is, what can I do about it? I feel so out of control while I'm pigging out, but then I can go days or even weeks and do ok. I don't get it! Thanks for

This is why food addiction is real. Sounds like a classic binge alcoholic doesn't it. I was vegan for a few years. I attended OA meetings and my soberity was being a vegan. I slowly added meat back into my diet for health reasons and when I married a man who ate the Standard American Diet (SAD). My weight has slowly creeped up to 265bls with my binges and now I no longer recognize myself. I think I am going back to the 12 steps and OA because I am a Food Addict.

[Simba&NalasMom]

Originally Posted by I love my cat!

Thank you for starting this thread.
My Aunt is what I would consider 'addicted' to food. All she talks about is food. She is constantly grocery shopping or cooking. All conversations will come back to the topic of food. To me, she fixates on food like a drug addict would fixate on scoring their next high.
It makes me so sad because she now has a lot of health problems because she is Morbidly Obese.
You know what is really sad? She actually started going to the community pool and was feeling good about getting out and doing something. I was so happy for her! A woman who also swims (and is aware that my Aunt use to work as an RN) said to her one day, "Wow, I can't believe that a person with your knowledge in the Medical field would let yourself go like you have".
Well, my Aunt quit going to the pool.
I tried to talk to her about it, but now she is so concerned that she will run into this woman again, she doesn't want to go. It makes me angry and sad at the same time. She still won't tell me who said it. Apparently, I know this person!!
Anyway, I will talk more about this when I have time. I really am worried about her.

OMG. I can see why your aunt won't tell you who it is as I'd be pretty stinkin' livid if I were you, too!

I hope that you'll be able to encourage her to go back. It takes a lot of courage to make that kind of a change and I hope that one day she'll come to realize that and feel good about herself for doing it.

[Blackcat99]

People can be so very cruel. I hope your aunt will decide to go back to the pool someday. I am so glad no one ever said anything so cruel to me because going to the pool helped me to lose my 125 pounds.

[mom2twinboys]

Originally Posted by Tweety

Let me know how that works.

That attitude is one that I have and isn't working well for me.

Yeah, can't say it's working so well for me, either. As my dh would confirm, I don't like to be told what to do -- not even, apparently, by myself.

Tonight we're going to a Valentine dinner at the church (a youth fundraiser that our kiddos get to help serve -- they're serving us for once!). I'm sure it will involve chocolate cake somewhere along the way.

I've been way overindulging the last few days and blaming it on fighting off a cold.

Last night our dog had an apparent stroke, and the on call vet recommended Benadryl to calm her down. We didn't have any, so I went out to buy some -- and a dozen Krispy Kremes while I was at it. I probably had 3 last night and 1 this morning -- but, hey, I was stressed out about the dog, you know? I can rationalize all day long.

(the dog seems fine today --maybe some balance issues -- has been checked out by her doc. She's 13 and otherwise healthy)