Tag Archive | Binge Eating

Scripps Research Study Says Junk Food as Addictive as Cocaine and Heroin

Apr11

According to a report published the end of March by The  Scripps Research Institute in Florida,  junk food contains the same molecular mechanisms that cause drug addiction.

The three-year study confirmed for the first time that junk food contains addictive properties, something that food addicts and compulsive overeaters have been saying for decades. And now we have our proof.

With all the junk food junkies out there and obesity numbers growing daily, it’s almost comforting to know that there is a legitimate reason for compulsive overeating and food addictions.

The research, which was performed on rats, showed a direct link between obesity and a progressively deteriorating chemical balance in the reward center of the brain.

Real answers, at last. Click here to read the entire press release.

Food Addiction and Exercise

Apr8

Today I joined a gym. I’m tired of being overweight so I signed up for a 16-week program at a gym that is only a couple of miles from my home. Then I went home and binged, but only slightly.

My life has been particularly stressful the last two years and the binge eating isn’t helping anymore. At first there is some feeling of relief, and that may last for some people, but it isn’t working for me anymore.

Being overweight makes part of you fade away. Even though you take up more space, you feel invisible. It’s a very emotional experience that gets more stressful as you gain more weight.

Some people can go on an emotional eating binge now and then, put on a few pounds and then take them off. But for a person with a food addiction, those emotional upsets always seem out of proportion as do the binges that follow.

I walked on my treadmill almost every day for the past three or four years. Recently I was injured and missed almost six months, then it was the flu for two weeks, and now the tread has started slipping.

There are diets, exercises, weight loss programs, and pills that promise a flat tummy or toned backside in some short period of time. Then you see the women in bikinis, sleeveless dresses, all  smiles.

If they can do it, why can’t you, you ask yourself. And so you give it a half-hearted try and lose a few pounds.

Then something unpleasant happens and the food addict will likely give in to a binge because that’s what we do when the stress of imagining oneself in good shape, happy, enjoying ourselves in a social situation is too intimidating, too overwhelming.

So let’s see how the gym experience goes. Perhaps the exercise will prove a good substitute for overeating in times of stress.

We shall see.

Diets and Weight Loss

Mar16

No matter the reason for those extra pounds, if you are an emotional eater or a food addict, the odds are that you are overweight.

No matter what the root cause of your emotional eating binges might be, you are probably more concerned with losing the weight than getting to the source of the problem.

We hear every day how “diets don’t work” but what does that really mean? Fad diets are just that–fads. They come and they go. We lose interest in the food or tire of the monotony, and just give up–until the next miracle diet comes along.

Changing your eating patterns radically for short periods of time can undermine your health, even when your intentions are good. And even if you drop a couple of pounds, if you don’t feel good, then what’s the point?

Most people who have found success with a weight loss program say the same thing: “I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life”. That should tell you something.

At various times in my life, I have had success with weight loss products and programs, as well as energizing supplements and foods that helped me achieve my weight management goals.

Some of these products are listed in the column on the right and, yes, I receive a small commission when someone buys them from my website. This doesn’t bother me because I know they work.

You shouldn’t have to change your life for any diet. A weight management program, and that includes any diet, should fit into your life in a way that promotes your good health.

The real challenge isn’t losing the weight. It’s finding a weight loss and management program that works for you. It may take a few tries but if you don’t give up, you will be successful. You will lose the weight.

Make it a goal to find something that works for you in the long run. Our bodies change so an eating plan that worked in the past may not have the same results now.

Don’t be afraid to try something new, but make sure you do your research. After all, no one knows your body like you do.

Check out Diet Magic and other great weight loss products, and start on your new road to health today. When you get to the website, click on Products and scroll down to Weight Management.

You are awesome!

The Flu Can Have Positive Results for Food Addicts

Mar9

I am not an advocate of the flu and three weeks ago I was reminded why. Seemingly out of nowhere came vomiting fits followed closely by diarrhea. The assault was relentless and I was miserable.

Now that the stomach pains and nausea are gone for the most part, I can look at the bright side. I lost six pounds and the detox was very thorough, although I don’t recommend doing it that way.

Any chance for a person with a food addiction to change eating patterns should be embraced. It’s easy to fall back into a pattern of binge eating to ease stressful moments, and it only takes one of those moments to backslide.

Staying healthy and balanced helps to ward off  bouts of food addiction, but when nature calls, we’re at her mercy.

Detoxing is important to good health and that means cleaning out emotional garbage too.  Whether we do it on our own or get some health from Mother Nature, the outcome can be very positive.

It’s hard to look at it that way during the experience, but the results of my flu-induced detox are noticeable. I still eat mostly homemade vegetable soup with no real desire to binge.

Maybe that feeling will linger for three weeks as well.