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Can't stop overeating


Brutal555

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Hi guys.

I'm a 23 year old guy and I have a problem with eating too much daily without much physical activity and I need your help.

My problem may sound silly, but ever since I was a kid I was overweight and I always used food as a source of comfort. I am very prone to being highly obese.

Later on I lost significant amout of weight and kept the good figure, but for the last 2 years I just eat way too much than I need to and I also don't have much physical activity at all. My work requires me to sit for 7 hours, I drive everywhere using my car, and at home I also sit. When I'm out - I'm out in some cafe where I also sit and drink coffee or something.

I know the obvious thing - change something. But It's just not that easy to change unhealthy habit just like that. I think I have a serious eating disorder or something and any words of help and ad

vice are more than welcome for me.

I am 193cm tall (6'4)

And I probably weight about 110kg (17 stone)

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You're young and now is the time to change for yourself because no one cares more than you for your body, your mental and physical state.

 

It's hard to have self control in the beginning but once you start eating healthier, your previous consumption will repulse you. You will start to actually crave healthy food. At first, you'll feel tempted to cheat but after practicing self control and new habits, you'll feel physically feel better, lighter, your clothes will feel looser, your digestion improves and your temptation to eat poorly will dissipate because you'll equate gorging on unhealthy food with feeling heavy, ill, gross and lousy. :upset:

 

Since you sit at your desk for 7 hours, break it up with getting up and stretching your legs every now and then. Instead of eating, walk during your lunch hour to break up your day with exercise. Bring healthy snacks to work. Drink more water.

 

When you grocery shop, deliberately refrain from buying junk food and processed food. Buy vegetables, fruit, lean proteins and eat a SMALL serving of oatmeal for breakfast. Don't eat out often. Cook healthy food at home. It's healthier and economical. Cook extra food for leftover dinners and so you can take food from home to work. If you eat out, make wise menu choices.

 

Take safe evening walks and walk on weekends. If you have a friend who owns a dog, offer to take the dog for a walk.

 

You're smart for taking action now as opposed to setting yourself up for hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Also, eating poorly and lack of exercise causes pain and inflammation in your body and joints. It's not too late to take action for getting healthy. Better now than when you're 33, 43 or 53. Make serious lifestyle changes to save your life.

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Ok, that's not that overweight. Being sedentary is seems is the issue. So rather than dieting (bad idea since it decreases rather than raises your metabolic rate) try everyday increases in physical activity. Stairs, walking, etc. things you can slowly but surely incorporate into your everyday life. Forget "diet" food. Just cut out the junk.

I am 193cm tall (6'4) And I probably weight about 110kg (17 stone)

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This is not uncommon at all. But the fact that you see the problem is good. Its not easy to change, but you need to and it sounds like you need help.

 

Ask your doctor for a referral to an eating disorder specialist. You have address the readons fir emotional eating and get some strategies to conquer this behavior.

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There is no excuse for not incorporating exercise into your life. Start walking at lunch time and after dinner. Join a gym. Just do something to get yourself moving. Instead of sitting around in your free time, do a physical activity. Do things with friends. Join a a walking Meetup.

 

See a nutritionist and a therapist to get to the underlying problem of your eating.

 

Stop saying "can't" as this is a big part of the problem.

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Thank you so much for spending your time to reply me. Your advice means the world to me. Also, yeah, I'm still young to fix this. Longterm I see myself having a heart attack If I continue this way. You encouraged me to go see a nutritionist. Starting tomorrow, I will remember every word you said first thing in the morning. And make a much better breakfast decision, for a start. And take a walk after work.

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You admit that you are overeating as a source of comfort. To tell someone just to stop and eat more celery doesn't work.

 

Your overeating is a symptom of something bigger. You need to address the cause.

You are medicating yourself much like an alcoholic uses alcohol. Telling them to just stop drinking doesn't address the problem.

 

This is why people who have gastric bypasses have a low success rate. It's an attempt to eliminate a symptoms without addressing what it is that causes someone to do it in the first place.

 

There is a high incidence of cirrhosis of the liver in people who have had bypasses. They trade in one vice for another and without the gastric juices and depending on which surgery they've had, the alcohol doesn't breakdown as much and goes straight to liver. I had a high school friend who died due to this. She stopped over eating but still went about numbing her pain in a different way.

 

Have you considered therapy to address why you need food for comfort?

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I am not sure of the program name but it's something like Food Addicts Anonymous? Supposed to be very good. Also I highly recommend Weight Watchers. Of course it's not easy - so take baby steps. I'm 53 and I do intense cardio every single day. Been exercising regularly since 1982. If I can anyone can. Diet is also part of it of course but moving more will motivate you to eat healthier. Good luck!

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You admit that you are overeating as a source of comfort. To tell someone just to stop and eat more celery doesn't work.

 

Your overeating is a symptom of something bigger. You need to address the cause.

You are medicating yourself much like an alcoholic uses alcohol. Telling them to just stop drinking doesn't address the problem.

 

This is why people who have gastric bypasses have a low success rate. It's an attempt to eliminate a symptoms without addressing what it is that causes someone to do it in the first place.

 

There is a high incidence of cirrhosis of the liver in people who have had bypasses. They trade in one vice for another and without the gastric juices and depending on which surgery they've had, the alcohol doesn't breakdown as much and goes straight to liver. I had a high school friend who died due to this. She stopped over eating but still went about numbing her pain in a different way.

 

Have you considered therapy to address why you need food for comfort?

 

Absolutely this!!!

 

I am an ex overeater, found out my comfort eating was due to trauma from my childhood.

I saw a therapist, worked on my issues, joined Weight Watchers & feel fabulous!

 

Honestly, if you dont face your issues you will never overcome this. Self sabotage will creep in, and you will need coping mechanisms in place.

Good luck

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There was a fascinating news show I saw once. I wish I could find it again. It followed people in a rural part of Asia, studying why there was little or no obesity amongst them. They purely viewed food as fuel. Nothing more. They went about eating much like we put gas in our cars.

 

Westerners, along with other cultures have all sorts of emotional ties to food that they did not. It's a social outlet, emotional outlet and otherwise.

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You admit that you are overeating as a source of comfort. To tell someone just to stop and eat more celery doesn't work.

 

Your overeating is a symptom of something bigger. You need to address the cause.

You are medicating yourself much like an alcoholic uses alcohol. Telling them to just stop drinking doesn't address the problem.

 

This is why people who have gastric bypasses have a low success rate. It's an attempt to eliminate a symptoms without addressing what it is that causes someone to do it in the first place.

 

There is a high incidence of cirrhosis of the liver in people who have had bypasses. They trade in one vice for another and without the gastric juices and depending on which surgery they've had, the alcohol doesn't breakdown as much and goes straight to liver. I had a high school friend who died due to this. She stopped over eating but still went about numbing her pain in a different way.

 

Have you considered therapy to address why you need food for comfort?

So whose help do you suggest I should seek out?

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Absolutely this!!!

 

I am an ex overeater, found out my comfort eating was due to trauma from my childhood.

I saw a therapist, worked on my issues, joined Weight Watchers & feel fabulous!

 

Honestly, if you dont face your issues you will never overcome this. Self sabotage will creep in, and you will need coping mechanisms in place.

Good luck

 

I was abused and beaten in my childhood both from my father and school kids. I ate to feel better.

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I eat for comfort too and for emotional reasons. I've never been overweight other than a couple of pounds over 30 years ago when I was on a bad birth control pill for a couple of months. I see nothing wrong at all with food being a treat, a source of pleasure and enjoyment, even a comfort. With this difference - I do moderation, portion control and I keep the impulsive emotional eating to a bare minimum especially in the last 8 months (I had a minor health scare and some concerning bloodwork results that resolved itself in a couple of months but I made more dietary changes in reaction to that situation.

 

So no I am not giving up the junk that I happen to love - but portion control and being self-aware of whether I am truly hungry/what I am hungry for. I was basically anorexic as a teenager/early 20s alhough not officially diagnosed. I relearned how to respond normally to hunger and fullness cues.

 

Another thing that helped me - almost doubling water intake (plain tap water) from 6-8 glasses to 10-12 a day and giving up diet soda - which I used to guzzle, then did "only" one a day now down to less than once a year.

 

But I do think you should try that Food Addicts group or Weight Watchers or both given the more extreme nature of your issues. What I wrote is more about maintaining.

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I was abused and beaten in my childhood both from my father and school kids. I ate to feel better.

 

But you had also stopped and gotten fit. So what's triggered you to start up now?

 

Anyway, one option is turn to something positive. Rather than dragging yourself to the gym, find something active you actually would enjoy doing. Just start trying out different things until you find something that clicks for you. So instead of feeling bleah about making yourself walk or work out, you are actually counting minutes until you can leave work and head to whatever activity. It's your day's highlight, something that makes you smile, a reward. It's basically replacing food as a reward with something better for you as a reward instead.

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