When is it a food addiction, and when is it just overeating?

[lamsunshine 2]

Just a thought here, remember we have been on auto pilot for most of our lives, it's a new experience when you have the sleeve, you have to retrain yourself . . . for me it's been 47 years of FAST eating (military didn't help that either) so now to learn to eat slow is a killer. . . i have been conditioned that when you eat around a table you eat fast and get in as much as possible. . . now i can't even eat around the table. . .i have to take my 4 - 6 oz of food and sit on the couch in the living room, and with the VCR time my eat. . . chew, swallow, time 2 minutes, another bite, and so on. . . i'm out 3 months and can basically eyeball my portions, but to slow down and chew really well, well that's another circus trick I'm still learning. . . . good luck to everyone. . .

I know what you mean about the eating fast part. I have been eating fast as long as I can remember and when I went into the Navy it became worse. I have been out for 15 years now, and still I eat to fast. It is the one thing I'm worried about after the surgery is eating to fast, not chewing enough, gettin food stuck, and getting a leak. How do you use your VCR to time your eating? I'm trying to slow down now before the surgery, but it is not sinking in to slow down. HELP

[Jane_J 117]

Hi IamSunny,

You just won't be able to, so don't sweat it. The decisions are out of your hands which is so relaxing.

Jane x

[Lisalu 89]

Old thread but I want to post anyway.

Ouroborous, I don't think all obese people are food addicts, many of us are but not all. Some people have just way too much appetite for their height but they are not obsessers or bingers. Others are bona fide addicts. I'm a combination of the two. I haven't binged in years but I'm (or I was before surgery) a constant grazer. I do have the tendency to eat for emotional reasons and I have a naturally big appetite. Thank god for this VSG.

[Mary Gordon 3]

i firmly believe that it is called food addiction, when you wake up in the middle of the night without any reason, open the fridge and eat the first thing you see. we have schedules and we should limit our eating to those, morning midday afternoon evening. if we eat for no reason and without being hungry, that's when i think it has become an addiction.

[HetKF 33]

I am an emotional eater. Have been since I was a kid. I used to sit with a jar of Peanut Butter and a spoon and go to town. Over the years, it developed into somewhat of an addiction because it brings comfort and numbs what you don't want to deal with/fils the void. It becomes your coping mechanism..a negative one at that. I don't think about it constantly either but this behavior has caused me to gain the weight I have over the last 23 years. I started seeing a psychiatrist who specializes with eating disorders prior to my surgery on 11/29. Yes........ emotional eating is an eating disorder. I will see her until I learn how to cope with my emotions and not look to food to help me feel better. Mind you, with this sleeve I do not have much choice now.

[meangene 1]

Addiction runs in the family and for me, I channeled my addictive personality to food. I was an incredibly emotional eater and had no self control. I have to say, almost four months out, I don't have the crazy food thoughts that I did before the surgery. Not only did I need the forced restriction with the sleeve, but I also believe the constant intake of Vitamins and nutrition have made me a more mentally sound person. I own my own business and would have violent emotional mood swings every other week. It seemed like I would go from happy to depressed within days, all the time. Since the sleeve, I have not felt this way at all and my emotions have been in check. We read it all the time in this forum, but it's true, the sleeve has totally changed my life for the better. Screw addiction and addictive behavior!

[HetKF 33]

The same thing has happened to me. I was never really addicted to anything else but food. It numbed everything..... I was living in my protective shell for 23 years. Part of this is removing the food from your system. It's almost like we all detox while we go through the stages post op. Then our brains sort of go through this thing where we now realize we physically can not intake that kind of food anymore. It effects you in a huge mental way. I can honestly say, though I have lost almost 30 lbs. so far......my whole life has changed in the way i am with my kid's etc... No one is more shocked than me. I am FINALLY living in the present. It is a high like no other I see a Psychiatrist who specializes in food addiction. I've been seeing her 4 months prior to my surgery and I plan on seeing her as long as I feel I need to. She told me this one thing " Up until now, you have had negative coping mechanisms. After surgery you will need and be forced to learn a different way to positively cope with things in your life." That was all it took. It was like one of those Oprah moments....lol. She was right and I need to relearn how to handle stress, boredom, loneliness, etc..

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I wish my insurance covered counseling. I would love to go and see someone about this.

Maybe you could share the information your psychiatrist gives you?

[Foreverdark 8]

What's the difference between being addicted to food, emotional eating, eating out of boredom and plain bad eating habits? Is there much of a difference? I can't tell which category I am in. I have an idea but....

Oh, and I know I posted a response WAY late on this, but I just found it

[HetKF 33]

I wish my insurance covered counseling. I would love to go and see someone about this.

Maybe you could share the information your psychiatrist gives you?

I'm sorry...I just now saw this or i would have responded earlier I'm an open book.....if there is anything you can think of just ask and I will do my best to answer it. This is from the series Heavy......"weight loss is not just about physical weight loss. It's about weight loss that is internal resolving everything in the past that can be a hindrance to you. People use food to cope with what is going on in their life just as some do drugs, sex, etc..." My Psychiatrist says the same thing and it has helped me understand why I did what I did so I don't repeat it. I am an emotionally eater.....and it all ties in with boredom, loneliness, sadness, etc....Over time, it becomes an addiction where you NEED it to make you feel better .....it's the only thing that fills the void/emptiness. The sleeve has "forced" me to change my behavior. Although, I do still have to work through these same types of behaviors I had prior to surgery. I will for the rest of my life. I consider myself in the recovery stage at this point. I am relearning a healthier way to live both mentally and physically. They truly do go together and if you don't have a handle on them both one will almost always cause the other to fail at some point. I think everyone who has any form of weight loss surgery should have therapy to coincide with it pre and post op. It is helping me become a better version of myself and to get rid of the "demons" I had as to why I got to almost 300 lbs in the first place.

[HetKF 33]

What's the difference between being addicted to food, emotional eating, eating out of boredom and plain bad eating habits? Is there much of a difference? I can't tell which category I am in. I have an idea but....

Oh, and I know I posted a response WAY late on this, but I just found it

Best answer

Living to Eat: Do You Have a food Addiction?

By Meghan Vivo

Jane sneaks out of the house at midnight and drives six miles to the local 7-Eleven to get a chocolate bar. This has become a nightly ritual. She's gaining weight and feels profoundly ashamed of her lack of self-control. Though she vows to stop this behavior, she can't seem to shake the craving night after night.

Jane is a food addict.

In many ways, food can closely resemble a drug - caffeine and sugar offer a quick pick-me-up while carbohydrates and comfort foods can help soothe and relax the mind. Some people use food, like drugs, to feel at ease in social situations or to unwind after a long day. If you think about food constantly throughout the day, have compulsive cravings for certain types of foods, or waste more than half of your daily calories binging on unhealthy Snacks, you may be one of the 18 million Americans who suffer from food addiction.

What Is Food Addiction?

Food addiction, like any other addiction, is a loss of control. Food addicts are preoccupied with thoughts of food, body weight, and body image, and compulsively consume abnormally large amounts of food. Even though they understand the harm caused by their behavior, they just can't stop. Food addicts tend to crave and eat foods that are harmful to their bodies. For example, people with food allergies may crave the foods they are allergic to, while diabetics may crave and overindulge in sugar, despite the adverse effects.

Food-aholics generally gorge on fat, salt, and sugar in the form of junk food and sweets. If they are feeling depressed, lonely, or disappointed, they consume large amounts of chips, chocolate, or other comfort foods for a "high." As with most addictions, the high wears off, leaving the person feeling sick, guilty, and even more depressed. Because the addict is out of control, she will repeat the same eating patterns over and over again in an effort to feel better.

Compulsive overeaters often eat much more rapidly than normal and hide their shame by eating in secret. Most overeaters are moderately to severely obese, with an average binge eater being 60% overweight. Individuals with binge eating disorders often find that their eating or weight interferes with their relationships, their work, and their self-esteem. Although compulsive overeaters or binge dieters often struggle with food addiction, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are also considered types of food addictions.

Addiction or Bad Habit?

Unlike drug and alcohol addiction, which have been recognized by the medical profession for years, addiction specialists still question whether food can be genuinely addictive. Is the obsession with eating a true addiction, or just a bad habit?

Some experts are quite skeptical of putting food in the same category as drugs or alcohol. They argue that people like junk food because it tastes good, not because they are physically incapable of controlling their behavior. Others contend that individuals who abuse substances in excess of need, despite the harm it can cause, are addicts, whether the substance is alcohol, drugs, or food.

In some cases, food addicts trying to break the habit claim to experience both physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, mood changes, tremors, cramps, and depression. In an animal study at Princeton University, researchers found that after rats binged on sugar, they showed classic signs of withdrawal when the sweets were removed from their diet, which suggests foods like sugar can be addictive.

Brain imaging studies conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found that food affects the brain's dopamine systems in much the same way as drugs and alcohol. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and reward. When psychiatrist Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and her colleagues compared brain images of methamphetamine users with obese people, they found both groups had significantly fewer dopamine receptors than healthy people. Moreover, the higher the body mass index, the fewer the dopamine receptors, which may explain why it is so difficult for some people to lose weight and keep it off.

Are You a Food Addict?

Whether the obsession with food is a true addiction or simply a bad habit, one thing is clear: Your health is on the line. Obesity, psychological disorders, and diabetes are just a few of the health risks associated with compulsive eating.

If you're worried that you may have a food addiction, FoodAddicts.org recommends that you answer the following questions:

1. Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't?
2. Do you think about food or your weight constantly?
3. Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success?
4. Do you binge and then "get rid of the binge" through vomiting, exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging?
5. Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people?
6. Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight?
7. Do you eat large quantities of food at one time?
8. Is your weight problem due to your "nibbling" all day long?
9. Do you eat to escape from your feelings?
10. Do you eat when you're not hungry?
11. Have you ever discarded food, only to retrieve it and eat it later?
12. Do you eat in secret?
13. Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake?
14. Have you ever stolen other people's food?
15. Have you ever hidden food to make sure you have "enough?"
16. Do you feel driven to exercise excessively to control your weight?
17. Do you obsessively calculate the calories you've burned against the calories you've eaten?
18. Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you've eaten?
19. Are you waiting for your life to begin "when you lose the weight?"
20. Do you feel hopeless about your relationship with food?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have, or be in danger of developing, a food addiction or eating disorder. Although food addiction is not nearly as intense as alcohol and drug addictions, you may need help regaining control of your life.

Treating Food Addiction

Change is never easy, and overcoming food addiction is no exception. It will require a combination of discipline, healthy eating habits, and exercise. In many ways, treatment of food addiction is similar to drug and alcohol addiction. The first step to recovery is recognizing and accepting the problem, and identifying which foods cause allergic symptoms and cravings. However, unlike drug and alcohol addiction, food addicts can't quit cold turkey. Everyone has to eat. Instead of taking drastic measures, make the following changes gradually, one small step at a time.

Reprogram your taste buds. If you eat tons of sugar-laden foods, your taste buds get used to the flavor and you will start craving sweeter and sweeter foods. When buying foods that aren't supposed to be sweet, like Pasta sauce, bread, and crackers, make sure they don't have added sweeteners like fructose, dextrose, and corn Syrup. Slowly try to limit sweet or salty foods in favor of fruits and vegetables to restore the sensitivity in your taste buds.

Plan your meals. Food addicts often hide food or binge when they are alone. One way around this is to avoid hiding a stash of food in your car, desk, or nightstand. Also, plan out healthy meals in advance, portion out single servings on smaller plates, and eat scheduled meals at the dinner table. If you eat in front of the TV or while talking on the phone, you're more likely to eat large amounts of food without realizing it. Though it may take a few weeks to change your eating patterns, your brain will eventually get used to smaller portions of healthy foods and generate fewer snack-food cravings.

Moderate your hunger. People with food addiction tend to take an all-or-nothing approach to dieting, bouncing from ravenous to overstuffed. A useful tool to moderate food consumption is to rate your hunger on a scale of zero to ten, zero being starving and ten being overstuffed, then try to stay between three and five. If you wait until you hit zero, you may not stop eating until you reach ten.

Know your weaknesses. Everyone has a list of foods that are hard to turn down. If you can't resist a fine loaf of bread at a restaurant, ask the waiter not to bring the bread basket to your table. If you can't walk past an ice cream parlor without stopping for a scoop or two, take a different route. If you have a habit of eating Cookies or popcorn while watching TV at night, read a book or walk the dog instead. If these tricks don't work, stop buying unhealthy foods at the grocery store. If it's in your kitchen, you're probably going to eat it.

Deal with the real issues. Typically a food addict will numb unpleasant feelings with food. If you stop relying on food, you can learn to tackle problems head-on and let yourself feel the sadness, anger, or boredom without using food as a crutch.

Find healthy ways to cope. For food addicts, the next salt or sugar fix becomes the dominating force in their life. The best treatment is to find other ways to fill the void, like working out, hiking, going out with friends, or talking to a therapist. Exercise sparks the same pleasure centers of the brain as food, and offers a similar high without the guilt. If you're not physically hungry but you're struggling to resist a craving, brush your teeth, drink Water, leave the house for a few minutes, or choose a healthy substitute like yogurt instead of ice cream or baked chips instead of potato chips.

Give yourself a break. The guilt people feel after overeating perpetuates the addiction. They're sad because they ate too much, so they turn to food for solace. Learn to forgive yourself and don't get discouraged by minor setbacks.

Food addiction can be a serious problem. Just ask the people who habitually visit the drive-thru at midnight or load up on candy bars on a daily basis. To beat the addiction, sometimes all you need is motivation to change and a few lifestyle modifications. In more severe cases, you may need to seek help from a food addiction group like Overeaters Anonymous, a mental health professional, or an addiction treatment center. In either case, a shift in outlook must occur: Eat to live, don't live to eat.

Other resources and articles:

[KristiP 51]

Oh yikes. That's good to know' date=' before I have one glass of red wine and think "I'm okay to drive" (I actually don't drive after ANY alcohol, but still, good to know).

As to your other post, that's me to a Tee: "no off switch." I don't obsess over food, in fact I can go long periods without any food whatsoever. It's just that when I DO eat, I can (and do) easily eat until I feel ill. There's never a "that's enough" stage! So hopefully lap sleeve is the perfect surgery for me, too (I'll know in about a month)!

Edit: just did a little research, and it looks like the science proves you correct. I always thought that alcohol was absorbed by the stomach, but it appears that it's actually the small intestine where most is absorbed. Since lap sleeve doesn't affect that, and in fact increases the transfer rate from the stomach to the small intestine, alcohol could conceivably be MUCH quicker in effect.

Source: http://www.intox.com/about_alcohol.asp

Wow. This is me. I have no off switch. I do not feel hunger cues, either way, but I am clearly on all the time. Although i can go all day without eating, like literally from the time I get up nearly until I go to bed. I have actually found this to be the norm ever since I got banded.

I have often wondered if i am addicted to food and eating, but reading some of these posts m inclined to,think im not technically addicted. I don't don't find myself preoccupied with food or eating; I don't generally sit and think about food, or mentally raid the fridge or plan my nex meal. But when I have the opportunity I can/have kept eating until there was nothing left or until I was sick. I think this is the result of eating mindlessly and too fast. I don't know why I developed the eating 2 fast habit.....it's not as if I had a large family to compete with and we were lucky enough to always have more than enough.

will ready admit that I AM an emotional eater, with my main emotional triggers being upset/sad and boredom (although I guess boredom isn't really an emotion). Loneliness too is a trigger. When my husband is away for work (he works away from home 2 weeks at a time) i find myself eating a lot of comfort foods which are much more carb based. When he's home I make better choices without even thinking about it.

have had the odd sneak-eating episode, but it's not a frequent thing, and it's generally only when certain people (food police) are around. They make me feel like if I want it at all I better have it now when they're unlikely to "catch" me. Which is stupid, right? I mean, I'm 40 years old......if I want to eat a brick dipped in ketchup I can, if I want, right? Hahaha I'm the boss of my underpants and no one else......but these particular people.......they know how to get under my skin.

I sometimes get a hankering for a specific food (as an example not just something sweet, I want ice cream.....and not just any ice cream, I want Rocky Road, and not in a cone, I want it in a bowl....) This hankering might even last a couple of days, but then I get my fill and the hankering goes away. Times like that I feel it might be something my body craves, rather than my head or emotions...?

So I don't know. I don't know if I'm classically addicted to food and eating, or in some kind of sub-group. But I do know that I am going to have to train my mind so I can get my body in order. I know it's all upstairs, but knowing that and being able to work that knowledge are two entirely different animals. I need more help and the sleeve is where I'm going for more help.

:-)

[ozeedonkee 145]

. i have been conditioned that when you eat around a table you eat fast and get in as much as possible. . . .

That sounds like me! And it's worse when I get with my family - my parents cooking is SO GOOD

[CelticHarpist 26]

food addictions are known as process addictions, like other process addictions of sex, gambling, etc. What #26  HetKF posted is good information. Addictions are known for cravings, numbing out using the "process" or chemical to avoid or escape stress or feelings, spending a lot of time preparing or thinking about the addictive substance so "obsessing" in some people's vernacular, some people have hopelessness others shame about use, often other people comment on the results of use (whether it is weight or health) in concerned or derisive ways.

it is also common to switch addictions. Many folks who have been banded or have been through bypass end up having chemical addictions if they don't also look at their behaviors which lead to numbing out or easy overuse. Medscape has articles about this phenomenon.

It is common to seek these "numbing agents" when overtired, angry or resentful, lonely or bored, or ill.

So this is a P.S. to the posting of HetKF (#26).

[Sherry77 166]

Oh yikes. That's good to know' date=' before I have one glass of red wine and think "I'm okay to drive" (I actually don't drive after ANY alcohol, but still, good to know).

As to your other post, that's me to a Tee: "no off switch." I don't obsess over food, in fact I can go long periods without any food whatsoever. It's just that when I DO eat, I can (and do) easily eat until I feel ill. There's never a "that's enough" stage! So hopefully lap sleeve is the perfect surgery for me, too (I'll know in about a month)!

Edit: just did a little research, and it looks like the science proves you correct. I always thought that alcohol was absorbed by the stomach, but it appears that it's actually the small intestine where most is absorbed. Since lap sleeve doesn't affect that, and in fact increases the transfer rate from the stomach to the small intestine, alcohol could conceivably be MUCH quicker in effect.

Source: http://www.intox.com/about_alcohol.asp

According to other posts, I thought you already had the sleeve done?