HELP! How did you overcome a food addiction?

[Rawnna]

Hey guys!!

I've been on and off raw for about a year now. Never been completely consistent except for a few months back when I was high raw for about 3 months. Loved it and all the benefits but ended up quitting and then weighing more then I ever had. (GAG)

Things are getting better now as I'm trying to transition back to raw. But there's one thing that holds me back.

I work at a restarunt...a really really good one. I'm surrounded by delicious italian food and wonderful aromas all night long. We have the most delicious bread you've ever tasted at this restaraunt, and because I have access to as much of it as I want every shift I work, I find it's the one thing I cannot stop eating no matter how hard I try!!!! I'll have my green smoothie in the morning, a lovely salad for lunch, pack some raw snacks for work, but then no matter what I find myself drawn to the bread and I end up bingeing on it!! It makes me so mad because of all the effort I put into the rest of the day. I always go right back to trying again the next day but It's so frustrating being on this roller coaster. I really feel like this is all in my head....like I know I shouldn't have the bread so it only makes me want it more! I've tryed raw recipes for bread and I'm sorry they are just gross. :(

Just wanted to hear how you guys were able to overcome an addiction to a certain food/foods? Is there any hope for me!!!!! I've been battling this for a year! :eek:

Thanks guys!

[margoss]

Hey....just go 80% raw. This way, you don't feel guilty if you eat something ele. I personally feel that if you do eat something, you're not a failure. Just accept it & get back as quickly as possible. I feel that if you don't limit yourself to rigidly, you'll stay more where you want to be. I say I'm 90% raw but I feel I'm more than that. I'm not 100% 2 days per week, I allow myself 2 days if I want them. On those days, I may eat rice or a slice of pizza. This satisfies me. The longer I'm on this, the less I want these. I know it would be easier if dd was on board with me and the house had only raw things. She's doing more but not ready to give her ravioli or pancakes. Ahh...those Italian dishes. I'm sure it can be difficult around all that food. Try allowing yourself one day a week to have a salad plate with small samples of the food.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i have no idea how you'll kick that habit... no different than a smoker working with other smokers (or living with them)... but you can't get a 'bread patch'.

[iluvmangos]

I think you're either gonna have to find a new job or just make up your mind not to eat it. I'm the only raw one in my family, so I still cook for my family. Sometimes, I cook them pasta, which I love, but I just don't eat it, not even a small bite. It was hard, at first, and sometimes I succumbed, but I just made up my mind to not eat it and now I don't.

[Rawnna]

i have no idea how you'll kick that habit... no different than a smoker working with other smokers (or living with them)... but you can't get a 'bread patch'.


If they sold a bread patch I'd be first in line!!! :D

[Rawnna]

I think you're either gonna have to find a new job or just make up your mind not to eat it. I'm the only raw one in my family, so I still cook for my family. Sometimes, I cook them pasta, which I love, but I just don't eat it, not even a small bite. It was hard, at first, and sometimes I succumbed, but I just made up my mind to not eat it and now I don't.

I've been so desperate I truly have thought about switching jobs! But with my circumstances right now it's just not possible. I know that I have to be resolved mentally not to do it, but I find that no matter how determined I am at the beginning of the night, somehow I always end up slipping.

[Aleesha Sattva]

have you tried eating a LOT before work so you aren't hungry? that may help???

[Rawnna]

Hey....just go 80% raw. This way, you don't feel guilty if you eat something ele. I personally feel that if you do eat something, you're not a failure. Just accept it & get back as quickly as possible. I feel that if you don't limit yourself to rigidly, you'll stay more where you want to be. I say I'm 90% raw but I feel I'm more than that. I'm not 100% 2 days per week, I allow myself 2 days if I want them. On those days, I may eat rice or a slice of pizza. This satisfies me. The longer I'm on this, the less I want these. I know it would be easier if dd was on board with me and the house had only raw things. She's doing more but not ready to give her ravioli or pancakes. Ahh...those Italian dishes. I'm sure it can be difficult around all that food. Try allowing yourself one day a week to have a salad plate with small samples of the food.


Thanks for the reply...I do agree, that balance is definitely neccesary. And I don't beat myself up for having some things I want here and there. Unfortunately, bread is a big trigger with me. So I can't just have a piece or two...it turns into a carb fest! I'm glad your system is working for you though that's awesome!

[Rawnna]

have you tried eating a LOT before work so you aren't hungry? that may help???

Yes thank you, that definitely helps and I do usually try to do that. A lot of the time it doesn't even have to do with hunger though. It's the smell or just the desire to eat something comforting....

[Aleesha Sattva]

well honey that's something you are just going to have to overcome... and if you really want to, you will :)

there are foods which were triggers for me... but they aren't any more. i got rid of my trigger foods by fasting. worked great.

[lodestar]

for what it's worth....

you don't ask an alcoholic to tend bar

you don't ask me to work around my favorite food...

at least not until I KNOW I am past any desire for that food.

i have a hard enough time preparing food for my family. and I won't be making spaghetti anytime soon...it would be too tempting for me.

good luck rawnna...you walk a tricky path. xox

[kidkid]

I had a very similar problem once. I used to be a nanny for these kids who always had white bread and butter, not to mention stuff like graham crackers, cookies, etc etc in their kitchen. I would pack HUGE lunches of salad and stuff so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat everything in their kitchen, but it was no use. As soon as i made them PB and Js, I'd have to make one for myself...and then it would snowball. It didn't even matter that I felt bad that I was eating all this family's food -- my guilt about that only made me eat more. I totally understand how weird and overpowering a binge can be, and how it's almost not a matter of choice. It's like you're two different people -- one who can eat well and make informed decisions, and then that other person who just doesn't give a damn about any of it.

How did I stop? That's a tough question. I don't actually nanny there anymore, but I do work in places where similar temptations come up (daycare, other houses). But I no longer binge on carbs like I used to. One thing that I think helped me personally was discussing things with a naturopath -- he prescribed me some stuff for my polycystic ovary syndrome (a metabolic disorder which often leads to carb binging). He prescribed me iodine for my thyroid, a multivitamin, vitamin c, pantothenic acid (which i believe is a b vitamin), omega 3s, and vitamin d. And then I went raw. And for the first few months, even though I said I was raw, I was often binging on bread and pasta and sweets in secret. But over time, whether it be due to the suppliments or my diet or just having more nutrients in my body, the cravings died down. To give you a timeframe: I was nannying for that family a year ago, I talked to my naturopath about my binging about 4 months ago, and I started calling myslef RAW about 3 months ago. Somewhere in those 3 months i stopped binging, but it's hard to tell when. Sometimes I overeat, but it's really not the same as binging. Binging is when that 'other person' who doesn't give a damn shows up and it's like i'm an eating tornado with no control, and i'm eating as fast as I can so I won't have to feel the guilt coming. Overeating is just when i eat too much or too fast by accident at dinner. There's a huge difference.

Recently, I have found that when I eat too many sugary fruits or dried fruits, I'll wake up the next morning with a craving for some bread or SAD sweets. I don't know what that's about, but it's something I've noticed. When I make it a point to eat more raw fats (like avocados) and lots of greens, I tend to feel fewer cravings.

I believe if I make my body healthier, in time it won't want things that are bad for it. but this is just what's been good for me. hope it helps though!

[Seedy]

Wheat gluten, like dairy, contains natural opioid peptides that can be addictive to people with low serotonin levels. You may feel actual withdraw when cutting out bread. You'll just have to tough it out, like kicking dairy or coffee. Expect to feel bad for a few days. Bring plenty of fruit snacks - they'll keep the pleasure center of the brain stimulated. Neal Barnard's "Breaking the Food Seduction" is an excellent source book on food addiction and I highly recommend it. If you want to learn more just Google wheat opioids and wheat addiction for more info.
Seedy

[iwuvmydoggy]

Hey guys!!

I've been on and off raw for about a year now. Never been completely consistent except for a few months back when I was high raw for about 3 months. Loved it and all the benefits but ended up quitting and then weighing more then I ever had. (GAG)

Things are getting better now as I'm trying to transition back to raw. But there's one thing that holds me back.

I work at a restarunt...a really really good one. I'm surrounded by delicious italian food and wonderful aromas all night long. We have the most delicious bread you've ever tasted at this restaraunt, and because I have access to as much of it as I want every shift I work, I find it's the one thing I cannot stop eating no matter how hard I try!!!! I'll have my green smoothie in the morning, a lovely salad for lunch, pack some raw snacks for work, but then no matter what I find myself drawn to the bread and I end up bingeing on it!! It makes me so mad because of all the effort I put into the rest of the day. I always go right back to trying again the next day but It's so frustrating being on this roller coaster. I really feel like this is all in my head....like I know I shouldn't have the bread so it only makes me want it more! I've tryed raw recipes for bread and I'm sorry they are just gross. :(

Just wanted to hear how you guys were able to overcome an addiction to a certain food/foods? Is there any hope for me!!!!! I've been battling this for a year! :eek:

Thanks guys!

well.. to be honest.. when i felt like i was addicted to food.. i fasted... and by fast, i mean i ate nothing and only drank water. if you can fast for 5 or 10 or 15 days and not eat anything, you will realize that you don't really need the bread... at least that's how it was for me.. i was determined that i was not going to be addicted to food anymore.. so i began fasting... the very night i started my fast, my mom made all my favorite foods at that time to eat... green beans and mushroom casserole, turkey and noodles, mashed potatoes and homemade gravy... lol i was like "OMFG...." but i just ignored it and went on... and really, in the grand scheme of things... is bread really worth sacrificing your life for?... is bread so important to you, that you would sacrifice your happiness and health? is it really, honestly worth feeling guilty over whenever you eat it (which i guess from the way your post comes across, is a lot)? or is it really just something trivial and you can muster up the guts to just say no? is saying no really that difficult when you look at it like that?...

[Mamoo]

Hi my name is Mamoo and I am a food/sugar addict. 18 months ago my husband's leukemia was on the run and we were counting his life in days. We went raw and juiced, juiced, juiced. He is now in remission, praise God. One would think that would be enough for me to stay raw. But.....my name is Mamoo and I am a food/sugar addict.

For the last 18 months with the best of intentions I have been trying on and off (mostly off) to be raw, not with much success. Then 23 days ago I made up my mind this time I was going to do it...and I did.

On day 16 as I was gathering things to send home with my grandchildren I scooped up some granola (from the health food store, but still with sugar) in my mouth and down it went. As it was going down I realized what I had done but it was too late to spit it out. I was sad about that all day, but that evening I realized that although I was sad over the 'oops!' I wasn't depressed. 16 day earlier I would have been in a state of deep depression over the guilt of what I had done, but I was only sad.

Today is only day 23, but it is getting easier with everyday that I wake up. I might 'oops!' again. I don't know. In my life food addiction is REAL. I wish I could say that I know I am over this need to eat, but I can't. I can say that eating raw is the best thing I have ever done for myself.

I can now push the buggy past the bakery where the fresh donuts are being prepared. I can buy the snacks for the grandkids again. Sunday we went out to eat at a steak house for the first time since raw. However, I still can't go to Burger King and eat breakfast with my mom like I have done 3 days a week for the last 2 years. That day may come, but I don't see it happening soon.

It really is a 'mind thing' and I don't know how you get that except to keep on keeping on. It will come if you want it bad enough.

From one addict to another - - good luck!

My name is Mamoo and I was a food/sugar addict.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Hi Mamoo... (((hugs))) welcome!

[gabriele]

And my name is Gaby and i am a chocolate addict.

The only way for me is to completely avoid it, that means no raw recipes that try to imitate a chocolate creation.

I have to 100% avoid all chocolate (for now).

[Rawnna]

I just want to thank all of you for your different suggestions and also relating your own experiences. So nice to know I'm not alone with this. Isn't it crazy how powerful FOOD is!! The power it can have over an individual is just unbelievable. But I'm not going to give up and I'm sure somehow, some way, I will be able to beat this! :D

Lots of love
Anna

[Mamoo]

And my name is Gaby and i am a chocolate addict.

The only way for me is to completely avoid it, that means no raw recipes that try to imitate a chocolate creation.

I have to 100% avoid all chocolate (for now).


And we can do this, yes we can!!

I think being here talking about this has also helped. It keeps us from thinking we may be alone in what we are facing.

I also think manufacturers put addictive substances in our food to make us keep coming back. No wonder it is so powerful. Makes me mad everytime I think about it.

[moonltstrl]

A little over a year ago I lost 20 lbs by going 80% raw. I had just gotten into sprouting and learning how to make raw crackers and cashew ice cream and all these healthy, tasty, raw dishes. Then I started seeing a Naturopathic Doctor about my epilepsy. I refused to take any more drugs so they kicked me off disability. Said my seizures must be better if I wasn't taking drugs. I had tried 4 different meds and they didn't work. So I worked really hard to detox my liver and was really starting to feel good on the raw diet. Then the ND put me on a ketogenic diet.

I was hesitant. I had just worked so hard to regain my health...regain? Nah, find my health! But through a couple dreams, I really felt God was telling me to do the diet. And to find a way to do it healthy! Before I started, I got the book and read it cover to cover. I went online to find all I could about it...which wasn't much. I totally worked to get my head around the diet before actually starting. This was a strict medically supervised treatment, not just a "diet". Having this reason to fall back on has made it much easier to follow. When I go out in a social situation, I either bring my own food or don't eat until I get home.

It took some getting used to, but I can fix pasta, french toast, and sandwiches for my husband or guests with no problem. I have been questioned as to why I am not eating with the group. I explain the nature of my diet and this is can be an intriguing topic of conversation. I have had people in restaraunts ask me about the bottle of organic olive oil I carry in with me.

As much as I love garlic bread, I cannot have it any more. As much as I love fresh fruit and sweet raw treats, I need to use my carb allowance for leafy greens, nuts and seeds. I am limited to 20 carbs a day and need to consume 135 grams of fat per day. Good thing I love avocados and coconut! I have learned to create treats I can have so I don't miss the stuff I can't.

It also helped tremendously, thinking this was a temporary thing. I needed to try it for a minumum of 3 months, then go from there. After 3 months I saw the difference and was encouraged to continue. Perhaps a temporary bread ban will help you lose the craving?

I hope this helps! Hang in there, you can succeed!

Have a great day!
Joan

[keepingfaith08]

This is a really good thread! I'm going to remember all of these ideas because I'm struggling with cravings too.

[Seedy]

When I got back from the store yesterday, my roommate was baking bread. Some sort of instant french bread loaf from a tube. I have to admit it smelled wonderful. She offered me a slice, but I simply told her that I couldn't eat white bread since it turned to glue in my stomach. She knows I eat healthy, but I haven't really gone into the whole raw-food story with her. My point is, she wasn't offended or put off. She accepted that I had a medical issue for not sharing her bread. In the old days, I would have eaten the bread so as not to be rude. One can teach an old dog new tricks ;).
Seedy

[cherry_lo]

And we can do this, yes we can!!

I think being here talking about this has also helped. It keeps us from thinking we may be alone in what we are facing.

I also think manufacturers put addictive substances in our food to make us keep coming back. No wonder it is so powerful. Makes me mad everytime I think about it.
I think you maybe right. Because right now the kind of hungry I get is different. Before it was like, I must eat this now because I just have to, now it's more like, yes I'm hungry but if I have to wait it's not going to kill me, I just know I'm low on fuel. Food shouldn't be that addicting in my opinion, it is but it doesn't have to be.
BTW isn't there raw chocolate? why give up that, I'm assuming since coco powder is healthy that raw choc is good too

[Aleesha Sattva]

And my name is Gaby and i am a chocolate addict.

The only way for me is to completely avoid it, that means no raw recipes that try to imitate a chocolate creation.

I have to 100% avoid all chocolate (for now).

why? i replaced my addiction for chocolate with raw chocolate and now it's not an addiction anymore. i can take it or leave it. why not just go with the healthy raw version?


As much as I love fresh fruit and sweet raw treats, I need to use my carb allowance for leafy greens, nuts and seeds. I am limited to 20 carbs a day and need to consume 135 grams of fat per day. Good thing I love avocados and coconut! I have learned to create treats I can have so I don't miss the stuff I can't.

Joan, I'm not sure why you only allow yourself so many carbs??? But just so the newbies understand... you don't have to choose that route for yourself. You can just eat (as Alissa suggests in her book) and your body will come into health and weight release on it's own!

[T-Bird]

I've been so desperate I truly have thought about switching jobs! But with my circumstances right now it's just not possible. I know that I have to be resolved mentally not to do it, but I find that no matter how determined I am at the beginning of the night, somehow I always end up slipping.

Are there any raw restaurants near you?!?!

That'd be sweet!

[Aleesha Sattva]

now that would be a dream job eh?

[Rawnna]

Oh I could only wish I had a raw restaraunt to work at. I live in good ol' Indiana! And here, people live on Mickey D's and KFC! :D

[Rawnna]

This is random but has anybody tryed any foods/herbs that are appetite suppressing??? I don't know if this goes against some people's view on the raw lifestyle. But in some situations where I'm at work I could really use something to take the edge off. I've tryed hoodia awhile back and didn't really see a big difference....

[bsqmurphy]

This is random but has anybody tryed any foods/herbs that are appetite suppressing??? I don't know if this goes against some people's view on the raw lifestyle. But in some situations where I'm at work I could really use something to take the edge off. I've tryed hoodia awhile back and didn't really see a big difference....

I have had that same thought from time to time & then when I think about it, I realize, it's not an issue of appetite. I can binge on junk when I'm already full - it's not about being hungry or having too much appetite - it's an emotional / physiological / spiritual craving/addiction in my experience.

Bri.

PS Thank you for starting this thread... I have found it really helpful in my own challenges with compulsive bingeing on junk.

[gabriele]

why? i replaced my addiction for chocolate with raw chocolate and now it's not an addiction anymore. i can take it or leave it. why not just go with the healthy raw version?

!

I have tried raw chocolate, and i wish i liked it, i really do, but blechhh, it totally does not replace the real thing, for me. I wish it did.

[kidkid]

Joan, I'm not sure why you only allow yourself so many carbs??? But just so the newbies understand... you don't have to choose that route for yourself. You can just eat (as Alissa suggests in her book) and your body will come into health and weight release on it's own!


I believe she's tailoring her diet to help her epilepsy, right?

[kidkid]

I have tried raw chocolate, and i wish i liked it, i really do, but blechhh, it totally does not replace the real thing, for me. I wish it did.

Oh, but that's just it! Raw chocolate IS the REAL thing!
I'm not trying to be a jerk or a language stickler or anything, but I know for me, once i realized that raw was the real stuff, and the SAD food I used to eat is the fake, dolled-up stuff, I really gained an appreciation for earthy and subtle flavors. The sense of adventure and the excitement of trying flavors that were new to me helped me put aside my nostalgia for the fake stuff.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i could not have said that better kidkid. (((hugs)))

[iwuvmydoggy]

there's some folks (like paul nison) that say that raw cacao is bad for your health. when i saw him and asked him about kimchi, he told me it shouldn't be spicy, and i was like wow... i wouldn't eat it if it wasn't! LOL so i hope no one takes that as me preaching or whatever.. just throwing that out on the table. :) paul was very nice, though. i am not sure why he doesn't think it's good for you, i think it's because of it being a stimulant and taxing your adrenal glands, like coffee does...

[gabriele]

Oh, but that's just it! Raw chocolate IS the REAL thing!
I'm not trying to be a jerk or a language stickler or anything, but I know for me, once i realized that raw was the real stuff, and the SAD food I used to eat is the fake, dolled-up stuff, I really gained an appreciation for earthy and subtle flavors. The sense of adventure and the excitement of trying flavors that were new to me helped me put aside my nostalgia for the fake stuff.

i KNOW this!! I am addicted to the SAD version. Which for ME tastes far superior than the real thing. I cannot eat raw chocolate. It's the cream, sugar and whatever else is in there that i'm addicted to. YOu are right and that's why i tried it but i gagged eating it. Maybe i had a bad batch?? Is there such a thing, i don't know. It was bitter and horrendous.

[gabriele]

there's some folks (like paul nison) that say that raw cacao is bad for your health.

i have read this also, half the literature says all cacao is bad for you, the other half says the opposite. Who to believe?

[RawYorkCity]

Every day I'm tempted by cooked food. Each block I walk I smell a pizzeria, bakery, or a food stand. The aroma is everywhere. What has kept me from eating that food is supplying myself with enough calories from raw fruits/vegetables! It's that easy. Eat, eat, and eat some more raw foods. You'll begin to feel heaps better, and in time will only crave raw foods.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i enjoy the smells of food... cooked or raw. no harm in smelling anything and enjoying it. i just don't wanna put it into my body is all.

gaby, i think the point is... some people do great on cacao while others do not. you have to try it for yourself and see if your body resonates with it. that's how it is with everything raw. some people can't stand bananas, others eat a couple dozen a day... there is no right or wrong... no ONE path...

our responsibility is to find OUR path!

[gabriele]

Well, i'm stuck, because i would love to have an alternative to my chocolate addiction that can make me forget about my Lindt chocolate. I tried it, didn't like it, so i'm still stuck. Because my brain still longs for SAD chocolate, and nothing out there satisfies this longing. I just have to work my way through this and figure out, like you say, on what works for me. Right now, avoiding it altogether and trying not to think about it, works for a while. What about raw cocoa powder, that sounds "raw"?? that might work...... hmmm.....

[Veganforlife]

Replaced it w/100% Raw foods....

[RawHeaven]

My body got horribly sick. lol. And couldn't look at the "food" that made me sick again. After that incident, I decided to honor my body more and began selecting foods that make it feel well...not sick. I realized I was being very selfish for many years by only feeding my emotions and taste buds. It was time to give back. Our bodies work soooo hard for us, transporting us around and everything.

[gabriele]

My body got horribly sick. lol. And couldn't look at the "food" that made me sick again. After that incident, I decided to honor my body more and began selecting foods that make it feel well...not sick. I realized I was being very selfish for many years by only feeding my emotions and taste buds. It was time to give back. Our bodies work soooo hard for us, transporting us around and everything.

this is a great post.......

[Dimond]

Gabriele, you can definitely enjoy raw chocolate just as much, if not more than SAD. It just needs to be made the correct way whether by you or pre-packed. I've had some of the most amazing raw chocolate snacks and desserts. Not everyone can make it good though.


i have read this also, half the literature says all cacao is bad for you, the other half says the opposite. Who to believe? Very easy, you listen to yourself. Only you can know how you feel consuming it. With cacao it's obvious whether it's harming you or not. Other things you can't always tell. So far cacao never has any negative affects on me, regardless of how pure my diet is or how long I've been raw. I go through long periods without it and still nothing when I try it again.

I still haven't overcome my food addiction. The difference is now it's a raw food addiction. Still harmful, but much better. Luckily I don't have an overweight problem or I'd be in trouble. I think I'm more addicted to food raw, than when I wasn't. But that's because of other factors not related to raw. I work on overcoming it by constantly tweaking my diet and often not having certain foods around that I love. Problem is I LOVE practically all of it. :rolleyes: Mainly other things need to be more important than food so that we're eating to live instead of living to eat.

[gabriele]

Boy, this is going to take me forever to learn and incorporate. 55 years of rotten eating to undo. Am really enjoying Alissa's book, her tone is very gentle and understanding and patient. I imagine her to be the same. So much tied up in the way we eat, culture, routine, emotions, temptations, social habits, addiction to sugar and fat. Got a lot of work to do...