Food Addiction?

Nurses Recovery

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Does anyone else out there have issues with food?

I've had issues with food for as long as I can remember. In times of stress, boredom, turmoil, sadness, or uncertainty, food was the only enjoyable crutch in my life. My past weights have reflected my love-hate relationship with food, because I have constantly bounced from normal body weights to obesity to overweight, then back to normal BMI and so forth.

Specializes in Psych..

In July, I dieted and lost 11 pounds. I restricted my calories and thought of nothing but food the entire time. This isn't my first, or fifth, or twentieth time I've tried to lose weight...

I fell off the wagon and have been eating whatever I want, whenever I want. I have gained back 13 pounds.

Tonight, I went to my first Overeaters Anonymous meeting. I felt very welcome there and plan on going back.

Of course, I was so nervous about the meeting and admitting I have a problem. And meeting new people is stressful for me as well. Oh yeah, and I have a big exam tomorrow. So I came home and ate a huge bowl of pasta, and nine oatmeal chocolate no-bake cookies, one of my favorite binge foods. I feel sick.

I really hope the meetings will inspire me, because I can't keep doing this.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
In July, I dieted and lost 11 pounds. I restricted my calories and thought of nothing but food the entire time. This isn't my first, or fifth, or twentieth time I've tried to lose weight...

I fell off the wagon and have been eating whatever I want, whenever I want. I have gained back 13 pounds.

The yo-yo dieting has been the story of the last half of my life. I lost 30 pounds as a 15-year-old, then gained it all back plus more. I lost 60 pounds at age 21, then gained 100 back. Last year I lost 46 pounds, and have gained about 6 of those pounds back. My weight fluctuates wildly from 115-215 pounds.

I can lose weight, exercise, and eat healthy, but my problem is with turning these into permanent fixtures in my life. My cravings for fatty foods seem to overwhelm me, and the only way for my head to stop burning is to fulfill them.

Specializes in Mental Health.

Like Commuter said...I too wished that I craved good fruits and veggies...not brownies and cake and ice-cream. I just came off of a 24 hour PIGFEST!!!! I recently started writing a daily log of my life (originally it was to be a food journal) and after the last 24 hours I wrote..ENOUGH, enough of this now it is time to go on. Now I feel better with myself and am not hating myself as I have in times past. It is so liberating to let it go. Before I used to use a pigout session as an excuse to have another one. I am not writing a strict food journal but I am writing what I eat. It is an eye opener and it encourages me to eat better, because I have be to be honest and if I don't want to see 12 krispy kremes on my log, then I don't eat that. I am convinced that I will win my battle with food obsession.

Specializes in Mental Health.

Oh yeah, I did buy the book Food Addiction the Body Knows and found it to be VERY helpful:twocents:

I'm so glad to hear that you found the book to be very helpful!!!! :yeah:I swear it really did save my life. It answered all of my "burning questions" and explained everything to me. I truly thought I would "die" without my binge foods. But I thought well, I'm going to die anyway because of the health problems my obesity has caused me. But I didn't die. I got my life back. No more non-stop cravings and binges. Instead of insisting on losing weight "my way" I decided to do exactly what the book said to do and it worked wonders in my life. After all, I had already done it "my way" so many times before and all that got me was a weight of 240 lbs. So I decided to open my mind and just do what the book said and I lost 120 lbs and have kept it off. I still attend OA meetings every week and will continue to be a "lifetime" OA member.:up:

Specializes in Critical Care/OR/Education.

I am absolutely addicted to food, and having a super stressful position currently isn't helping. Here's hoping I get the job I interviewed for with the federal government and I can quit education!

Specializes in Med Surg, Case Management, OR.

I am an emotional overeater. I know I am and I know I have a problem. I just don't know what to do about it. It's pretty sad that I sit here and read this thread and I'm getting "hungry" just reading everyone's comments. For me, it's the sweet/salty, crunchy/soft foods. All the comfort and control foods. I have thought about and keep looking at OA and FAA sites, but can't seem to push myself to go. Of course my husband tells me he loves me no matter what, and it's not a big deal to him. Of course not, it's happening to me! BLARGHHH! Thanks for being there, guys. I'm glad I'm not alone.

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