How do you cut the food addiction?

 Now that I am eating a bigger variety of food and am making recipes and can eat at restaurants I can tell I am still addicted to food. I don't eat as much and I'm not snacking but I still LOVE food sooooo much and think about it a lot. Is that normal? I mean of course its normal but...does that mean I'm still addicted to food? Are you still addicted to food? How can I make it so food isn't so important. Or maybe it is okay that it is important. I meann it is obviously important to people like Shelly from eggface and Nik from bariatric foodie. So maybe it isn't bad? Thoughts? Maybe I should go to overeaters anonymous to make sure I don't get back into old habits.

i still think about it, i think i think about it more than i used to, LOL. now i have to think ahead rather than just flying by the seat of my pants type thing. but i do notice that when i eat i am eating what my body needs, not what i want & am pretty satisfied by it. but im still new at it, im sure thatll wear off, lol. my husband keeps telling me i need to get back into therapy & learn some coping mechanisms, i know hes right, but i dont feel like it, heh.

 yeah I think it is good that I am putting healthy things in my body. It's new to crave salad and chicken. Maybe it would be more of a problem if I was eating donuts and pastries.

BTW  I like your ticker!!

I think it is important to make a distinction between people who just love to eat and have been out of control eaters and those who are clinically addicted to food. I think it IS normal to think about food a lot, especially the first few months.  Food was a BIG part of our lives (for most of us, anyway) and now we are having to change how we approach and use food... which means giving up (at least temporarily) some foods that we used to get a lot of pleasure out of.... and the change to being mindful and vigilant about what we eat is HARD.

I think things like OA and individual counseling can be VERY useful in making the necessary emotional, psychological, and behavioral changes needed to be successful long-term.  Being aware of how you are thinking and feeling about food is the first step to makikng thsoe changes, so you are on your way!

Lora

 What is the difference between the two? How do you know if you're clinically addicted? 

Although the DSM does NOT include food as an officially recognized addiction/dependence, many counselors recognize that for many obese people it IS an addiction and needs to be treated in some of the same ways other addictions are treated... with one big difference... unlike alcohol or heroin addictions, you MUST have food so cannot use abstinence. 

Clincial addiction/dependence involves having several of the following:
- difficulty controlling use of the substance (e.g., inability to stop eating a bag of chips until it is gone or inability to resist multiple trips to the kitchen in the evening while watching tv)
- increasing use of the substance over time (i.e., do you eat more now than you did a year ago? more than 5 years ago?)
- continuing to abuse the substance despite negative consequences (e.g., continuing to overeat despite having diabetes or other health problems that are directly related to your obesity)
- avoiding people or activities so that you can use the substance (e.g., not going to an event with the rest of the family so you can stay home (or go out alone) to eat)
- failed attempts to cut down or eliminate abuse of the substance (e.g., failed diets, failed attempts to eliminate certain trigger foods)
- persistent desire to cut down on substance use
- physical or psychological withdrawal (e.g., physical reaction to cutting down on high sugar consumption, or extreme moodiness when dieting)

Lora

 Thanks Lora, it's scary to see myself in there. 

 I think that food will always be something that I think about often. For one thing, I do all the grocery shopping and all the cooking at my house, so I really dont have a choice anyway. I can say that now that I am a little ways out. It really doesnt bother me that I cant have fast food, or other foods that I like. (Used to like)

My taste have changed, and my tummy is picky. I know that you have had quite a bit of trouble getting your tummy to a happy spot, so I'm willing to bet that your tummy is picky also.

I think that I will probably always think about food, but I just don't eat it all the time now.

I agree with Lora. Actually I am amazed at how many WLS patients don't solicit the help of support groups and therapy. Morbid obesity and a unhealthy food relationship go hand in hand for many. I am doing well now but many old habits creep back typically without notice. To prevent this I am in therapy to help me reframe how I view food and to remove food from the epicenter of my life. Not easy.

thanks!