Compulsive over eater, binge eater, whatever you want to
call it, clearly many of us have this problem. With two thirds of women over
weight and half obese, we as a gender have a problem with our relationship with
food! We are embarrassed by our weight, our secret eating habits, and miffed as
to why we can't control this problem.
Willpower is fiction in the face of sugar addiction! It
really pisses me off. I have been trying to control this problem for a really
long time. I am finally giving in,
I need to get to the underlying problem.
When I over eat, I feel like crap and then beat the crap out
of myself for it, nice. next I possibly over exercise, or if I'm really in the
sh$ter, not workout at all. Of course promising to myself that this is the last
time! I believe that with all my heart.
No offense, but skinny bitches have this problem too!
Men and Women who are Compulsive Overeaters will sometimes
hide behind their physical appearance, using it as a blockade against society (Common
in survivors of sexual abuse). They feel guilty for not being "good
enough," shame for being overweight, and generally have a very low
self-esteem. They use food and eating to cope with these feelings, which only
leads into the cycle of feeling them ten-fold and trying to find a way to cope
again. With low self esteem and self worth there is often constant need for
love and validation, he/she will turn to obsessive episodes of binging and
eating as a way to forget the pain and the desire for affection.
Why can't the emotional eating fix our emotional problem?
Apparently half to two-thirds of us have crazy thoughts, behaviors and emotions
with food.
Researchers have speculated there is an abnormality of
endorphin metabolism in the brain of binge eaters that triggers the addictive
process. This is in line with other theories of addiction that attribute it not
to avoidance of withdrawal symptoms, but to a primary problem in the reward
centers of the brain. For the compulsive overeater, the ingestion of trigger
foods causes release of the neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine. This
could be another sign of neurobiological factors contributing to the addictive
process.
Abstinence from addictive food and the food eating processes
cause withdrawal symptoms in those with eating disorders. There may be higher
levels of depression and anxiety due to the decreased levels of serotonin in
the individual.
So what is the answer for controlling this problem.
Treatment, Overeaters Anonymous, a shrink?
I am now working on a new program for myself. I am going to
start journaling when I start having these thoughts. I want to get a handle on
the monkey in my brain, apparently I get low self worth and no esteem from my
monkey. I really thought I had dealt with this stuff years ago, I guess it
creeps back in when you are not paying attention! When you aren't paying
attention you can eat 5000 calorie without batting an eyelash!
My new motto is pay attention! My short ADD attention span
gives me huge problems with this on consistency. Pay attention. Pay attention
to the weird awful feelings that come with this compulsive over eating. Pay
attention to what goes in my mouth. Pay attention to verything.
