Food is a drug....

[Soap Hippie]

Does anyone else feel like their food issues are equal to drug or alcohol addiction. I think food addiciton is worse, simply because drug or alcohol addicts can say NO, I'LL NEVER TOUCH IT AGAIN. Food addicts don't have the choice to say "NO I'LL NEVER EAT AGAIN" People frown on drug dealers and such but food pushers are fine.

I know that I have an addiction. I eat to make me feel better, to celebrate happiness, to battle depression, to forget the tragedies of the past. I have faced my addiction. Most addicts must transfer their addiction from one thing to another. In the past, when I've lost weight I transferred my addiction to other unhealthy destructive habits. This time I'm going to transfer my addiction to being the best mother I can possibly be which includes going to the gym regularly, playing with my children, taking them places where we can be active and learn.

How do you cope with your addiction?

[HerBoudoir]

I've had to accept that for me...I can't do "moderation" on certain foods, primarily processed carbs. Ergo, the only way to deal with them is to cut them out and don't eat them at all - it's the only thing that really works for me. A small amount makes me want more and more. None means I don't crave them (not often and not terribly anyway).

I can moderate other foods that I eat - proteins, veggies, etc, but I still have to be vigilant about portion sizes because my eyes tell me I need more than I do.

[torister]

Originally Posted by HerBoudoir

I've had to accept that for me...I can't do "moderation" on certain foods, primarily processed carbs. Ergo, the only way to deal with them is to cut them out and don't eat them at all - it's the only thing that really works for me. A small amount makes me want more and more. None means I don't crave them (not often and not terribly anyway).

I can moderate other foods that I eat - proteins, veggies, etc, but I still have to be vigilant about portion sizes because my eyes tell me I need more than I do.

^^^^^^This...totally for me as well.

[Looweewoo]

I define it as "Carb Addiction" for just the reason you mention. I know I can't go without food, food is necessary and you are not addicted to things that are necessary. To me, addiction is when your brain/body becomes convinced that things which are not necessary, somehow are necessary.

Carbs are not necessary, so like an Alcoholic can drink, but not drink alcohol, I can eat, but not eat carbs.

[jezzie]

Does anyone else feel like their food issues are equal to drug or alcohol addiction.

No, I don't believe that I am. But I can only speak for myself.

I feel for your pain and I'm sending positive thoughts your way.

[tracelin]

I think SUGAR can be considered an addictable drug and the effects it has on your body are negative, so yeah...I can see your point of view.

[mirchi]

Originally Posted by Soap Hippie

Does anyone else feel like their food issues are equal to drug or alcohol addiction.

I don't feel so for myself.

I hope you find inspiration and support here to make it through this....

[fawn]

Yes, I did. I obsessed about food up until 10 years ago when I found low carb. For me, I realized my constant food thoughts were directly related to my lack of fats most particularly, my essential fatty acid deficiencies.

I'm not as addicted to carbs as my need and cravings for fat and I've seen it work well with others too.

[KajunDC]

Originally Posted by Soap Hippie

I know that I have an addiction. I eat to make me feel better, to celebrate happiness, to battle depression, to forget the tragedies of the past.

It is not an addiction. You are simply using food as a substitute for the natural ways these pleasure hormones - endorphins and adrenaline, etc. - are supposed to be released.

Exercise activates these same hormones in the body and does it in a much healthier way than food. This is how we were made. Before our modern life of luxury and leisure, we had to exercise daily simply to stay alive, ie grow our own food, build our own homes, wash clothes, take care of our children, etc. These things used to encompass much more physical activity than simply pushing a button, turning a knob, or picking up a phone and ordering out.

You want to look healthy, feel healthy, and BE healthy? You MUST do two things - eat a nutritious diet and get healthy exercise. These are non-negotiable to reaching your optimal potential. I'm not talking weight loss here. You can lose weight without exercise. Hell, just quit drinking fluids and you can drop 10-15 lbs in a few days. But you absolutely cannot reach your optimal health potential without exercise. It is quite possible to look good on the outside and even feel okay, yet still be rotting on the inside. Quality diet and healthy exercise are our best two, and really our only two, weapons to get and stay healthy.

[tybeeanna]

YES YES I have to just say NO I cant go down that road, You can see where I let it lead me.

[mirchi]

Originally Posted by KajunDC

It is not an addiction. You are simply using food as a substitute for the natural ways these pleasure hormones - endorphins and adrenaline, etc. - are supposed to be released.

Exercise activates these same hormones in the body and does it in a much healthier way than food. This is how we were made. Before our modern life of luxury and leisure, we had to exercise daily simply to stay alive, ie grow our own food, build our own homes, wash clothes, take care of our children, etc. These things used to encompass much more physical activity than simply pushing a button, turning a knob, or picking up a phone and ordering out.

You want to look healthy, feel healthy, and BE healthy? You MUST do two things - eat a nutritious diet and get healthy exercise. These are non-negotiable to reaching your optimal potential. I'm not talking weight loss here. You can lose weight without exercise. Hell, just quit drinking fluids and you can drop 10-15 lbs in a few days. But you absolutely cannot reach your optimal health potential without exercise. It is quite possible to look good on the outside and even feel okay, yet still be rotting on the inside. Quality diet and healthy exercise are our best two, and really our only two, weapons to get and stay healthy.

Yes and yes.

[clackley]

Yes, addiction is the name of the game for me. Understanding how it works and why is essential for long term success particularly when times get rough with stress etc. Knowing the 'mechanics' of it all allows me to make healthy food choices rather than caving in to biological responses.

[ravenrose]

I loved Dana Carpenter's quote

...I'm saying you need to stop thinking of sugar as a food, and start thinking of it as a highly addictive, potentially dangerous recreational drug. I'm not entirely against dangerous, addictive recreational drugs, mind you.

[ravenrose]

I know that people cycle in and out of LCF and the name of the game is having these same discussions over and over and over, but... having said that, I sure wish those with an issue with the literal definition of our problem with food as "addiction" could just view it as a metaphor and not get into arguing the nuances of the definition of addiction. It sure walks like a duck!

[shelby7851]

Yes

[sfmama123]

Originally Posted by Soap Hippie

Does anyone else feel like their food issues are equal to drug or alcohol addiction. I think food addiciton is worse, simply because drug or alcohol addicts can say NO, I'LL NEVER TOUCH IT AGAIN. Food addicts don't have the choice to say "NO I'LL NEVER EAT AGAIN" People frown on drug dealers and such but food pushers are fine.

I know that I have an addiction. I eat to make me feel better, to celebrate happiness, to battle depression, to forget the tragedies of the past. I have faced my addiction. Most addicts must transfer their addiction from one thing to another. In the past, when I've lost weight I transferred my addiction to other unhealthy destructive habits. This time I'm going to transfer my addiction to being the best mother I can possibly be which includes going to the gym regularly, playing with my children, taking them places where we can be active and learn.

How do you cope with your addiction?

Hi, my name is sfmama123, and I am a sugar addict. I must abstain from sugar, otherwise it cascades into a full-blown sugarfest. Like you, I am working on changing my behaviors and including more positive things such as eating on plan, exercising, visualization, etc. I work on it every day. I had a thread about this not too long ago; opinions on this vary. I do understand where you're coming from, and our perceptions are real and valid. Good for you for making the changes for the better!

[clackley]

Originally Posted by ravenrose

I know that people cycle in and out of LCF and the name of the game is having these same discussions over and over and over, but... having said that, I sure wish those with an issue with the literal definition of our problem with food as "addiction" could just view it as a metaphor and not get into arguing the nuances of the definition of addiction. It sure walks like a duck!

Yes.

[sfmama123]

Originally Posted by KajunDC

It is not an addiction. You are simply using food as a substitute for the natural ways these pleasure hormones - endorphins and adrenaline, etc. - are supposed to be released.

Exercise activates these same hormones in the body and does it in a much healthier way than food. This is how we were made. Before our modern life of luxury and leisure, we had to exercise daily simply to stay alive, ie grow our own food, build our own homes, wash clothes, take care of our children, etc. These things used to encompass much more physical activity than simply pushing a button, turning a knob, or picking up a phone and ordering out.

You want to look healthy, feel healthy, and BE healthy? You MUST do two things - eat a nutritious diet and get healthy exercise. These are non-negotiable to reaching your optimal potential. I'm not talking weight loss here. You can lose weight without exercise. Hell, just quit drinking fluids and you can drop 10-15 lbs in a few days. But you absolutely cannot reach your optimal health potential without exercise. It is quite possible to look good on the outside and even feel okay, yet still be rotting on the inside. Quality diet and healthy exercise are our best two, and really our only two, weapons to get and stay healthy.

Valid points Kajun, but I don't think that's at the heart of the issue here. You can't just say to an addict "Just do this, and it will all go away." Obviously a lot of people do not understand the visceral reaction to certain foods, or the obsessive thoughts around them. Kudos to those that can moderate things. However, I am here to say that I am addicted to sugar the same way a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol. Sugar activates the same pleasure centers in the brain that alcohol does-so is it really a stretch to say that it's an addiction? I'm in ketosis, I exercise regularly, eat clean, take my supplements, etc. I still crave chocolate. Every day. Just as many people can enjoy one or two drinks without binging, many people can moderate certain foods. But it's not the same for everyone, and I think it's condescending to people to tell them that their truth is not their reality.

[sfmama123]

Originally Posted by ravenrose

I know that people cycle in and out of LCF and the name of the game is having these same discussions over and over and over, but... having said that, I sure wish those with an issue with the literal definition of our problem with food as "addiction" could just view it as a metaphor and not get into arguing the nuances of the definition of addiction. It sure walks like a duck!

Thank you!!!

[fawn]

Originally Posted by ravenrose

I know that people cycle in and out of LCF and the name of the game is having these same discussions over and over and over, but... having said that, I sure wish those with an issue with the literal definition of our problem with food as "addiction" could just view it as a metaphor and not get into arguing the nuances of the definition of addiction. It sure walks like a duck!

Thank you! There are four identifying factors of addiction that Dr. Robert Lustig refers to......I have to find it again.

[HerBoudoir]

Originally Posted by sfmama123

Valid points Kajun, but I don't think that's at the heart of the issue here. You can't just say to an addict "Just do this, and it will all go away." Obviously a lot of people do not understand the visceral reaction to certain foods, or the obsessive thoughts around them. Kudos to those that can moderate things. However, I am here to say that I am addicted to sugar the same way a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol. Sugar activates the same pleasure centers in the brain that alcohol does-so is it really a stretch to say that it's an addiction? I'm in ketosis, I exercise regularly, eat clean, take my supplements, etc. I still crave chocolate. Every day. Just as many people can enjoy one or two drinks without binging, many people can moderate certain foods. But it's not the same for everyone, and I think it's condescending to people to tell them that their truth is not their reality.

And I think that's the problem. My fiance says..."just eat everything in moderation". It's not that simple.

I can go from thinking "hmmm a potato chip would taste good" to having a couple which ends up in a full blown binge because I cannot leave them alone. The only REAL point at which I can stop the binge is in between thinking "a chip would taste good" and having a couple. I can handle the thought, acknowledge it and tuck it away; once the deed of eating just one or two occurs, it's like the mother of all cravings freight trains on through and I want to climb the walls, tear out my hair and couldn't care less if I put on 100 lbs - I HAVE to have those chips.

Now imagine living in a society where you're surrounded by such foods...and everyone eating those foods...and you being the odd one out because you abstain from such foods. And since you abstain from eating them, everyone feels the need to offer them to you, tell you a few won't hurt you, tell you that you're overreacting, tell you that you have no willpower and are just fat and lazy, treat you like you are defective, and attack the only way of eating that gives you some relative peace of mind from all this.

Some people experience that. Some people don't. I don't think that the people who do NOT experience that cycle can really understand what it's like for the people that do.

[flatferenghi]

i still am. But i have altered my food behaviors. with the exception of some low carb bread & Pasta (very small portions), i stay away from them. But of course, starch is 1 small step from sugar, as it has a very high glycemic index. So, yes food can be addictive. Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

[vastamper]

Originally Posted by HerBoudoir

And I think that's the problem. My fiance says..."just eat everything in moderation". It's not that simple.

I can go from thinking "hmmm a potato chip would taste good" to having a couple which ends up in a full blown binge because I cannot leave them alone. The only REAL point at which I can stop the binge is in between thinking "a chip would taste good" and having a couple. I can handle the thought, acknowledge it and tuck it away; once the deed of eating just one or two occurs, it's like the mother of all cravings freight trains on through and I want to climb the walls, tear out my hair and couldn't care less if I put on 100 lbs - I HAVE to have those chips.

Now imagine living in a society where you're surrounded by such foods...and everyone eating those foods...and you being the odd one out because you abstain from such foods. And since you abstain from eating them, everyone feels the need to offer them to you, tell you a few won't hurt you, tell you that you're overreacting, tell you that you have no willpower and are just fat and lazy, treat you like you are defective, and attack the only way of eating that gives you some relative peace of mind from all this.

Some people experience that. Some people don't. I don't think that the people who do NOT experience that cycle can really understand what it's like for the people that do.

Yes. I don't experience that extreme but I do feel sorry for those of you that do. We are all different and some folks don't experience this at all but gain due to medical reasons...even while counting calories and exercising.

[Looweewoo]

People who don't have addictions always seem to say that this or that is not an addiction. So do people who are still in denial of their own addictions.

My current understanding of the situation is that this or that substance is not necessarily "addictive" but that some people are or can become addicted. Some substances trigger that more easily and some are less dangerous, but an addictive person can become addicted to anything that causes certain brain responses. Explaining those brain responses (as if we didn't already know) doesn't refute the addiction, it simply explains it.

There are very few people (who actually study the problem) who deny that Sugar or Carbs are one of those substances which easily trigger addiction. A small portion of those few are occasionally very vocal and I have to wonder at their vehemence.

What makes a person so adamant in denying the experience of millions of people and thousands of doctors? When the accusations of "making excuses" start I know that reason no longer applies - that person's mind and heart are closed.

[vastamper]

Originally Posted by Looweewoo

People who don't have addictions always seem to say that this or that is not an addiction. So do people who are still in denial of their own addictions.

My current understanding of the situation is that this or that substance is not necessarily "addictive" but that some people are or can become addicted. Some substances trigger that more easily and some are less dangerous, but an addictive person can become addicted to anything that causes certain brain responses. Explaining those brain responses (as if we didn't already know) doesn't refute the addiction, it simply explains it.

There are very few people (who actually study the problem) who deny that Sugar or Carbs are one of those substances which easily trigger addiction. A small portion of those few are occasionally very vocal and I have to wonder at their vehemence.

What makes a person so adamant in denying the experience of millions of people and thousands of doctors? When the accusations of "making excuses" start I know that reason no longer applies - that person's mind and heart are closed.

I wonder if the addictive person has a personality that makes it easy for them to become addicted. OR if their BRAIN is actually wired differently and it's physically easier for them to become addicted? I think it would be easier to work with the former on changing their behavior...Bet both ways are true and it's why some folks have such a hard time.

[HerBoudoir]

Originally Posted by vastamper

I wonder if the addictive person has a personality that makes it easy for them to become addicted. OR if their BRAIN is actually wired differently and it's physically easier for them to become addicted? I think it would be easier to work with the former on changing their behavior...Bet both ways are true and it's why some folks have such a hard time.

I think there's definately some wiring in the brain that goes along with addiction or obsessive personality types.

I still obsess over food. I am a bit of a foodie with a culinary background; I just try to channel it into making low carb whole food based meals now.

[sfmama123]

Originally Posted by vastamper

I wonder if the addictive person has a personality that makes it easy for them to become addicted. OR if their BRAIN is actually wired differently and it's physically easier for them to become addicted? I think it would be easier to work with the former on changing their behavior...Bet both ways are true and it's why some folks have such a hard time.

Yes, for sure. I have an addictive personality, and while I don't understand the intricacies of the biochemistry behind it, I just know that I can go off the rails with a variety of substances if I didn't watch it (READ: misspent youth in San Francisco That's where the power of my mind comes in. I've managed to face a number of things that have been presented to me in my life, recognize that they're really bad for me, and say "ummm, no thanks!" I'm now doing that with sugar. There's a pull there, a draw, and I'm actively working on breaking it. All I know is that there's a biochemical component to it.

[Looweewoo]

Originally Posted by vastamper

I wonder if the addictive person has a personality that makes it easy for them to become addicted. OR if their BRAIN is actually wired differently and it's physically easier for them to become addicted?

I've read suggestions that an addictive person's braincells more easily create multiple new receptor sites in response to floods of various brain chemicals. So either you start off with a tendency to create such openings or you bang away at it until they are created. Either way you are then "addictive". Do such people also have personality traits in common? Probably, but it's chicken and egg time...

Once created those sites require even more stimulus to tell the brain that things are "normal". I'm reading stuff about permanently down-regulating those transactions, but I remain unconvinced.

[AngieCakes]

I think this is what KajunDC was getting at:

Sugar Addiction - LoveToKnow Recovery

Interesting read.

[Soap Hippie]

***Now imagine living in a society where you're surrounded by such foods...and everyone eating those foods...and you being the odd one out because you abstain from such foods. And since you abstain from eating them, everyone feels the need to offer them to you, tell you a few won't hurt you, tell you that you're overreacting, tell you that you have no willpower and are just fat and lazy, treat you like you are defective, and attack the only way of eating that gives you some relative peace of mind from all this.***


Exactly. I imagine when I walk into the grocery store to the bakery section, where the deli is conveniently located, that all the donuts, and fresh french bread, and deli rolls, and cakes are heroin laid out with needles ready to go. You show me one heroin addict that could resist that!

We who do resist the temptations to dive mouth first into the starch and carbs are stronger than we give ourselves credit for.

And the thing I crave is Chili Cheese Pups from Krystal. OMG if I eat just one, I find myself on a three day binge.

Food addiction is real, and according to the #1 cause of death in America, it's just as deadly.