When will the food addiction end?

It was not my intention to diminish her or anyones grief over the loss of food, but to shift the focus.  That is what has worked for me - it's my reality.  I know it's hard to leave food behind, I had to do it too.  Different perspectives and different approaches work for different people and mindsets.  I was only putting out there what worked for me.  I wish you the best with your battle and hope that you also find a non-destructive way to slay your demons.

Deb

 I spent a few years in OA, and many years in therapy - not just for food, but it's part of my mental pathology, if you will.   Over that time I had stopped eating fast food, stopped eating Doritos, chips and other like junk, cut out most bread - even pizza crust - eaten more "ethnically" (Indian, Thai, Japanese primarily), mostly stopped eating burgers, scheduled my day around three regular meals and two snacks and drank lots and lots and LOTS of water.   I look at my food choices not just from a health point of view but from an ethical one. That has helped me immensely rethink my relationship with food. Food, Inc. helped cement that change. When my husband and I eat out we choose local restaurants over national chains - many of the places where we live use locally sourced, organic ingredients.     It's funny, but I started down this path just not wanting to think about food anymore, but find that I am so much more mindful of it now - where it comes from, how it is prepared, where I can source good stuff for myself. I have even considered keeping chickens for my own eggs, but that's a little much.    This was a blog post I made about this question: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/morgans/blog/2012/06/24/so-here-s-the-thing---  

 The food addiction never ends.  Period.

That doesn't mean that you cannot develop a healthy relationship with food, and more importantly yourself.  The popular, and always true, adage on here is that the doctor operates on our stomachs, not our heads.  As important as your diet and exercise is our mental aftercare, going to group, private counseling, etc.

If you truly feel that not eating massive quantities leaves a void in your life, I'd start working on that now.  Examine why you feel that way, what drives you to need food in that way?  Once you understand your motives, then you can start getting that healthy relationship with both food and yourself.


Get the help you need, it's never too early to start.  If you are not already attending group, start.  Look into private counseling.  Both will increase you chances of long term success.

Hi Red:
I absolutely know I will have a major struggle after the kids are in bed and when I come home after working evenings....it is the precise time I do struggle.  It seems to always be in combination with watching tv and when I am alone...THESE are the behaviours I will be addressing - as well as family functions.....ours are based on food - none of my family functions serve alcohol so food has obviously become "the choice"....I'm trying my best to associate my overeating/gorging on stuff "just because" with the negative feelings it ALWAYS evokes...(later of course, or in the morning when I feel sick)....I think it makes total sense to treat it as an addiction and get the corresponding help that is available to us. This has helped me greatly to reconcile it (surgery) with my faith.  I think that Cog Beh Therapy is probably one of the more helpful types of therapy to deal with addiction - I've already started to implement it into my life pre-op. I would doubt that anyone on here has had a "healthy" relationship with food - otherwise no one would be here.  Good luck with everything!
  
Kerry