Food Addict: Is there a support group?

I believe I am addicted to food the way an alcoholic is addicted to drinking.  I think about food constantly: how I'm going to get it, how I'm going to need more, etc.  It gets in the way of my social life.  It gives me the biggest high (when I'm dieting and losing) or the biggest low (when I'm bingeing and gaining).

I have recently accepted that it will always be this way.  As much as I try to eat like "French women" who have a little bit of chocolate and then move on with their day, I'm more like Oprah, who openly admits that this is something she always will struggle with.

I have put on nearly 10 pounds in the past 2 months.  Every single day I start so motivated and determined.  I eat enough during the day, I think I'm setting myself up for a successful day.  But then something happens.  And I consume 3000 calories.

I yell at myself.  I just need to have more will power.  But maybe, it really is like an addiction, where I need something or someone bigger than myself to deal with this.

Does anyone experience something similar? Maybe we could support each other.

Original Post by jezebelina:

I thinnk I'm going to cry!!!  I was grocery shopping yesterday and of course I couldn't restrain myself from buying a pack of yodels, eating half of it (think 700-800 calories in one stretch) and sneaking them into the house (I hid them as soon as I brought the groceries in, so my husband wouldn't see them).  Then I ate the rest for breakfast today!!!  And I haven't been able to stop eating sweets all day.  A couple of days before that I bought a chocolate cake (also when my hubby wasn't home) and ate 3/4 of it before he caught me and threw it out :( :( :( It's not like I don't understand it's terrible for me, and I eat other food too, but I just can't stop thinking about foods and then taking action on those thoughts. 

 I have done things like that.  It's like you're on a mission and don't want to think about how bad you'll feel when you "come to."  I had a friend that used to do drugs (coke, crack, etc.).  I asked him why he did it, if he felt like there was a big void in his life.  He said he was just bored and would decide "I want to have fun tonight and I don't care how much it costs and I don't care about tomorrow."  I feel that's the case with food during a binge.  You fall into this completely different mindset.

I know the feelings of regret and guilt.  Try to put it behind you.  As hard as that is.

Original Post by barnaby115:

Original Post by jezebelina:

I thinnk I'm going to cry!!!  I was grocery shopping yesterday and of course I couldn't restrain myself from buying a pack of yodels, eating half of it (think 700-800 calories in one stretch) and sneaking them into the house (I hid them as soon as I brought the groceries in, so my husband wouldn't see them).  Then I ate the rest for breakfast today!!!  And I haven't been able to stop eating sweets all day.  A couple of days before that I bought a chocolate cake (also when my hubby wasn't home) and ate 3/4 of it before he caught me and threw it out :( :( :( It's not like I don't understand it's terrible for me, and I eat other food too, but I just can't stop thinking about foods and then taking action on those thoughts. 

 I have done things like that.  It's like you're on a mission and don't want to think about how bad you'll feel when you "come to."  I had a friend that used to do drugs (coke, crack, etc.).  I asked him why he did it, if he felt like there was a big void in his life.  He said he was just bored and would decide "I want to have fun tonight and I don't care how much it costs and I don't care about tomorrow."  I feel that's the case with food during a binge.  You fall into this completely different mindset.

I know the feelings of regret and guilt.  Try to put it behind you.  As hard as that is.

 Wow. Its crazy how similar addictions can be with food and things like narcotics!

Original Post by jezebelina:

Me too!!!  And my husband doesn't understand it at all, this fixation with food.  How can a normal looking person think about food all the time (i am moderately overweight, but definitely not healthy), he says.  Anyway, I understand everyone that has posted here, and am actually going through this right now - thinking about twinkies and the lunch I am going to have in about an hour even though I already had a snack about 20 minutes ago...  :(:(:( I also feel like it's completely out of my control sometimes, although I did notice, like Jennifer, that complete abstinence of certain foods is better than allowing yourself a little.  However, I have never been able to stick with it for longer than a couple of weeks. 

My boyfriend of the past 6 months doesn't understand it either.  I don't live with him, so it's a little easier than if I did I guess.  But I feel like I have to hide my not so good eating habits around him, and that makes me want to indulge in my overeating even more when I'm not around him.  I gained 10lbs since I started dating him, which is really a lot for me.  I think I'm starting to get better, but it's hard.  I'm still too embarrassed to talk to him about it.  Anyone else have a problem like that?   

I'm too embarrassed to tell guys (or anyone) about my relationship with food.  I feel they will judge me for just not having more will power or for being so obsessed with something so trivial.

i wish i was free of thinking about food. it would be so nice!

I also don't tell anyone. I feel like they will think I am crazy! Or try to send me to OA!

Last night at 12am I ate a whole bag of popcorn. :o( I was doing very well other than that! How about we try and track our progress. Tell eachother when we're going strong and when we slip up. Today will be day 1 of not late night eating. I want to do this.

I don't know what it is, I just feel like I want something SO bad at night. And I could stop myself, but I just don't. Even when I'm at my boyfriends I'll want to go home, I'll wait to go home just so I can have this battle with myself. Its awful. :-/

But today is a new day! And I know I can do it!!!

Original Post by pepper654:

Original Post by jezebelina:

Me too!!!  And my husband doesn't understand it at all, this fixation with food.  How can a normal looking person think about food all the time (i am moderately overweight, but definitely not healthy), he says.  Anyway, I understand everyone that has posted here, and am actually going through this right now - thinking about twinkies and the lunch I am going to have in about an hour even though I already had a snack about 20 minutes ago...  :(:(:( I also feel like it's completely out of my control sometimes, although I did notice, like Jennifer, that complete abstinence of certain foods is better than allowing yourself a little.  However, I have never been able to stick with it for longer than a couple of weeks. 

My boyfriend of the past 6 months doesn't understand it either.  I don't live with him, so it's a little easier than if I did I guess.  But I feel like I have to hide my not so good eating habits around him, and that makes me want to indulge in my overeating even more when I'm not around him.  I gained 10lbs since I started dating him, which is really a lot for me.  I think I'm starting to get better, but it's hard.  I'm still too embarrassed to talk to him about it.  Anyone else have a problem like that?   

 I guess I am lucky in that I have known my husband for a very long time and he knew about my issues since before we were married (he eats well and is pretty health conscious, although not a nazi) but now that we have been married for 2 years, I find it even more difficult to own up to my lapses because he expects better of me?  It's that disappointed look - and I'm afraid that I will somehow pass this along to our son or maybe our future children.  After all, addiction is partially blamed on genetics, right?  If not by genetics, tehn certainly by example...

I got my disordered relationship with food from my parents.  My mom is always trying to lose weight.  She yo-yos, feels guilty and then will restrict herself to 1,000 calorie days.  My dad is also thin because he runs a lot and restricts, but  he binges and I also know he doesn't enjoy food.  He just inhales it right away.  He is also extremely cruel when talking about overweight people.

My grandmothers on both sides define people's character by their weight.  You're unworthy if you're heavy.  You're ambitious and valued if you are thin. 

It stinks.  I don't have any kids, but if I ever do I hope I can stop the chain of judgement, guilt, depression, and shame.  I hope I can have a healthy relationship with food and pass that on.

I'm a food addict. =/

Everyday i always ask my parents "Can we buy something at the food store?" and then if i have like 1 sugar cookie i talk about it for 3 days! Its crazy! xxx

My parents are getting really annoyed with me...

I don't have kids, but I also worry that if I ever do, I might teach them bad eating habits.  Maybe it's better to at least be aware of it. 

It is nice to be able to communicate with you all about it!

My boyfriend gets annoyed with me saying all I talk about is food and exercise...the exercise I've grown to love but like many on here only really started as a means to lose weight...weight gained due to overeating and a sheer love of food.

My mum is one of those people who doesn't eat half a chocolate bar and leave it. She has a bar of chocolate in the cupboard which is hers (I bought it for her and its coffee flavoured so I don't like it) and it's been there about 4 years now! She tends to eat pretty healthily. However unlike me (usually hungriest from around 10am-4pm), she will snack on biscuits at night when she's finished ironing like 11pm and her downfall is the wine. A glass or 3 EVERY night.

My dad eats **** but he generally goes without breakfast and lunch, comes home and has a handful of nuts/bag of crisps/hunk of cheese and is then too full to eat all the dinner mum cooks and follows it with two bars of chocolate.

So none of us have a healthy relationship with food...although all in different ways.

Today my boyfriend told me he feels skinny, and that he bets he doesnt eat more than 1000 calories a day. Now you know how we are on here! So you can imagine the shpeal I went into.

I stopped myself knowing he'd think I'm nuts, and honestly, if he doesn't want to find out the right way to lose weight, who am I to tell him?

I told him I just didn't want him to get all obsessive.

His remark, "If anyones obsessive its you. I'm fine with the way I do things"

Ouch.