I'm addicted to food. How do I stop?

[preventingdiabetes]

I've been dealing with some stressful shit and now I use food to cope. It's like the only thing that gives me pleasure. How do I stop?

[Raphael]

Let yourself experience the emotions to the fullest: feel intensely the stress, cry, scream, jump, run around like a kid.

[Vittorio]

Do some journaling and ask yourself following questions:

- Why am I eating so much?

- What things and feelings can food give me that makes it so special?

- What am I avoiding looking at and dealing with with my bad habit?

- From where do these hidden things come from? Why do I have them?

- When did I actually started coping with food? And why?

- What are the consequences for keeping this habit in my life?

- How can I fix the underlying issues I am actually avoiding to face and to deal with?

Edited June 1, 2021 by Vittorio

[mandyjw]

Consciously enjoy your food, allow yourself to enjoy it. Consciously plan in treats. Also plan to add in healthy foods to your diet. Focus on what you do want, not what you do not want. Also plan other things you like to do that don't involve food, time with friends, time for hobbies, listening to music, etc. Wait until you're in a pretty good mood and make a list of things you'd like to do, big or small. It's all about focusing on what you DO want, and in doing so effortlessly without thought letting go of what we do not want. 

[Andrew John]

4 hours ago, preventingdiabetes said:

I've been dealing with some stressful shit and now I use food to cope. It's like the only thing that gives me pleasure. How do I stop?

You need to find other things that give you pleasure which are not a compulsion and do not lead to harm. As you have already recognised, too much food is bad for you and can even kill you.

Something genuine, like learning a new skill, exercise, music, reading. One thing you need to accept is its going to be painful to stop. All addictions start with pain and end in pain.

[Intraplanetary]

Commit to a reasonable food plan with clear boundaries. e.g. eating 3 times a day and not eating eat out of the eating windows.
you'll have urges and cravings in between those meals but this is the time where you actually have to accept whatever arising and experience your feelings. 

It's like your commitment to a food plan is your higher self and the cravings are your lower self. Be on the higher side no matter how uncomfortable it may feel. it'll pass away. Sometimes just the acceptance of the discomfort takes all the discomfort away.

[Bodhitree]

Control carefully what you buy and don’t get distracted in the supermarkets. Decide to eat healthy food in moderation and only snack on small portions of fruit and nuts. 

[Windappreciator]

7 hours ago, Raphael said:

Let yourself experience the emotions to the fullest: feel intensely the stress, cry, scream, jump, run around like a kid.

^ This only real way

[TripleFly]

Intermittent fasting as a lifestyle. That's how I deal with. Start easy 12-12 or 10-14, or 16-8.

[preventingdiabetes]

On 6/1/2021 at 8:45 PM, Raphael said:

Let yourself experience the emotions to the fullest: feel intensely the stress, cry, scream, jump, run around like a kid.

Doing this makes me feel uneasy. Any tips?

On 6/1/2021 at 10:15 PM, Vittorio said:

Do some journaling and ask yourself following questions:

- Why am I eating so much?

- What things and feelings can food give me that makes it so special?

- What am I avoiding looking at and dealing with with my bad habit?

- From where do these hidden things come from? Why do I have them?

- When did I actually started coping with food? And why?

- What are the consequences for keeping this habit in my life?

- How can I fix the underlying issues I am actually avoiding to face and to deal with?

@Vittorio 

Wow! This looks very helpful! I am going to be contemplating this tonight.

On 6/1/2021 at 10:55 PM, mandyjw said:

Consciously enjoy your food, allow yourself to enjoy it. Consciously plan in treats. Also plan to add in healthy foods to your diet. Focus on what you do want, not what you do not want. Also plan other things you like to do that don't involve food, time with friends, time for hobbies, listening to music, etc. Wait until you're in a pretty good mood and make a list of things you'd like to do, big or small. It's all about focusing on what you DO want, and in doing so effortlessly without thought letting go of what we do not want. 

@mandyjw 

I feel like a lot of my goals are distractions and that I should work on getting awakened. 

On 6/2/2021 at 0:56 AM, Intraplanetary said:

Commit to a reasonable food plan with clear boundaries. e.g. eating 3 times a day and not eating eat out of the eating windows.
you'll have urges and cravings in between those meals but this is the time where you actually have to accept whatever arising and experience your feelings. 

It's like your commitment to a food plan is your higher self and the cravings are your lower self. Be on the higher side no matter how uncomfortable it may feel. it'll pass away. Sometimes just the acceptance of the discomfort takes all the discomfort away.

@Intraplanetary

But it's so hard. I never feel full. 

 

On 6/3/2021 at 4:19 PM, Gen Sue Rodriguez said:

It is promoted by Anxiety

You can control it:

 - Breathing Excercises to control anxiety.

 - Mantra with music and with your own voice.

 - Practice Sungazing Technique:

Thank you @Gen Sue Rodriguez