help i am addicted to food

as the title says i am so addicted to food and not in a good way I cant even go past a chocolate without having to have several pieces i am gaining weight quite fast but i need to be losing the weight otherwise well it will kill me the scales are now topping 117kg and this is NOT good for me not at all I have 4 kids to live for and a wonderful with another on the way and I need to live for them. I am seeking tips and ideas peoples thoughts and opinions on how I should lose the weight and how to get the strength to over come this addiction.

I hear you about not being able to walk past chocolate... it is so hard. My desk at work is located near the social club chocolates. It's a daily battle.

What I'm trying at the moment is a food diary, and telling myself I choose to eat well rather than thinking I should be (ie doing what you want rather than what you feel is expected of you).

Are you still going for walks mentioned in your blog? Even just 15 mins a day to start off with is good. I've been seeing a personal trainer for probably 3 months and I'm still battling with food unfortunately. I have been told it takes 3 weeks to change a habit so I just have to stick with it more than I have been.

Something else I've done is substitute. I've changed chocolate for some diet mousse snacks etc from the supermarket. It gives me the sweet treat but without the calories so I don't feel like I'm depriving myself. The other suggestions from my personal trainer were yoghurt or jelly.

havent been walking much i seem to have lost all motivation which is not good:wall:

I am so not one to talk as I am trying to lose about 30Kg but have been going alright for a few weeks by making some small changes but not limiting myself. I am actually doing weight watchers at the moment which I am liking but you dont have to do a program like that to get your results.

I think the worst thing you can do is 'go on a diet'. You will be good and then crave the foods so badly that you binge later and then put on more weight.. If you need chocolate maybe you can buy a packet of milkybars fun size and get Squidipa to leave you one out for your lunch everyday and hide the rest.

Also making some small changes to your eating like switch from white bread to multigrain bread, switch from coke (if you drink it to diet). Dont buy butter or margarine. Have skim milk instead of full cream. And my biggest eating problem, dont have snack attacks at night!! I have switched to drinking tea at night as I am in the habit of putting things in mouth without realising it so now I just drink my tea instead.

Have you thought about putting an exercise chart on the fridge? I have done this and tracking it daily keeps me motivated. Also you could get a pedometer and each day count your steps and the next day tray and improve it by an extra 200 steps. If you dont like "exercising" why not jsut take the kids to the park and kick around a ball. Just thatlittle bit of movement wil get you going and spending time with the kids will be so beneficial to all of you. You may start looking forward to doing this and start doing this type of "accidental exercise" more often.

I know what it feels like to feel at rock bottom and feel like it is impossible to get back to being healthy but you can do this as can I. :)

If you can afford a Wii I'd highly recommend it. So much fun, even your kids will love it, there are heaps of fun games you can play that will get your heart rate up. :D

I am currently "on the wagon" when it comes to chocolate and just at the beginning of my own weight loss journey. I found that I have to retrain my brain, like you I can't just have a piece or chocolate or row I need several or the whole block :redface: it isn't a case of a biscuit or 2 to be satisfied I want 1/2 the packet at least....

The only way I can combat that at the moment is not to have that food in the house, so the first week instead of buying 3 or 4 big packets of chips + biscuits, chocolate etc... I cut it down, it still went as quick as ever I just ate it in the first few days instead of all week. We now don't buy any packets of chips for example. At the moment if I start I can't stop so I am better off not having it in the house until I can control myself (hope that makes sense)

I have alternatives that may or may not work for you....

• instead of my daily chocolate biscuit/bar fix I have hot chocolate in just chocolate, mint or caramel flavours mmmmm good with just cold (skim ;) ) milk
• low fat everything.... you can get 50% less fat cheese, no fat yoghurt - be wary of no fat milk it is disgusting, I tend to swing between farmers best and no frills skim as farmers best is exxy but taste better...
• try cornthings instead of chips, they have that crunch and salty factor that chips offer and are great with cuecumber and tomatoe on them

I have found going low fat/no fat is more expensive then normal food but I look at it as an investment in my future and I won't need this sort of food forever just while I am retraining myself with portion control etc....

Ali mentioned a really good point, if you do have a craving do indulge, try to have less then what you would normally have and congragulate yourself. If you do go overboard don't beat yourself up try and get back on the wagon and let the next meal be healthier

Hope that helps and goodluck

thanks for the tips i just needed a kick in the pants to get started

Mr Squid - I find that being accountable to someone is a great motivator so if you do somethinglike WW and attend meetings then you weigh in in front of people and it gets written down! That way you know that someone is keeping an eye on you. I am doing WW by myself but I report in on a weekly basis to 3 of my friends so I am accountable to them for my weigh ins and if I stuff up they put me back on track.

Yep WW is the only thing that works for me, I need to be made accountable. I wish it wasn't like that but I quite enjoy the meetings

I don't know what to say... I'm addicted to food too if you find a cure let me know

I have managed to get past this (Ok, have gone a little extreme too) and also have lost 20kg, so here's the tips I have:
* Allow for one treat per day (as a start) You need something to look forward to.
* Substituting is a good idea - choccy mousse for chocolate, or a low-fat flavoured milk, flavoured rice crackers, mineral water (a vice for me) or that uber dark chocolate and some peppermint tea (was my swap for choc-mint combo)
* Use substitution six days a week, and once a week, go a bit wild, have that quadruple chocolate fudge cheesecake. Then do some killer exercise to work it off.
* Don't keep tempting foods in the house. Just don't do it. If there's something you really feel like, on your treat day, WALK out to go and get it. It lessens the guilt.
* Repeat after me "What I put in my mouth will not change the way I feel"
* Read up a bit on nutrition and how much you need to get of every vitamin and mineral. You'll realise that every morsel that passes your lips needs to count nutritionally. Before you eat anything, think of this.
* Identify what your favourite things are, and where you have trouble. eg do you always have a wine when cooking dinner, do you snack in front of the telly etc.
* Do a food diary. Do it for Thursday-Sunday, so it covers work days and play days. Then use a calorie counter (free online but also available at newsagencied for $7 or so) to add up what you have taken in. Make sure you also check out your favourite foods. It will give you a good idea of how you're going.
* If you have any kind of food craving, drink half a litre of water first. Then wait half an hour. Then see how it's going. This was a brilliant one for me.
* Also, just make sure you are getting at least 2L of fluid per day. When you're dehydrated, even a little bit, you start to seek out any kind of water, especially that in food.

I'm more than happy to give you more ideas, especially for food/treat/behaviour substitution, but you have to really be serious about it (and I know that you are) Posting this thread was a step in the right direction.

Here for you! (and anyone else who needs it)

You have some good tips there snugglybean. Thank you.

Can I just say :clap: Well done :clap: Snugglybean on your weight loss!

That is fantastic. You should be so proud of yourself. I am sure your story will inspire Mr Squid and others as it has me.

Your tips are fantastic and I also like they are realistic and achievable. :)

wow snugglybean very impressive and well done you have given me some good tips there thanks

thank you to everyone for your tips and ideas