As a reminder, the official definition of 'Compulsive Overeating' found in Wikipedia is:
Compulsive overeating is characterized by an addiction to food. An individual suffering from compulsive overeating disorder engages in frequent episodes of uncontrolled eating, or binging, during which they may feel frenzied or out of control. They will eat much more quickly than is normal, and continue to eat even past the point of being uncomfortably full. Binging in this way is generally followed by a period of intense guilt feelings and depression. Unlike individuals with bulimia, compulsive overeaters do not attempt to compensate for their binging with purging behaviors such as fasting, laxative use or vomiting. Compulsive overeaters will typically eat when they are not hungry, spend excessive amounts of time and thought devoted to food, and secretly plan or fantasize about eating alone. Compulsive overeating almost always leads to weight gain and obesity, but not everyone who is obese is also a compulsive overeater.
In addition to binge eating, compulsive overeaters can also engage in grazing behavior, during which they return to pick at food over and over throughout the day. This results in a large overall number of calories consumed even if the quantities eaten at any one time may be small. When a compulsive eater overeats primarily through binging, he or she can be said to have binge eating disorder. Where there is continuous overeating but no binging, then the sufferer has compulsive overeating disorder.
Left untreated, compulsive overeating can lead to serious medical conditions including high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and clinical depression. Additional long-term side effects of the condition also include kidney disease, arthritis, bone deterioration and stroke.
My Definition
It is when food runs your life. You are obsessed with what you are going to eat, not to eat, what you allow yourself to eat or not to eat.
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At the store you compare the number of calories found in the fat free/sugar free yogurt to the number of calories found in a regular yogurt. You take the first one so you can eat a lot more for the same amount of calories.
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It is when you spend a lot of time counting the calories. The number of calories is only what matter to you. Not the food itself (not the ingredients, nor the quality).
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It is when diets take over your life. You spend your time being obsessed with your diet and the calories and/or what is or is not allowed on the diet. My diet allows me 1200 calories/day. So if I eat this low-fat_________ (fill in the blank), this gives me more calories to spend on____________ (fill In the blank)â.
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It is when you avoid social situations because you are on a diet. You cant allow yourself to go to a diner party because you wont be able to eat the food that is served. You cant face any temptations. If you had RSVP, you cancel at the very last minute. And chances are you'll binge by yourself in front of the TV.
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It is when you are ready to go to extreme lengths to get the last diet book on the market even if it means to pay double price for it when you could get it on line for half the price if only you'd wait for a few days. Or you drive (in pouring rain) to get the protein drink that promises miracle in weight loss. The only store selling it is two hours away. You go no matter what. You have to have this protein drink now!
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It is when you hide food from people around you whether from your parents, husband, partner, room mates. You develop great skills at hiding without people noticing.
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It is when you canâ't wait any longer. You need your fix now. So you binge in the bathroom (at work, at other people's house or at home) or in your car.
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It is when you plan your binge. You feel it coming. But this evil is so powerful it takes over your whole body and mind. You want to eat! Your will, good intentions and dieting are gone. You plan exactly on how and where to get the food you want, the âforbiddenâ high caloric foods. And you buy big portions to make sure you have enough to knock yourself out.
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It is lying to the people around you about the cookies that were there and aren't anymore. Or about this empty cheese wrap found in your pocket. Or the ice cream that disappeared from the freezer overnight.
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It is when you lie to yourself and to everybody else.
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It is when you are obsessed with the way you look. You take a quick glance of your reflection in the shop window while walking down the street. Aughh! I can't believe this belly! I hate my belly. I hate myself. Squeeze it in! And you decide to be harder on yourself by cutting the number of calories further down in your diet or you start a new diet right away. You buy the new diet book or the new miracle product you read about that morning. And you decide to do twice as much exercise as you are already doing. Your back hurts, it doesn't matter.
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It is when you wear clothes to hide yourself from yourself if I hide, I will forget how fat, ugly and disgusting I look and you try to hide from other people's looks, if I hide, they won't see how fat I am.
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It is the anxiety, despair, loneliness, fear, disgust, and low self-esteem after the binge.I blew it again I'm such a failure. I'm insane! How can I ever lose weight when I am so incapable of staying on a diet for more than a week! I have to go right back on track and lose this fat, i am sooooo fat! I will not be able to wear the pair of jeans I bought last week, I was so good on my diet for the past 2 weeks and look at me now, I can't stop eating! I hate myself, I hate my fat body.
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Contrarily to the official definition found at the beginning of this page, it is the heavy use of laxatives as well as fasting in order to keep your weight down.
Do you recognize yourself in any of these points?
I have been in every single one of them. But there is a way out.
I promise you, there is and I will show you how.
