Compulsive eating

[Frank Hovis]

This isn't me by the way as no mint chocolate biscuits were involved.

I want to be able to start a positive conversation with them about it so I was wondering if there was anything less extreme than a gastric band that I could use to say "Have you considered this?".

I know they will already know about whatever I mention as they spend hours on the internet, but it gives me an "in".

They have tried happy pills, severely restricted calorie diet (temporary success only), and have considered a gastric band.

I know enough about their circumstances that anything along the lines of: pull yourself together, take more exercise, eat more fresh fruit and veg would not help.

It has been overeating / greed in the past. This is a step change above that and serious medical problems can't be far away  

[Bossybabe]

Usually the sign of an underlying psychological trauma not dealt with at the time. There is no magic bullet. CBT may help. 

[Frank Hovis]

Just now, Bossybabe said:

Usually the sign of an underlying psychological trauma not dealt with at the time. There is no magic bullet. CBT may help. 

These are existing problems for which there isn't a fix except time BB; I'm not being coy but as it isn't me I don't feel entitled to post their personal life upon the internet. I don't think that there is any previous trauma.

[reddog]

I'm home for Christmas at the moment, must admit I stuff down all food in site at this time of year (was supposed to be changing that this year).

 

Most of the year though I don't keep chocolate / biscuits etc. in my flat, and I am fairly regimented in my diet.

[Economic Exile]

My thoughts on compulsive eating is that it's an addiction.

Although I've never been obese I have been overweight until about 10 years ago. My approach was to change my eating habits for life. I started by thinking of food as fuel with a view to gradually eradicating anything that I considered bad fuel. One thing I discovered was that if I really chewed food and focused on the taste there were many things that I didn't actually like. 

Luckily I've always been a fairly healthy eater but now I rarely eat crisps, sweets, desserts, biscuits or cakes because I no longer desire them and stay between a healthy 9 to 10 stone for my height.

I have only ever been a maximum of 2 stone overweight which is hard enough but it must be extra daunting the more one has to lose.

[Frank Hovis]

Okay, so it's a "probably not" then.

Although I would add to the diet tips: spend a few days with a compulsive eater.

It really puts you off the food they're eating. Outside of meals over Christmas all that I had was one small chocolate to be polite; usually I'd be tanking through the nuts and dates but I didn't fancy any of them this year.

[council dweller]

After watching Ruth Goodman on Christmas 500 years ago I decided to what they did and fasted for 3 days pre-Christmas. 

I`ll probably do this every year from now on.

[The Masked Tulip]

Oddly, I had a google and a read about this last night in relation to Vitamins D & K. Several of the articles said that there was a difference between being physically hungry / loss of appetite and the mechanical process in the brain of feeling sated or not.

So maybe that is something to take into consideration.

3 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight (And None of Them Are Willpower)

 

 

[dgul]

I think EE is right in that it is a food addiction.  Like most addictions, the answer is avoidance, but it is too difficult (because we need the stuff).

I can only suggest a few things:

• For a proportion of the population it appears that eating starts the cycle -- eating starts the cycle, but once started the person is constantly driven to food.  I'd suggest the person avoids eating in the day for as long as possible (mid afternoon is physiologically not too demanding).  
• The addiction is to sugar, but all carbs turn to sugar.  With me, I don't get the cravings if I don't eat carbs.  That means fat or protein.  Note, not big fatty pie, as that has loads of carbs as well.  But, for example, omelette is <2% carb.
• When the cravings strike they are irresistible.  Try not to have comfort foods in the house.  There is no point thinking that you'll resist them -- when the crave comes they'll be eaten.

 

[ccc]

It's clearly an addiction. Only option is to replace it with another. That's a real answer imo and not some pie in the sky hopeful wish. 

Addictive personalities do not disappear. They just get re focussed. 

The only one I have ever seen actually work is for the addiction to food change to an addiction to exercise. Some do however take even this too far. 

But if they try this they have a chance. Difficult though. Watch any of those US biggest loser or a year to change my life type shows. 

Many fail - but encouragingly enough many get hooked on exercise and actually end up doing it as a living. And lose a mass of weight, get rid of diabetes and completely change their life for the best. 

You may have noticed that I'm generally a rabid anti fattie - but anyone who does this gets my upmost respect. 

Best of luck. 

[JoeDavola]

+1 for addiction. I'm a skinny git because I eat a healthy diet, but I'm also a chocolate addict with no self control, and somebody with an addictive brain in general. So I just don't buy chocolate. I don't have it in the house, because I know if I bought a pack of chocolate digestives they'd be gone in one evening.

So I believe if someone is an addict, say an alcoholic or junkfood addict, they need to go cold turkey, to remove easy access to the substance they're addicted to. I have first hand experience of this, I also think that addictive personalities can benefit from replacing a 'bad' addiction with a 'good' one.

What I will say is that I don't believe all carbs are bad for you - and the worst thing that someone in that situation can do is try to restrict calories. It will be torture, and understandably so.

You friend needs to be able to fill their belly at every meal with foods that provide plenty of calories but also plenty of bulk. If they've physically filled their stomach up they will feel more satiated and hopefully will be less likely to binge eat. The ideal foods for this are unprocessed starches with no oil or extra fat added i.e. oats, potatoes, rice.

[JoeDavola]

8 minutes ago, ccc said:

It's clearly an addiction. Only option is to replace it with another. That's a real answer imo and not some pie in the sky hopeful wish. 

Addictive personalities do not disappear. They just get re focussed. 

Yes - it can be a spiral up or a spiral down. I've seen and experienced both.

[winkie]

The only person that can do anything about it is the person themselves.....no amount of diet tips, weighing oneself or telling them of the health risks will change things....most half intelligent people know the consequences of overeating to their bodies/health......like try telling someone to give up smoking, could make them smoke more.

 

Found one of my good books, this is what it says about overeating:
 

Quote

 

People overeat for many emotional, mental and social reasons. Some people learn from childhood to use food to sooth or distract themselves from unpleasant emotions and experiences, as seen when a child is given sweets to take their mind away from hurt. Some families routinely overeat; members may overeat to fit in and then continue this pattern into adulthood. Overeating is another way of suppressing feelings. As we force the food down, we are either trying to force down our feelings, or to fill up the void we feel inside ourselves. Often we are completely oblivious to what we are doing - as if in a trance. We hardly even taste the food. The action of stuffing becomes all-important - we know we just have to keep going until we are full. This compulsion overrides any physical need for food. By the time we realise we're full we're usually so overly full that we are very uncomfortable and disturbed.

When we become overweight we're literally hiding ourselves under fat. We shield ourselves from all kinds of things: sensitivity, beauty, intimacy and sexuality - in case we get hurt, in case we cant trust ourselves in situations.

 

I think it could be a control thing, connected with other eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia....some kind of professional psychotherapy may well help....it is good to talk.

[Frank Hovis]

The one out of all of those that I could see working on them would be some biggest loser type thing, maybe a personal trainer.

That sort of personal attention and encouragement would suit them down to the ground; they previously did the ultra low calorie diet (one of those where they post you the food) because the results were rapid and there was a regular dose of approval and encouragement from everyone who could see them losing weight and cheering them on.

When however they hit their target weight the sense of achievement waned with the approvals and the previous diet inexorably returned and the weight loss reversed.

I will see if there are any reasonably priced ones near them as that could just be the ticket and I could buy some introductory sessions for their birthday.

 

Edit: I entirely agree with your opening line winkie, but they won't.  They need the support.

We're all different and in this respect (but no other!) I'm the same as ccc as I ramp up the exercise if I need to lose weight.

[ccc]

12 minutes ago, JoeDavola said:

Yes - it can be a spiral up or a spiral down. I've seen and experienced both.

Not sure if I have or not. I think everyone has a bit of an addictive personality to them. Just different levels. 

[ccc]

1 minute ago, Frank Hovis said:

The one out of all of those that I could see working on them would be some biggest loser type thing, maybe a personal trainer.

That sort of personal attention and encouragement would suit them down to the ground; they previously did the ultra low calorie diet (one of those where they post you the food) because the results were rapid and there was a regular dose of approval and encouragement from everyone who could see them losing weight and cheering them on.

When however they hit their target weight the sense of achievement waned with the approvals and the previous diet inexorably returned and the weight loss reversed.

I will see if there are any reasonably priced ones near them as that could just be the ticket and I could buy some introductory sessions for their birthday.

They get a high from eating so finding another high to replace it with could be a plan. They need that buzz. Ffs we all do !!

I get mine from booze, drugs and exercise. Luckily for me #3 is my favourite by a mile. 

Let's hope your pal gets the bug. 

[The Masked Tulip]

2 minutes ago, ccc said:

Not sure if I have or not. I think everyone has a bit of an addictive personality to them. Just different levels. 

 

There is a woman who calls herself CCC, oddly enough in Scotland, who got in touch with me over Christmas via POF. Is there anything you wish to share? Alter-ego perhaps?

[ccc]

2 minutes ago, The Masked Tulip said:

 

There is a woman who calls herself CCC, oddly enough in Scotland, who got in touch with me over Christmas via POF. Is there anything you wish to share? Alter-ego perhaps?

Jesus Christ - if she is the burd version of me steer well clear unless you enjoy a good choking ffs ffs 

[The Masked Tulip]

8 minutes ago, ccc said:

Jesus Christ - if she is the burd version of me steer well clear unless you enjoy a good choking ffs ffs 

Define choking?

[The Masked Tulip]

Quote

People tend to think that fat cells are like inanimate blobs of lard when in fact they are active participants in the process by which your brain learns that you’re full and don’t need to take another bite of food. When you’ve had enough, fat cells secrete a hormone called leptin that allows you to push away from the table. A lack of vitamin D will interfere with this appetite-suppressing hormone whose job it is to regulate your body weight. And we all know what an unchecked appetite can lead to: weight gain and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

The Vitamin D Solution

[ccc]

1 minute ago, The Masked Tulip said:

Define choking?

Hands + neck + I know your a dirty ******er but I'm gettung a little scared look in the eyes 

 

[SarahBell]

2 hours ago, Frank Hovis said:

gastric band ...

pull yourself together, take more exercise, eat more fresh fruit and veg would not help.

To be accepted on the gastric band program you are supposed to lose some weight on your own. It only works if you want it to though - you can liquidise mars bars apparently.

http://www.livescience.com/13349-gastric-band-surgery-complications.html
Nearly 40 percent of patients in the study had some type of major complication with their band 12 or more years after they had the surgery. Major complications include things like infection or erosion of the band. About half the patients had to have the band taken out, and 60 percent required additional surgery.

[grasshopper]

33 minutes ago, Frank Hovis said:

The one out of all of those that I could see working on them would be some biggest loser type thing, maybe a personal trainer.

I will see if there are any reasonably priced ones near them as that could just be the ticket and I could buy some introductory sessions for theirbirthday.

Sounds like a great idea for a present FH. It must be difficult watching someone effectively self destruct. Are there several people who could share in accompanied walks, gym sessions or other activities?

Even just getting out of the house for some fresh air and sunshine (when possible) can help  lift mood particularly during the dark days at this time of year.

[JoeDavola]

44 minutes ago, ccc said:

Jesus Christ - if she is the burd version of me steer well clear unless you enjoy a good choking ffs ffs 

This is TMT, resident pervert we're talking to here. Of course he enjoys a good choking. And why? Because he's a very naughty boy, that's why.

[Frank Hovis]

4 minutes ago, grasshopper said:

Sounds like a great idea for a present FH. It must be difficult watching someone effectively self destruct. Are there several people who could share in accompanied walks, gym sessions or other activities?

Even just getting out of the house for some fresh air and sunshine (when possible) can help  lift mood particularly during the dark days at this time of year.

That's what it felt like, watching somebody eating themselves to death. I have seen greed, I have been greedy, this was something else.

I don't know about other people there, getting a close knit group together would be the ideal solution but I can't do that remotely.