Is Over Eating An Addiction

Morgana I agree with you, EFT tapping is brilliant. I have just taught it to my adult son to help him cope with a relationship break-up. I used it recently to help combat my spider phobia when there was a plague of those massive house-spiders.

I had a session with an RTT hypnotherapist, absolutely brilliant result. In hypnosis found out the underlying reasons for overeating. It was to do with a death in my family and my aunts bringing lots of sweets, cakes etc to comfort me. Having uncovered that I was able to eat sensibly.

It also depends on your metabolic rate. D.S. processes his calories VERY quickly. If I wait too long for food, I can feel quite wobbly. I also think that sometimes I over eat because I am thirsty! We have to find a regime that suits us. I have just started reading a library book about tapping (E.F.T.). I know I have mentioned this before. I use it to counteract stress and anxiety. But the book talks about using it for all sorts of problems so would recommend it for helping with over eating.

There's emotional eating which many of us suffer from. If we're upset or worried we eat more to comfort ourselves. I've got it a bit. I'm sure that modern refined foodstuffs contain something addictive in them which make you want to reach for yet another slice whether you're hungry or not.
It takes a lot of self-discipline to break the cycle. Don't beat yourself up about it - just say that you'll be better tomorrow.

As I have said before on GNet if your gut bacteria is not healthy it is difficult to resist eating as your gut send messages to your brain to eat more.
This isn't me going loopy. Read Tim Spectors book- the diet Myth. I don't know the man and have no interest in his income from promoting it but his book answers a lot of questions.

Serkeen There are a lot of us about! I think it's not so much an addiction as an eating disorder ( usually called compulsive eating) . As others have said , some people completely go off their food in times of stress while some of us overeat. I think the medical profession is beginning to see the problem as an emotional one instead of "greediness".It may well seem like greed but there is an underlying cause somewhere.

Seerkeen, sounds like something most of us has experienced at some time or another..Thing is...has something occurred to trigger this off..sadness, loneliness, unhappiness ?? getting to the root of the cause could be half the battle...
I feel I've managed to curb this by making a little more 'me time'...spot of manicure/pedicure grooming...thinking a little about ourselves instead of ALWAYS putting others first...etc...try it, good luck!

I have always thought diet and weight gain more complex than just eating less. As has already been said health, medication and metabolic rate all play a large part.
However, a big culprit seems to be ‘accidental’ calories, as in just that one mint in the car while driving, the biscuit offered with the cup of coffee or snacking while absorbed in a film or TV programme.
These, often sugar loaded calories can add up to 100s if not 1000s a day without the brain thinking of them as food.

And no, over eating is not usually an addiction but habit.

PS Jane I adjusted my hours after reading that women do better on 15:9 but to be honest I often forget to eat until nearly lunchtime by which time my tummy starts shouting ‘FEED ME!’ ?

Kay I guess it’s what I call the 15:9 system, meaning I don’t eat after 7.00pm or before 10.00am. This means I only alllow myself to eat in that window between 10.00-7.00 during the day.

It’s essy as for about 7-8 hours you are asleep anyway.

I think overeating to be a lack of willpower, not an addiction. More to pushing away than addiction.

Some practical strategies that work for me are as follows:-

-go through your cupboards and throw anything of temptation away (biscuits, cakes, sweets etc,) Don't throw the food somewhere from which you can retrieve it

-when the pangs are felt go out for a walk and stay out until you feel stronger

-shop from a list , not randomly, and only add things you need. No extras and no treats until you feel you can control eating them

-when you get a pang, wait for ten minute, half an hour, an hour. Eke it out and you may well find the urge is gone

-distract yourself. Thinking and unhappiness are encouraging the wish to eat so read a book, listen to the radio or a storytape or phone someone

-if you find food in your hand walk to the bin and put it in with the other rubbish

Then, when you have got a grip plan a nice foody treat that is self contained for 'treat time'. My treat is cake with afternoon tea and I eat virtually no lunch to have it. Treats might be :- a Solero (99calories!), a mince pie, bananas or other fruit and some low cal ice cream, a wrapped biscuit (so you can eat ONE and not finish a packet.) Go with what works for you. If you can't control the treat time skip it altogether.

Finally, weigh yourself every day and respond to the information. If you have put weight on, skip a meal.

It is pretty obvious from some of these harsher posts that there is a complete misunderstanding about eating disorders. Just because they don't do it, it doesn't mean it isn't a true and difficult problem to overcome.

Comfort-eating is what comes to mind - not the same as addiction methinks as it is within your control even though you have bouts of over-eating. But as it is something you have recognised and made a connection about, (happens when you are sad/stressed) perhaps you can apply some self-help rules about portioning out food and giving yourself distraction activities instead of eating between meals. Maybe some counselling would also help if you feel that overall it is leading to a health problem?

I know I am inclined to comfort eat now and then, but only rarely, not persistently and when I catch myself being careless, it is for a day maybe and then not for many months. So if this is a recurring problem then it may be wise to seek assistance.

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to those of you who are struggling with this problem. I have done in the past so I know what it it like and I hope you are able to overcome it. To those of you who think it is simply a matter of self control or being less greedy please understand that it is much more complex than that.

Jane10 yes 18:6 is hard at first but it is surprising how quickly you get used to it and of course I am asleep for 8 of those hours (hopefully). I am the only one in the family who has always had breakfast so it was hard to get used to foregoing that meal but it is fine now. Since we are retired we have always had lunch at noon, prior to walking the dog, and evening meal around 5 pm so it seemed sensible to do 18:6 otherwise it would have been tempting to snack in the hours after the evening meal, DH suffers from acid reflux so a later evening meal was not a good idea.

My digestion has always been sluggish and I have found it much improved since doing this.

Since my husband died and I lost my support system If anything goes wrong ( which it often does) I just eat and eat I think its because it feel like the only thing I can control but of course I am not in control.I also eat when I am lonely and since he has gone the routine of eating and cooking has gone I tend to just pick. When I am at work or with others this doesn't happen only when I am alone dealing with stress or grief. At work so not had time to read all the posts yet.

I'm like you harrigran. In a stressful situation I absolutely cannot eat. My appetite just vanishes and I can't even imagine eating.
This doesn't help poor Serkeen though.

How can it be comfort eating when it leads to self loathing and disgust ? There is nothing comfortable about overfilling your stomach.
Prader Willi is a whole different condition, it is a defect on chromosome 15 and not only is there constant hunger but other problems such as type 2 diabetes and autism.
I sit firmly in the other camp, if I am upset I lose my appetite and would probably be physically sick if I carried on.

Ooh jane43 18:6 sounds much harder than 16:8!

I am going through a spell of rubbish eating just now. I’m not interested in meals but want cups of tea with a cake or glass of wine with bread and cheese for example. I’m putting on weight which is upsetting me so I understand how you feel. I’m low in myself just now. When I’m happier I can resist these foods more easily.

It sounds like comfort eating....some people cope under periods of stress by overeating, others may lose their appetite. Everyone reacts differently in different sizes situations.

No I don't think it's an addiction, Serkeen. In my case it was most certainly an excuse and escape. However the resulting consequences (such as hideous breathlessness when walking) turned me into the coward who could not face mature years with self inflicted health impairments to be added on to any that nature may choose to bestow in due course. Nowadays when I'm one degree under I try to take a country(ish) walk. If this is not possible I phone one of my more uplifting friends. One of these usually does the trick. As a last resort I indulge in fizzy water which reminds me of how I got here in the first place and I hope never to return to. An initial battle indeed but, thankfully, no longer a constant one for me.

Jane10. I also started the 18:6 method of fasting after watching programmes featuring Michael Moseley’s research. I do this on weekdays and do not have breakfast, my first meal is around midday and my main meal around 5pm. During the fast period, I.e. 6pm until 8am I only drink water in the evening and black coffee in the morning. have lost a stone so far and need to lose another 7 pounds. It is a great way of cutting calories as well as being very beneficial to the body.