am i the only one who...

can NOT eat pleasure foods in moderation?

i either must have ALL of it or none of it. i don't enjoy eating food in moderation but i try very hard. i try to take a single serving of icecream but i end up devouring the entire carton in less than a week by picking icecream out of the carton. same goes for peanut butter and cereal. the only way i can NOT do this is to banish these foods forever... it's all or nothing.

people always say ohhh have this in moderation you'll feel better but no, i can't stand it, the food is so good and i just want more and i never want to stop eating and it's like i'm in a trance. but i don't binge on the foods i NEVER allow myself... like pizza... i don't think about touching it because i haven't eaten it in a long long time so it's like i want it, but i don't NEED it.

that's another thing.. i feel like i MUST be eating 24/7. if i'm not i go into withdrawl. i must have food. i cannot stay out of the kitchen for more than maybe 20-30 minutes at a time and even that is a long long time. i can't occupy myself because there is absolutely nothing i enjoy doing. eating is the only thing that makes me feel good. i don't really have any friends anymore and the ones i do rarely talk to me and don't really enjoy being with me because i'm a very apathetic person and i can't help it... my parents are on vacation for a week and i'm stuck in the house with nothing to do except get on the net and watch tv. i walk all day long, sometimes bike. but i can't stay outisde in the heat forever, and when i'm in the house i just HAVE to eat.

going places doesn't make me happy at all, i feel bored and all i can think of is the next time i can eat. but when i binge i feel bad too, so i'm miserable no matter what.

sorry for the rant, but can anybody help me sort this out?

It is clear that food is not the problem...it is a symptom of something bigger and deeper. You are eating to medicate some sort of pain or loss or something. Inner peace and happiness does not come from proper eating habits or from achieving a certain weight...it comes from being secure in yourself and content with your place in life.

I would suggest looking into counseling...try and sort out what's really going on inside and deal with the real issue. As long as you try and cure "symptoms", you'll never be healthy and whole!

May you find the answers you are looking for!

Yes, Its easy. You are using food addictively. You use it to manage emotions and satisfy other neglected needs. No wonder you cant eat in moderation - its like an alcoholic who has to stop completely - its the only way to ensure that he doesnt abuse it.

Ok, thats the analysis. Whats the cure? Well, for one thing you can go to an OA support group or other support group for food addicts. That might be helpful.

Most importantly, get over yourself. Find something you can do for some organization or give to someone else who has less than you. Find something you can serve and that needs something from you and then give it your time and attention and your love and your gifts and your "all". Give your heart and mind and spirit and hold nothing back. Focus on being the best you can be.

Take care of your soul, and your body will begin to take care of itself without much attention from you. Soon you will notice a difference in your lack of interest in food unless you are actually hungry.

Try it, it works.

I also cannot eat pleasure foods in moderation, so I just stay away from them.  Once I start eating them, it goes downhill from there.

me too. i just stopped eating peanut butter and bread and chocolate and ice cream. every time i eat it, it just seems to trigger a binge.

but about your other part to your post. i think that is a big problem, and i think you can recognize it too. i sympathize. i have/had struggled with food a lot. i think about food a lot. when i'm not thinking about food, i'm reading about food and health and dieting online or i'm on Calorie Count. it's really horrible. you need to find something to keep you busy. if you like shopping, go out. i love to shop, and whenever i'm out shopping, i'm so busy i actually forget to eat. it's also great exercise. i can shop/window shop forever, like 8 to 10 hours, and this is all in air conditioned space too during the summer.

also, try taking a walk. if i take a walk, i feel instantly happier and food leaves my mind for a while. exercising is a pain, b/c i am a lazy bum, but it does seem to help take my mind off food. i am less hungry after i exercise. i know it's hot, but just try to force yourself to do it... or pick times of day when it is less hot, like early morning or later in the afternoon/dinnertime/after dinner. listen to music. read a good book. go to a bookstore and stay there and read. and when you really must have something to eat, eat cucumbers or celery or carrots. it's really hard to binge too much on those.

good luck! i really hope it gets better for you. i really feel for you. i have had similar problems.

I agree with all of the above.  You need to find something to do with your time you enjoy.  I think boredom is our worst enemy.  When I am idol and bored I go to the refrig. open it and stand there.  I am not hungry, food is my friend and brings me comfort except it makes me gain weight so after I eat it I am unhappy with myself.  Foods that you really love may need to be banded.  I have given up donuts (all kinds).  When I worked and would go to a morning meeting and they had donuts and pastries I learned to JUST SAY NO  THANK YOU.  If I had one in the morning the whole day was shoot.  I try NOT to have trigger foods in the house.  Instead of ice cream in the evening my husband and I have rice pudding.  I have 1/2cup with 1/4 cup of strawberries.  I log it.  I think it is important to find foods that you enjoy and have them in moderation.  This is a long journey for most of us, food needs to be in our life,  we need to learn to handle foods and enjoy our life.

bigger and deeper? i dunno.. i think food may be it... i'm recovering from anorexia currently and it just feels like i have rediscovered how good food is.. i binge when i'm happy, sad, mad... it doesn't matter what i'm feeling, i just want to eat.

i also walk over 6 miles per day...i can't do all 6 at one time so i do half in the heat--it exhausts me--and then the other half when it gets cool. but it gets me so exhausted that i don't think i can go out any more than i do now. i try as much as i can, i hate walking, but i do it anyway. i hate riding my bike but i do it anyway too... oh, and when i exercise i'm even HUNGRIER afterwards. when i come in from outside all sweaty i head right to the pantry to shove cereal in my mouth. ugh, idk why.

and it's not like, i want ANY food.. like, i've tried the munching on veggies thing but it just doesn't work. it's like i MUST have cereal, bread, ice cream, and peanut butter. if i try eating the veggies i'm so unsatisfied that i just go for the unhealthy stuff.

another thing is no matter how full i get, i just wanna eat, idk. i eat big full meals, but RIGHT when i'm done i go and eat more because the meal was just so good that i just want more food, i want the pleasure to last longer.

ahh.. but i'll try working on this, grr. thanks for your help guys..

Dice, when I was in recovery from anorexia the same thing happened to me.  There's even a thread on here about former anorexics becoming binge eaters...apparently it's pretty common and it's NOT just you.

When it comes to ice cream, baked goods, etc, I'm all-or-nothing.  I've gotten to the point where I just can't have it around.  I've relapsed lately into anorexia, but I still have my moments where I'll want something, and it's never just "I'd like a donut"...it's "well, if I have 6 donuts, then..." so I do know where you're coming from.  I'm afraid I can't offer too much in the way of advice...just that I understand.