Is Over Eating An Addiction

Already explained. However, you eat all your meals within 8 hours then fast for 16 hours. Time it right and you sleep through 8 of them. I eat between 12 - 8pm.

What's the 16.8 diet?

I do agree with MawBroon. I'm doing 16:8 again and it's OK but find that even that is making me begin to think too much about food. I'm looking forward to my next thing rather than just leading my life and incorporating food as I go.
However, I know I'll begin to feel really positive once I've seen some results. Am just going slow and steady just now.

There is an Alcoholics Anonymous type group called Overeaters Anonymous. They certainly believe eating is an addiction. I have been many times over the years and they have really helped.

Tegan I am sure Hattie (Hetty? ) will make sure you get out and about and as for feeling miserable about being overweight - just don’t!
There are infinitely worse things happen at sea, and if you are healthy, the rest can go hang.
I think women in particular invest food or lack of it with all sorts of emotional baggage, from the “control”of the eating disorder to a (harmless) bit of omfort eating.
Don’t try too hard, don’t let food become an obsession (one of my objections to WW was that all anybody ever talked about was FOOD) eat if you hungry, drink if you are thirsty and try to steer a middle course between the extremes.

Tegan what u have to tell urself is u r worth it u r worth the trouble of walking everyday u r worth the effort to move more

its ok to eat just not ok to eat junk food

I thought it had been explained.

Jane10
Can you tell me just what is the 16:8 system?

I don't have a 'brake' that stops me eating when I am full...I can just carry on eating. However, when I'm very upset I can hardly eat. If I'm a bit upset I slightly overeat. My weight has fluctuated from 7st to 11 1/2 stone throughout my adult life and I rarely go for more than a few weeks at a time at one weight. When I smoked I would chain smoke. I very rarely drink alcohol; it just doesn't interest me..most of the time. But, if I do have a bottle of something that tastes nice [cherry brandy; tia maria etc] I can just carry on drinking it. At the moment I'm @ 1/2 stone to a stone overweight and I'm thoroughly miserable about it. Every birthday I think to myself; another birthday and I'm still on some kind of a diet .

Whether a person decides to use alcohol or drugs is a personal choice, influenced by multiple biological, familial, psychological and sociocultural factors. But, once a person uses alcohol or drugs, the risk of developing alcoholism or drug dependence is greatly influenced by genetics. Research shows that genes are responsible for about half the risk for alcoholism and addiction, and while genetics are not the sole determinant, their presence or absence may increase the likelihood that a person will become alcohol or drug dependent.

brunswick do you deny the genetic link?

About a year ago my doctor told me that as well as having rosacea I was developing rhinophyma. I had discovered a lump on the left side of my nose, and it was getting bigger. The Dr. was quite dismissive about it, said that only men got a huge red and lumpy nose, and people wouldn't notice that my nose was changing shape. Well, since then my nose is definately getting worse, red, and lumpier. I go bright red in the cheeks whenever i am somewhere warm, for instance if I am on a bus, and of course my nose swells and almost glows, so I never go out unless I have to. So what am I doing instead? Yes, I overeat. I tell myself not to do it, but at the same time I am stuffing the food down. I know I don't need it, am not hungry, but still eat it, and then eat more. I am getting to the stage when i feel worthless, that life is a drag, but it seems i cannot take control. I am piling weight on, look awful, feel worse. I look in the mirror, and all I see is a nose that looks horrible, and quite a few people have noticed it. One of my 'friend's laughed and said I was getting a 'boozers nose'. I know that I am comfort eating, but cannot stop eating, and am now quite desperate.

Anya you are entitled to your opinion. But in my experience of working with addiction, I stick to what I stated in my post

An addiction is needing an ever increasing amount of something to obtain the same effect.
However overeating to a level of self harm is an eating disorder.
Serkeen is this way of eating affecting your whole life? Has it given long term bad health over many years in the past? If not then you're okay.

icanhandthemback totally agree.

I haven’t read all the posts, but just to answer the OP, no, I would not call eating more when stressed as an addiction.
When things settle down you will eat normally again,an addict could not do that.
There are two types of stress related eating, those who comfort eat and those who can barely eat, I am one of the latter.It’s just a pattern of eating when feeling stressed.

Whatever you call it, over eating is not easy to overcome. You ask any fat person whether they like being fat, the majority will tell you they don't and they actually feel self loathing because they are fat. Ask them whether they have ever tried to get slim and a vast majority will tell you they have been trying for years. If it was as easy as not eating so much, don't you think fat people would just eat less? It is all such an easy equation on paper but the variables of human psyche completely screw it up.

LOOPYLOO Yes agree know exactly how you feel

I think we need to occupy our minds and life get out more live life

I always hate myself after I have eaten too much well hate a strong word but am upset but tell myself its ok you don't do this often which I don't I weigh 10st 9 but want to weigh a lot less x

I overeat when I am moderately stressed, it acts as a comfort and a sedative.
When I am really stressed I run on adrenaline and can cope without food.
Also eat when bored or lonely.
Really feel I am locked in a Dolls House at the moment.
DH works all the time, but doesn't want any animals so I can't have a cat.
He can only see the world through his own eyes. Arch traditionalist. Very kind man though.
Really want to lose weight and get to a healthy bmi.
Will try EFT also the 18/6.
Thanks for listening. Perhaps we can use GN to ease the need to eat for comfort.

Over eating can only be helped by dealing with the underlying cause through counselling or other mental therapeutic intervention.

Yes, over eating is an addiction, please get help before it gets really bad. The longer it goes on the more difficult it will be to stop. I speak from experience, it happened to me when we lost our eldest son.

I dont think it is an addiction, more comfort eating.I dont over eat, but turn to chocolate if I am feeling a bit down or if I am bored or worried, it is only a litttle bar of chocolate which is a great "comfort"

I'm the opposite when I'm stressed I dont eat and never touch alcohol..I like to be in control .If I'm stressed I feel out of control so food and drink is the only thing I have control over /Always been like thst.Not that I drink often anyway but I sometimes like a nice brandy after dinner

Not every alcoholic comes from a dysfunctional background. There is a possible genetic cause.

Growing up I realise now I used food as a comfort. It filled the hole. Due to circumstances in my family. It definately WAS my comfort. Later in Life if I was upset I lost my appetite and couldnt face food atall. As far as alcohol addiction or any other addiction is concerned (as others on here have talked about) in my experience having worked in the addiction field. Every person I have ever met who has an addiction has come from (here we go) a dysfunctional background. i.e. not having had their needs met. Hole in the soul. need to fill it. by either shopping, drink, food, sex, co-dependent relationships, keeping busy, in order not to feel. Of course that is not to say that everyone who overeats is an addict, but there is always a reason why anyone overdoes anything.