Is it possible to have a general food addiction? If so I'm certain I have one. I've been suffering from depression since I was 12 or 13. I can eat a 12 inch sub, a large chef salad, chicken fingers and fries, and a liter of Sprite in one sitting. Most of the time when I eat, I'm not hungry. I'm just eating because it's there or because it's time to eat. I eat like a bulimic person, the only thing is I don't purge. I never purge. I've been able to eat like this for as long as I can remember. But I'm starting the Atkins plan on Monday. I think the reason I've failed before is because there's something mentally wrong with me. I'm currently under the care of a psychiatrist and taking Zoloft. But since I'm in college it's hard for me to get to regular appointments since I'm in a different city. I don't know what to do. Please help

Hey Chernice,

I totally believe it is possible. I NEVER ever get full, which is not to say I'm actually hungry for the food, but I could eat all of those things at one sitting with no problem. About 8 years ago, I was about 40 lbs heavier. And, given the genes in my family, I probably would have continued gaining 15 lbs. a year. I started low-carb (did the Zone) and lost the weight, and when I did, I really started to pay attention to portion sizes and how much I was actually eating. Which is not to say that I ever went hungry...I merely learned to pay attention...and in turn, ended up eating less. I also had begun therapy, which helped. I knew I wanted to be healthier and happier.

I definitely believe in the attachment to eating as a comforting activity, and the reason so many people regain the weight they've lost is because they go back to old habits. You might ask your doctor about Wellbutrin, see what he/she thinks. Some people have used it for depression and found that it helped stop compulsive activities, such as eating or smoking. They say it takes a month or so to change bad habits, and a few years to permanently change them! But it certainly can be done! I'm living proof. THe rest of my family doesn't understand how I've escaped the family curse, and my explanation is that I really wanted to! If you saw me 8 years ago, you would have thought I'd be destined towards heaviness in life.

You sound commited to changing and feeling more in control, and I have no doubt that you can do it. Do whatever you have to do to care for yourself - emotionally, mentally - and you will become healthier physically.

Thanks for the advice. How different is Welbutrin from Zoloft?

I don't know much about Wellbutrin, other than it is one drug of its type that doesn't cause weight gain - sometimes even loss, while many drugs of this category seem to cause gain. YOu should research them on-lin...perhaps with 'weight' as a search criteria?

Yes! This was me a few years ago. I was always on an all day binge, every day. And, my life was a mess.

Low carbing did help enormously with getting my food and cravings under control but I still had to deal with all the thoughts and behaviors that brought me to compulsive overeating in the first place. If I hadn't started low-carbing, I never would have realized that I was an addict.

Have you heard of Overeaters Anonymous? If there is a group in your city the number will be in the phone book.

Karen

I just finished reading a book titled 'Food Addiction The Body Knows' by Kay Sheppard. OMG did it nail me. I read through it in awe. It was as though the author was writing about my life. The really significant thing that the book did was to confirm that I CANNOT eat sugar or any other refined carbohydrates. I had discovered this on my own over the past four years of trying to integrate carbs back into my diet after losing the weight. I finally realized that ANY sugar (et al) sends me into a binge. I could have just one bite of a soda cracker (which I don't care for) and the next thing you know I've eaten my way to the bottom of the chocolate chip bag wondering what happened. The book explained to me what is happening to me physically and why I get out of control. It has helped me a lot. I would recommend it to anyone who might be an 'out of control' eater. It also explained that food addiction is a form of bulemia. I had always believed that bulemia meant purging-- it doesn't. It means "abnormally voracious appetite or unnaturally constant hunger" (according to Webster). Bulimia nervosa syndrome is the eat (usually huge amounts of food) and purge activity. One bite of refined carbs sends me into that "abnormally voracious appetite" but I can eat whatever proteins I want and it doesn't happen. What is really incredible is that I seldom overeat my high protein foods. I will usually stop when I am satisfied (or maybe just a little beyond--he he) but I almost never gorge myself on them. Hope this information helps even just a little. Karen (another one)

Not so long ago, my daily 'diet' went something like this....

Breakfast :

2 bowls of Quaker Life w/ 2 % milk
1 glass chocolate milk

Mid-Morning :

chocolate bar
1 Can Pepsi
crackers
chips/dip

Lunch:

3 pieces pizza
1 piece fried chicken
spicy fries
Pepsi

Midafternoon:

2 cups salted peanuts
1 pepsi
1 very large slice cake

Supper:

2 cups potato salad
hamburger
Pepsi
1 Pecan Mudslide from Dairy Queen

Snack:

1 large bowl Quaker Life
1/2 container cookie dough Haagen-Daz

This was me up until just over a month ago. That was what I considered a 'low-cal' day, lol. I could easily eat a large bag of tortilla chips and that nasty jalapeno cheese dip, plus 1 L Pepsi, 1 KingSize Hershey bar, and some peanuts in about 30 minutes.

I really do believe that some people are addicted to food. When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Food produces some very powerful chemical reactions in our bodies. Carbs especiallly have the ability to cause our blood sugar and insulin to become very unstable. I totally believed that I was powerless over my body's behavior. What I am especially greatful for is that through the help of my physican (for prescribing the right drugs) and Atkins, I now have the control over my body. I currently take Tenuate Dospan (an appetite supressant) and Celexa (for OCD).

The great thing about the combination of Tenuate and Atkins was I was no longer hungry. When I stopped to actually LISTEN to my body, I knew I wasn't hungry, but just falling back into a self-destructive pattern. If I wasn't hungry and still on the verge of a good-old fashioned binge, I was able to focus on the WHY of why I wanted to eat and not excuse it as hunger.

Maybe try talking to your doctor or nurse-practitioner. A short-term appetite supressant and anti-depressant therapy may be what you need to get you on the right track. I wish you the best of luck. You will find a lot of support and wisdom on this board. If you ever have questions about medications, depression, and weight-loss, please ASK AWAY !!! I think that over the years I have takenvery medication under the sun, lol.

Hugs!!!

When I was trapped in my eating disorder (bulimia then anorexia) I could eat - get this -

1 small loaf of bread
1/2 small bakery cake
1 small box of assorted cookies (like Pepperidge Farm)
I would take a break and then 1 take out medium sized pizza
coca cola classic / 1 litre

That would be in a 2 hour time frame!! If I was alone all day I could probably repeat that type of menu one more time in a 24 hour period!! Now mind you - I never threw up - I just used laxatives, diuretics, starvation and exercise to control the bloating and fend off the weight loss. I started out bingeing maybe once every two weeks - but then it escalated till I was doing it maybe twice a week!!

I never really gained much weight except I was puffy all the time - my face and body - I didn't look healthy. When I stopped the madness ( I had been doing this for 8 YEARS!!!) I was left with many food intolerances and a fear of food!! Then I went through my anorexia phase where I cut out all fat and basically starved myself. I went down to about 105-110 (i'm 5' 7") and didn't have my period for a year.

To this day I am very sensitive to breads and starchy carbs because of all the bingeing. So mainly (even though I have been eating only raw foods for the past year) I have steered clear of any starchy carbs and I kept my diet high in fat. Fat helps curb your appetitie as long as you don't eat too many carbs!!!

Hang in there and in my experience for people who are suffering from an eating disorder, a carb controlled diet is the best weapon!!
You're not alone girl!!
take Care
Sunkist

I have the same problem, I will eat and eat and never stop hungry or not. So much that I no longer get the full feeling. It's horrible. But I noticed last time I did Atkins after about a month I had things under control and was eating like a normal person. Although once I went off of it I went on a couple months binging spree. Maybe sugar is or isn't the blame, but I find it sure makes a difference.

with lab rats where the rats were given continual injections of insulin to mimic what would occur if the rats were eating a high carb diet. Well the rats began to eat constantly and seemd to have NO feeling of satiety or fullness. They continued to eat although their stomaches were full and several of them even ate to the point of death (stomaches burst)

The scientists were trying to show what happened when eating a high carb/low fat diet

So to me this is one indication that eating disorders/binge episodes really can be triggered by what we eat!!

Wellbutrin affects the level of dopamine in your brain; the others affect the level of seratonin. I don't know enough more to tell you what that means but it IS a subtly different chemistry.

Have you thought about finding a therapist in the town you are in now?

My own personal best is 6 bagels and a pint of Hagan Daas in 15 minutes. I know where you're coming from. It doesn't get any better for waiting, and LC is the only thing that's given me enough freedom from binging to start to work on the emotional component.

Totally describing me, I used to have that never satisfied feeling before Atkins. I could eat and eat and eat and NEVER feel full while my very tall & fit husband would be satisfied with one plate of food (most of the time he didn't finish). Even though I was thin most of my life (until 20) I remember as a child watching my friend's portions of food and thinking - wow - why do I eat so much more than they do. I used to binge and purge as a teenager for years but that had little to do with food. I've gotten my eating habits under control since last summer and I am recently starting to lose weight. Obesity and addiction run viciously through my family and I have decided not to follow in those footsteps. I'm curious if anyone has the same reaction to alcohol? I could drink & drink & drink and not ever get drunk - I once finished off a pint of yaegermister (sp?) by myself and not even so much as a buzz. At the time I thought maybe I got a bad bottle, but I've had the same reactions in the past with Long Island Ice Teas, Voka anything and the like. I no longer drink because it's just not worth it to me. Not to say I don't enjoy red wine now & then, but as far as "partying" I don't see the point - It gets expensive when you can drink so much.

Dear Folks:

Yesterday I went to a family function at my cousin's house. I took a look at my relatives and we all look similar - round! Everybody brought a dish. The food was good, but sooo much of it. We devoured the whole thing.

I got this insight: Isn't stuffing yourself an abuse of food? Isn't it as deadly as drugs in the long run? Would any good doctor prescribe overeating as a remedy for anything?

Yet I do it all the time, and sometimes with foods which are no-no on anyone's diet. I am medicating myself via the fridge. This is dangerous territory.

I don't mean to sound morose, but with what the rise in morbid obesity, with it's related heart disease and diabetes, it's good reason for concern. I read somewhere that it's like digging your grave with a knife and fork.

So I came up with this new idea. I pretend there's a doctor in the house. Every doctor has to take the Hypocratic Oath which begins with "Do No Harm". I've written this on the board at the entrance to my room.

I am listening to "The Invisible Doctor" and she's telling me "Do not harm". I am trying to unburden not only my spare tire, but the very heavy mental notes I carry around all day regarding crucial things I didn't feel like doing.

Procrastination is doing me a lot of harm. For me, and I suspect for most of us, NOT doing it is more painful and time consuming than just doing the darn thing and getting it over with.

So today, I started doing them. I went thru a pile of mail that previously I just didn't want to deal with. Found some surprises and important papers I'd been looking for.

How do I usually deal with undone tasks? By eating the emotional fallout. And that's really dumb. How can a donut renew your prescription? Will a hamburger take those pants to the tailor for alteration? No way. And isn't that doing harm to one's soul?

So I am listening to the Invisible Doctor today. And she's telling me to get off line and take those chores. If anyone else is overeating when they should be doing other things, you might recognize these feelings.

Chiqui

Well there definitely is such a thing as food addiction. I have been involved with both OA and FAA over the years. I have both of Kay sheppard's books. I have in the past followed the food plan in her "Food Addiction: The body knows" book which doesnt allow you any sugar, white flour products or wheat. I felt a million times better while doing that plan and lost weight but just wasn't ready to stick with it at the time. Recently i went on the Atkins diet for 2 weeks then started researching more because though i liked the plan i was really missing having fruits. I then read "Eat Right for your Type". I am a blood type O and according to the book im a "hunter gatherer protein type" I took the Metabolic Typing test and found out i was a "Protein Type". I was eating according to the type O diet for a few weeks but through further internet research i found out about 2 books which i purchased "The Paleo Diet" and "Neanderthin"....that is what i am now following. I lost 5 lbs on Atkins in 2 weeks...then i lost 5 lbs on the "o" type diet in 2 weeks...and believe it or not...in ONE week on the Paleo diet i have lost 11 lbs. So i am down 21 lbs in that 5 week period. Through all the reading i am doing lately i am begining to realize that the high carbs and sugar is what was making me eat VOROCIOUSLY. I was eating and eating with no end in sight. And i was mostly eating CHeese, fried foods, and fast foods, plus alot of reeses peanut butter cups and ice cream. I at that way for years and i just gained and gained. I was not overweight as a child. I think my problems started as a teenageer when i was so concerned about my weight (ha..i am 5'9" and i weighed 125..ridiculous)...anyway..i did my share of starving myself and even binging and purging in highschool. Eventually that became binging with no purging. I have recently found out that the medical journals have now added another category to the Eating Disorders..besides Anorexia Nervosa and Bullimia they have now added Binge Eating Disorder, which would describe myself and many others who have posted. It is bingeing without the purging. The good news is there is a WAY OUT..its LOW CARBS and no sugar or grains....thats the answer as my experience is showing me. I have been in major depression modes since i was a teenager. I thought medication was the only answer. YET...since i started eating high protein, low carbs, all natural foods...my depression is GONE, my energy is BACK, i am losing weight and i feel great...and no longer binging. it is amazing. And it was all about what i was EATING..who knew??? Seems a bit crazy. All i know is i am eating Paleo for the rest of my life cuz i never wanna "go back there" again. Paleo, for those who don't know is to eat meats, fish, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds....NO dairy, NO grains....thats basically it..its simple...and no carb counting needed like with Atkins...thats one reason i like it better. I have calorie counted, fat gram counted, WW points counted, carb counted...im done COUNTING.....in my opinion..the reason you have to COUNT your carbs on atkins is because of the allowance of cheese and cream...get rid of them..eat fruit...and stop counting. Grains are bad carbs..fruits and veggies are good carbs...simple and to the point. "The Paleo Diet" book and "Neanderthin" finally got me to "get it". Now all of this is just me sharing my experience, strength and hope with ya'll....take what you like and leave the rest...
Peace

hi all,

wow, everything mentioned in your posts makes soo much sense. the bingeing, the sadness, the tears...I am facing this at the moment and feel I cannot possibly lose any weight because my mind isn't strong enough. I try during the day, but by about 6pm...it's all downhill. how can you deal with the mind issues without resorting to antidepressants? anyone tried any supplements?

I'd love to hear from you,
thanks cathie