I want to eat all the time even if I'm not hungry, how do I stop?

I always want to eat junk food. I'll buy takeaway several times a week. I'll snack on chocolate and crisps throughout the day. I only want to eat foods that are bad for me, I never have any cravings/desires to eat healthy food. I'll manage to eat healthy for a couple days then revert back to my old ways. I'm not over-weight but I'm worried about it being a problem in the future. When I do try and eat healthy, all I can think about if what I can eat next. I always want to eat until I'm uncomfortably full. I feel embarrassed if people find out what and how much I've eaten in a day.

How do I get over this?

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Reply 1

the bear

you are right to be worried. after a few years of this diet you will lose control of your weight & metabolism with appalling consequences.
it is hard to tackle this on your own. joining a group like Weightwatchers™ will help you.

Reply 2

random_matt

Damn, your arteries are clogging up son. BP probably through the roof and your cholesterol out of control.

Reply 3

JaredzzC

Original post by random_matt

Damn, your arteries are clogging up son. BP probably through the roof and your cholesterol out of control.

I mean... scaremongering can definitely be one effective way of stopping the OP.

Reply 4

Bazyli

Original post by Anonymous

Try eating less. Hope this helps☹️🤫😙😙🤭🤥

Reply 5

random_matt

Original post by JaredzzC

I mean... scaremongering can definitely be one effective way of stopping the OP.

Well, junk food was mentioned.

Reply 6

Bazyli

Original post by random_matt

Well, junk food was mentioned.

☹️🤢

Mmmmm, cake 🤭🤫😙😙

substitute your junk food with healthier alternatives. cacao nibs instead of chocolate bars, bake thinly sliced potatoes instead of crisps. and introduce some exercise everyday, even if it's 15 mins! you'll hopefully feel a lot better and slowly work on eating a diet of whole foods that keep you full and healthy instead of junk food.

Reply 9

HCB97

Original post by Anonymous

First I'd say if you're managing your weight that is positive, however by posting here you ofcourse understand that it's not good.

There are a lot of ways to approach the problem, finding out which will work for you will require some testing.
When making changes SMART is a useful mneumonic, make specific (e.g replacing one food with a healthy alternative), measurable (weight loss or removing amount of a food), atainable (don't change everything suddenly, gradually introduce improvements), relevant (see which are the biggest areas for improvement) and timed (set a date for doing each thing and hold yourself to it).

I can't offer comprehensive advice, that's for dieticians, but my medical and personal experience can perhaps give you some ideas -- the NHS can give further advice https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/?tabname=recipes-and-tips (however eating breakfast is now thought to increase the total number of calories per day).

Food availability:
Removing the food you wish to avoid from the house, or at least moving it somewhere that requires effort to obtain and not leaving it within arms reach -- make healthier food easier to eat, having bowls of nuts, fruit and quick to cook vegetables nearer than the unhealthy.
Writing shopping lists and sticking to them, not giving into cravings while shopping and only shopping at set times in the week (no rushing out to the shops for snacks).

Relationship with food:
Do not reward yourself with unhealthy food, find other (non-food) rewards.
Stop relaxing with food binges, instead find a similar but different way to relax, maybe going for walks.
Reducing snacking or replacing snacks with nuts or fruit.

Other
Cardio exercise often makes people eat healthier afterwards.
Meal plans, especially for the meals or times that are worst for you.
Food diary can help you be more conscious of food intake and avoid.

Healthier food
Basing your meals on starch, like potatoes, pasta etc, with a large part of the plate being vegetables -- starch and fibre will make you fuller.
Aiming for two portions of fish per week, minimum of 5 fruit or vegetable portions per day and using other healthy meals you like to fill in the days so that there is less time for your unhealthy foods.

Some warnings are that your body will fight back against lost weight by increasing cravings and at the begining your gut bacteria will increase your cravings for the same unhealthy foods because they are not used to the new composition.

I hope a bit of that helps, I'd recommend reliable websites like NHS Choices and Public Health england and if you're worried then you can go to your GP and ask for a dietician referral.

Reply 10

filippavlovic

Is anything in life, stressing you out at the moment?

Reply 11

HCB97

Original post by Anonymous

One other thing I'd add is for drinks.

Sugary drinks are fairly easy to get rid of and replace with water - alcohol is also awful as it's very calorific and unhealthy, but that can be harder to avoid.
Ensuring you drink a lot each day can help with feeling fuller - also most people do not drink enough each day.

Reply 12

Anonymous #1

Original post by filippavlovic

Is anything in life, stressing you out at the moment?

Not really. I just like to eat when I'm bored and I'm bored most of the time.

Reply 13

filippavlovic

Original post by Anonymous

Not really. I just like to eat when I'm bored and I'm bored most of the time.

What do you do in your spare time, except eating?

Reply 14

username4355882

Get a hobby! Engage yourself more and try to be busy. Also hang out more with your friends. You will eat lesser when surrounded by people.
Basically, controlling your diet won’t be effective but changing your lifestyle will be.

Reply 15

filippavlovic

Original post by batter mix

I agree, changing your diet isnt going to control your boredom, it is just going to make you eat even more, go watch a movie, do art, make videos vlogging your life, whatever, just distract yourself.

Reply 16

Anonymous #1

Original post by filippavlovic

What do you do in your spare time, except eating?

Go on Tumblr, Netflix and YouTube. Sometimes hang out with my best friend but we mostly meet-up to eat. I don't really have much desire to go out unless it's to eat.

Reply 17

GoDad51

start eating fibre, bran, drinking sugarless drinks mostly, and move about every day to empty fat foods or mixed meats as in burger sausage bacon etc. which roam with these things change

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Reply 18

Mruczega

I don't have any advice but can kinda relate. I am constantly hungry even if I literally just finished my meal and can feel myself completely full. Like my brain is saying "eat more" and I just have to control myself. Every time that happens I drink some tea but still feel hungry.

Wait, I have an idea. I think you might be overdoing yourself with the whole eating healthy thing. Try to reduce calories instead and allow yourself a bit of junk food as a snack instead of just constantly eating healthy. Maybe the sudden change makes you want to binge or something.

Reply 19

GoDad51

sweetened hot drinks will give you absolutely hunger, what do you eat? I cannot think, is it cake or biscuit bottle of fruit juice eye that could help? :eek: