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Emotional eating and food addiction

Anyone else that did not suffer from emotional eating or food addiction?

I see a lot of suggestions about changing the relationship to food, not eating out of comfort, getting control of sugar, etc.

But I NEVER had these sorts of issues.

It cannot always be a mental battle that causes obesity ...

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  • Healthy_life2
    Healthy_life2

    It's not always stress/emotional eating or addictions that make you obese. People gain weight when they eat more calories than they burn through activity. This imbalance is the greatest contributor to

  • I'm not an emotional eater, nor do I have a food addiction I know why I'm obese: I make poor food choices, fried chicken vs. grilled chicken, stopping at the drive through vs. going home

  • Sometimes it's just shitty genetics. If you don't believe this....look at dog breeds. There are damned few obese sight hounds in this world. Most Labradors would eat themselves to death if g

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59 minutes ago, Queenhkb said:

How did you get obese? Whatever you did before has to be a lifestyle change so your weight loss will be long term. Note: if eating fast-food made you fat don't eat it after surgery or same thing will happen

Sent from my Z851M using BariatricPal App

Simplifications like this kill me. Never having fast food is impractical. If I'm in the mind set that I can never have fast food, if I do, then I'm a failure. My goal is to have fast food rarely, and when I do, I'll make smarter choices.

21 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

Simplifications like this kill me. Never having fast food is impractical. If I'm in the mind set that I can never have fast food, if I do, then I'm a failure. My goal is to have fast food rarely, and when I do, I'll make smarter choices.

You are right. It's wise to make eating healthy sustainable long term. Many healthy options at fast food places. Low carb burger, grilled chicken, salads. etc...

  • Author
How did you get obese? Whatever you did before has to be a lifestyle change so your weight loss will be long term. Note: if eating fast-food made you fat don't eat it after surgery or same thing will happen

Sent from my Z851M using BariatricPal App




It would seem as simple as that but it's not.

I had 3 children in three years, no chance to lose the weight in between ,it just compounded. Easiest 100 lb gain ever.

I worked on losing weight and became a vegan for a year loss some the transitioned into becoming a vegetarian for 10yrs but could not lose more because a large part of my diet was always carbs, although complex, still didn't help.

Started to go carb free then lost weight but a surprise rare medical condition lead me to needing rapid weight loss or brain surgery. I chose to get sleeved first then brain surgery if all else fails.

Never enslaved to food, already had a super strict diet (kosher) prior to being plant based so I NEVER ate fast food

But you're right, I had to redefine my relationships with carbs because I just can't lose weight and eat them

My post was to find out if other people perhaps like me, have trouble maintaining if food addiction is not a factor. But I appreciate all input.

I don't think I ever had any major issues with food. I became obese because I neglected my health for too long. First, I worked my way through school. I wasn't getting enough rest or taking time for myself, so I ate too much to compensate. Then I had my first child. Then my mom got sick, and during that same time period I had twins. Shortly after my mom passed away, I got sick and nearly died. Afterwards, I had PTSD.

Ultimately, eating too much is what made me overweight, but there were a lot of external factors/lifestyle issues that contributed. I know those things happen, and my long-term promise to myself is that I will not allow my health to suffer because I am focused on other things. I have to make it a priority - no matter what else life throws at me.

You have to,make yourself #1. After a life of taking care of others I've to stop and take care of me. No more Little Engine that Could running to rescue the world. I've had to learn this myself and it hasn't been easy.

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On 28. Februar 2018 at 8:51 PM, sillykitty said:

I'm not an emotional eater, nor do I have a food addiction

I know why I'm obese:

  • [...]
  • Bored eating

That is emotional eating. ;)

On 1. März 2018 at 5:24 PM, sillykitty said:

Simplifications like this kill me. Never having fast food is impractical. If I'm in the mind set that I can never have fast food, if I do, then I'm a failure. My goal is to have fast food rarely, and when I do, I'll make smarter choices.

This.

Black and white thinking is supposed to be quite typical for dysregulated eaters ("I will never again...", "I will only eat...", "I will always...").

It's a good idea to let go of this mindset. Quite liberating in fact.

On 2/28/2018 at 1:07 PM, jenn1 said:

It's not always stress/emotional eating or addictions that make you obese. People gain weight when they eat more calories than they burn through activity. This imbalance is the greatest contributor to weight gain.

Other factors:

  • poor nutrition education/misinformation
  • Your location : Lack of access to healthy food choices
  • Genetics/family history
  • medical conditions
  • medications
  • life style and habits
  • lack of activity/mobility issues
  • Aggressive food marketing and availability of poor quality food.

Even if you don't have the food addiction or stress/emotional eating. You still have to make changes to whatever got you to the point of having surgery.

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/obesity/conditioninfo/cause

I agree and disagree with what @jenn1 wrote. These reasons are DEFINITELY important variables and factors in us growing obese. But dang...thinking that food addiction/stress eating/emotional eating/fill-in-the-blank eating wasn't at least one of the variables that brought each of us to the super morbidly obese ball is removing part of our personal responsibility in why we have attendended this ball in the first place.

I have a crap ton of medical/metabolic issues that contributed to my broken metabolism. But I assure you, when I was barely eating during chemo/radiation? I still lost weight. I lost weight. While having iv prednisone and super large doses of chemo every 2-3 weeks. IV steroids!

But, the SECOND I started eating my normal big portions again, and began eating out of boredom, and to when I was upset, or when I was scared, or hurt, or angry, or just because it was there and looked dandy? I gained it all back. Even though I was no longer on those iv prednisone bags or chemo. Even though I was more active. Blah blah blah.

Fact is I loved food. I loved to eat. I NEEDED big portions so that I felt full! I craved that full feeling cuz it meant all was right in my world. And I personally ate myself back up to 287 from 218lbs. I won't lie about that. There's no magic in that. I didn't just "magically" get to be 287 lbs or 325lbs. I did it cuz of poor personal responsibility and choice. And if I DON'T understand that, and change my wicked ways in the future, then I will be doomed to suffer the same fate and regain after this golden shot to be thin and healthy. Just sayin'.

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