Could vaping help curb compulsive eating?
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I think it could. Just doing SOMEthing can make you eat less.
Sitting here, I could be thinking, "man, I want a bologna sandwich(even though I ate an hour ago). But if I start vaping, I probably wouldn't get the sandwich.
And then the sensation of something going in your mouth and down your throat couldn't hurt, either.
er...that sounds bad.
but you know what I mean
Anyway, that's just a guess. I'm getting my e-cigs soon and we'll see...I'm definitely a compulsive eater. I can GRUB!
Sitting here, I could be thinking, "man, I want a bologna sandwich(even though I ate an hour ago). But if I start vaping, I probably wouldn't get the sandwich.
And then the sensation of something going in your mouth and down your throat couldn't hurt, either.
er...that sounds bad.
but you know what I mean
Anyway, that's just a guess. I'm getting my e-cigs soon and we'll see...I'm definitely a compulsive eater. I can GRUB!
Saw my doctor last week - lost 20 lbs AND quit smoking 5 months ago with vaping. I was a total sugar freak & pack a day smoker - He was flabbergasted - Need I say more?
ps - I always use sweetened liquids(like bluemist cafe caramel) - it really helped. haven't had a candy bar for the 5 months either - WOW-I just realized that!
ps - I always use sweetened liquids(like bluemist cafe caramel) - it really helped. haven't had a candy bar for the 5 months either - WOW-I just realized that!
Yes, and you still need will power to curb those changes. There is no contradiction in my previous statement. Regardless if you use e-cigs or something else, you will need to find some sort of self-love, or self-reward, to make any adaptation in lifestyle permanent.
Well, let's look at the nicotine patches and gum.
Most of us here have tried them. And obviously, they didn't work. I tried them. Huge failure.
They have nicotine. Just like e-cigs. So why did they fail?
Because of the compulsive aspect of the addiction. The "deep breathing" (which also creates a chemical process in your brain, which most of us are probably addicted to to some degree), the hand-to-mouth, etc.
We aren't changing anything significant by switch to e-cigs. There's just no butts to put out.
Going from eating to vaping is a bigger leap. And it also is missing a lot of chemical processes - fullness in your stomach, the feeling of food in your mouth, nutrient absorbtion, sugar highs, etc. There is a LOT missing.
I agree that overcoming any addiction requires willpower.
But I had willpower each time I quit, and up until now, I always failed. Why? Especially since some people do succeed using the methods I tried and failed at?
Because it's not just willpower. And for those of us who are very inclined towards compulsive addiction (as I am - I think it might be just as big to me as the nicotine), it is impossible to recreate your own natural chemical process through any other means. It's also easy to relapse - your addiction is your own brain, and it's always there, waiting for you to give in. You can't get rid of it. You can't just not buy any more.
Compulsive addictions are, for many, even worse than chemical addictions, for that reason.
Rewards don't work, when your addiction is right inside your skull. They don't work particularly well for any real addiction.
Thus why we vape.
I'm not disagreeing with you, but you also put out some notion that one-size-fits-all, and that's very misleading. Everyone has to overcome their own addictions, and no one method will work for all. I know people who used to smoke multiple packs a day of full flavor, and they quit cold turkey, but some of them also have other issues without the will power to stop. It's easy to say you have the will power, but to actually have it, is another story. Regardless of chemical imbalances and habit, each individual will have a somewhat unique solution for them, even if you find 2 people with the same make-up and same habits, living in the same environment.
The first time I quit smoking, I did start to eat more. The food didn't help me, I gained some weight, and I started working out more. I went from running 5 miles/3x a week as a smoker, to running 10 miles/4x a week. It's the strangest thing, but that helped me, not gum, patches, eating more ect. When I didn't want to quit, I didn't run at all LOL, but weird as it may be, my solution wont help many people. It's the difference from "I want" and "I need" to quit, to "I want and need" to quit.
Not at all. That was the point - and the reason some of us can cold turkey it and others can't.
I have willpower. I was perfectly willing to sit through the withdrawal of cold-turkey quitting.
Problem was, I couldn't function well enough to hold a job. And I have bills to pay. I would also prefer to keep my friends.
I literally had an employer tell me that I had to start smoking again, or they had to let me go.
Had nothing to do with my willpower.
Runner's high, by the way... creates dopamine. So do cigarettes. Same addiction. Different source. A much healthier source, albeit.
But there's really no such thing as quitting. We all come up with compulsive/compensatory addictions to replace it.
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I have never had runners high. LOL, I wish I knew how that felt, and I used to be in the Army(before I started smoking, and ultimately what I blame on me starting HAH!) and we used to run 10-14 miles a day. Never felt a runners high. I'm pretty sure I'm immune LOL!
But no, that wasn't what helped. I just hated being out of breath. Same with sex(if I'm allowed to say that here, sorry if I'm not, but were all 18, right?), used to be out of breath after 10 minutes, and now I can go all day easy. It's just that reward of good health that helped me. Not runners high.
But no, that wasn't what helped. I just hated being out of breath. Same with sex(if I'm allowed to say that here, sorry if I'm not, but were all 18, right?), used to be out of breath after 10 minutes, and now I can go all day easy. It's just that reward of good health that helped me. Not runners high.
All I know is that the last time I quit smoking, I gained 15 pounds, and that was enough to make me start again. (Vanity, thy name is Pheisty.) Since I've started vaping, I've LOST 5...and I've only been at this for 11 days (exclusively, no ciggies). As for other people who've never smoked vaping? I dunno. I guess inhaling things from an electronic or burning stick probably isn't the best habit to pick up if you've never done it before...but then again, obesity isn't exactly healthy, either.
This is an interesting question, for sure.
This is an interesting question, for sure.
This reply may be a little sketchy as I'm a bit sleep deprived... coming up on 24 hrs straight since I slept and that was a lousy 4 hour nap. Bear with me.
I do take a multi-vitamin along with Fish Oil. That coupled with the nature of my diet tells me I'm not craving out of nutritional need, but from something else.
Honestly, I eat pretty healthy. Yesterday was probably the first fast-food I've had in... gosh, I'm not sure. At least a month or more. We eat home-cooked meals 90% of the time (we do simply have to get some pizza every month or so), lots of steamed veggies, mostly chicken or salmon, red meat usually only once a week. All whole-grain carbs, no white anything. Whole foods for the most part.
I even make a "green smootie" daily when I've got my "A" game on. (made with spinach and other greens and fruit)
I do wonderfully throughout the day, but at night something happens to me. My brain wonders off on it's own accord and starts doing inventory on what we have in the house... Tim's icecream and brownies, my son's fruit snacks, the baby's graham crackers, or failing to find anything truly binge worthy, I sometimes end up attacking a box of dry cereal or a tub of cottage cheese. Sometimes even weird things I would never normally eat.
I actually do much better (in regards to the binge attacks) when I'm not "dieting". If I just eat what I want when I'm hungry and go ahead and have that small brownie square because it looks good, I stay on a pretty even keel. It's the deprivation and food-brained obsession of watching what I eat that unleashes this beast.
I did see some people posting on the Health and Safety forum saying that their blood sugar was shockingly high while vaping... I wonder what causes this? And does it do it in everyone, or just diabetics? I wonder if anyone has tried to monitor their blood sugar who wasn't diabetic while vaping. Worth looking in to!
I am approaching this from a potential risk vs potential benefit point of view. The risk of my doing nothing could be fatal with no benefit whatsoever. The risk of developing a new habit seems negligible to me (more on that later). The potential physical risk of long-term vaping... well, it's a bit like looking down a fork in the road. One path is shadowy, maybe something lurking there in wait. But the second path holds imminent danger, staring me in the face.
I have quit, cold turkey, more things than I care to mention. All I have ever needed to do to kick a habit is to distance myself from it. Unfortunately, I can't kick food. I need it to survive. It's the one thing I can't beat by kicking it out of my life.
I am literally fighting a battle for my life, and right now I am losing. At this point, I will reach for any weapon to give me an edge in this fight.
And while I wanted the input and discussion I asked for here, I had already made up my mind to at least try it. My honey is trying to kick the smoking habit with e-cigs and I will likely be refilling his carts and maybe even mixing up our own DIY juice at some point. I was BOUND to try it out from curiosity if nothing else.
But the discussion is very informative and interesting. Please continue!
Ok, I was going for hypothetical/theoretical discussion as I thought it would keep us focused on the issue and it wouldn't get personal. But people are trying to be helpful (thank you) and make alternative suggestions and I don't think I'm fooling anyone that I'm talking about myself here, so here we go.
I do take a multi-vitamin along with Fish Oil. That coupled with the nature of my diet tells me I'm not craving out of nutritional need, but from something else.
Honestly, I eat pretty healthy. Yesterday was probably the first fast-food I've had in... gosh, I'm not sure. At least a month or more. We eat home-cooked meals 90% of the time (we do simply have to get some pizza every month or so), lots of steamed veggies, mostly chicken or salmon, red meat usually only once a week. All whole-grain carbs, no white anything. Whole foods for the most part.
I even make a "green smootie" daily when I've got my "A" game on. (made with spinach and other greens and fruit)
I do wonderfully throughout the day, but at night something happens to me. My brain wonders off on it's own accord and starts doing inventory on what we have in the house... Tim's icecream and brownies, my son's fruit snacks, the baby's graham crackers, or failing to find anything truly binge worthy, I sometimes end up attacking a box of dry cereal or a tub of cottage cheese. Sometimes even weird things I would never normally eat.
I actually do much better (in regards to the binge attacks) when I'm not "dieting". If I just eat what I want when I'm hungry and go ahead and have that small brownie square because it looks good, I stay on a pretty even keel. It's the deprivation and food-brained obsession of watching what I eat that unleashes this beast.
I remember seeing something like that about diet soda. Artificial sweetners have never been an issue for me as I could not stand the taste, plus I don't eat fake, altered food if I can help it. But you raise a good point.
I did see some people posting on the Health and Safety forum saying that their blood sugar was shockingly high while vaping... I wonder what causes this? And does it do it in everyone, or just diabetics? I wonder if anyone has tried to monitor their blood sugar who wasn't diabetic while vaping. Worth looking in to!
I do see the merit in your argument, and I agree that it is not something to be taken lightly. You'll have to take my word for it that I have run the proverbial gauntlet here. My efforts (other than my pathetic attempts at restraint and moderation) have been on hold for the past 15+ months as I breastfeed my baby. We are coming to the end of that soon and I have GOT to do something. This past year, I've been diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease. I'm 32 and I don't drink!!!
I am approaching this from a potential risk vs potential benefit point of view. The risk of my doing nothing could be fatal with no benefit whatsoever. The risk of developing a new habit seems negligible to me (more on that later). The potential physical risk of long-term vaping... well, it's a bit like looking down a fork in the road. One path is shadowy, maybe something lurking there in wait. But the second path holds imminent danger, staring me in the face.
This is very, very true! I have exorcised most truly toxic foods from my diet, and now they just don't even taste right anymore. On the few occasions when I've successfully purged the sugar from my diet for a time, I actually begin craving WATER and fresh fruit and veggies instead of coffee and chocolate and baked goods.Your body craves foods that it is used to. In theory, if you lived off, lets say, Oreo cookies for your life, your brain and body would become better at using it for the fuel and vitamin properties(while limited) and you would gain little weight from it. Opposed to someone who treats themselves once a week on Oreos.
If your body craves something, that's because, by nature, your brain and body doesn't want to adapt to different foods and substitutes. Your own will-power needs to make those changes through adaptation, and if you made a mental note of smoking or vaping as your treat, then there you go, that's what you have programmed into your body as a treat
That's AWESOME! I'm so happy for you, and you should be so proud of yourself! I have a real weakness for the fancy liquid coffee creamers, cafe caramel sounds just like one! lol!
You know, maybe that's it right there. I may have forgotten to mention, I am not a NON-smoker. I am an EX-smoker. I quit smoking for the second and final time when I discovered I was pregnant with my son. That was about 10 years and over 100 lbs ago.
I have quit, cold turkey, more things than I care to mention. All I have ever needed to do to kick a habit is to distance myself from it. Unfortunately, I can't kick food. I need it to survive. It's the one thing I can't beat by kicking it out of my life.
I am literally fighting a battle for my life, and right now I am losing. At this point, I will reach for any weapon to give me an edge in this fight.
And while I wanted the input and discussion I asked for here, I had already made up my mind to at least try it. My honey is trying to kick the smoking habit with e-cigs and I will likely be refilling his carts and maybe even mixing up our own DIY juice at some point. I was BOUND to try it out from curiosity if nothing else.
But the discussion is very informative and interesting. Please continue!
Uh oh... I got too long-winded and killed my own thread! Noooo! Live, I say! CLEAR!
BUMP
BUMP
@bluedove3 - Have you always been a compulsive eater? I notice you said you are still BF and I thought of something. A lot of times compulsive eating coincides with depression. Whether it is something like PPD or an actual depressed 'condition' you have been diagnosed with it can have a major effect on eating habits. I have been on Antidepressants since I was a teen and the article I am going to post describes me perfectly. If it is something like PPD and they can put you on an Antidepressant just until the PPD goes away it may help you lose weight.
I don't think a lot of people truly understand compulsive eaters and to admit that you are on Antidepressants still puts things in others heads that aren't true. There are so many forms of depression and people generally clump them all into 'Bi-Polar' and make it sound so scary. I don't know, it's just hard to really know what people go through when you haven't been in that same exact situation.
"Compulsive overeaters are another type of eating disorders. Compulsive overeaters are caught in a cycle of depression and binge eating. Food is often used as a coping method to help handle uncomfortable feelings. Some suffers say that their overeating episodes are used to numb all that is going on around them. Some even describe it as an addiction to food, in turn using it to hide from their emotions.
People that suffer from compulsive eating disorders usually are overweight. They are also usually aware that their eating habits are not normal. For many sufferers binges may not be broken into specific episodes but into days where they eat more than normal throughout the day. There are many triggers for the compulsive eater which may include depression, stress, boredom, anxiety and prolonged dieting. Most have a big dissatisfaction with their body image.
During a binge, the stress and negative feelings may temporarily disappear. Unfortunately after the binge, feelings of shame, more depression and disgust follow. Often the episodes of bingeing are usually kept secret and any evidence of overeating is hidden so others cannot see.
It sometimes can be hard to spot an overeater because it is not uncommon for the sufferer to eat normal and even restrictively in front of family and friends. Then later they may binge in private. Overeaters often binge late at night, when their family is asleep. They will also frequent fast food restaurants and convenience stores alone. Most compulsive eaters have a stash of junk food hidden from others for their personal use later.
Similar to other eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia, overeaters are forever struggling and are very unhappy with their weight. With a compulsive overeater, the number on the scale that morning determines how the sufferer feels about themselves. The constant dieting becomes a way of life for the compulsive overeater.
Compulsive overeaters often try every diet fad that comes around. With each diet that is tried, there is hope that this is the one. This diet will be the one to work. It may work at first; there may be some weight loss success with the new diet. Unfortunately in most cases the diet fails. Most often all the weight that was lost is regained. Then the cycle continues, because of the failure there is depression, the overeater will return to bingeing for comfort.
There are medical complications for the compulsive overeater. The overeating behavior can lead to severe and sometimes life threatening medical conditions such as hypertension and cardiac problems. Diabetes and severe depression are also major complications. Like other eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, compulsive overeating is a disease and it can't be cured with willpower alone, health professionals are needed along with family and friends support.
There are some warning signs to look for if you suspect someone is suffering from compulsive overeating. The warning signs are: eating large quantities of food, even though they are not hungry. Eating fast and eating to the point that they are uncomfortably full, are other signs of compulsive overeating. A sufferer may choose to eat alone because of embarrassment. A compulsive overeater will have feelings of depression and guilt along with disgust after eating. They may also have a history of weight fluctuations."
I don't think a lot of people truly understand compulsive eaters and to admit that you are on Antidepressants still puts things in others heads that aren't true. There are so many forms of depression and people generally clump them all into 'Bi-Polar' and make it sound so scary. I don't know, it's just hard to really know what people go through when you haven't been in that same exact situation.
"Compulsive overeaters are another type of eating disorders. Compulsive overeaters are caught in a cycle of depression and binge eating. Food is often used as a coping method to help handle uncomfortable feelings. Some suffers say that their overeating episodes are used to numb all that is going on around them. Some even describe it as an addiction to food, in turn using it to hide from their emotions.
People that suffer from compulsive eating disorders usually are overweight. They are also usually aware that their eating habits are not normal. For many sufferers binges may not be broken into specific episodes but into days where they eat more than normal throughout the day. There are many triggers for the compulsive eater which may include depression, stress, boredom, anxiety and prolonged dieting. Most have a big dissatisfaction with their body image.
During a binge, the stress and negative feelings may temporarily disappear. Unfortunately after the binge, feelings of shame, more depression and disgust follow. Often the episodes of bingeing are usually kept secret and any evidence of overeating is hidden so others cannot see.
It sometimes can be hard to spot an overeater because it is not uncommon for the sufferer to eat normal and even restrictively in front of family and friends. Then later they may binge in private. Overeaters often binge late at night, when their family is asleep. They will also frequent fast food restaurants and convenience stores alone. Most compulsive eaters have a stash of junk food hidden from others for their personal use later.
Similar to other eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia, overeaters are forever struggling and are very unhappy with their weight. With a compulsive overeater, the number on the scale that morning determines how the sufferer feels about themselves. The constant dieting becomes a way of life for the compulsive overeater.
Compulsive overeaters often try every diet fad that comes around. With each diet that is tried, there is hope that this is the one. This diet will be the one to work. It may work at first; there may be some weight loss success with the new diet. Unfortunately in most cases the diet fails. Most often all the weight that was lost is regained. Then the cycle continues, because of the failure there is depression, the overeater will return to bingeing for comfort.
There are medical complications for the compulsive overeater. The overeating behavior can lead to severe and sometimes life threatening medical conditions such as hypertension and cardiac problems. Diabetes and severe depression are also major complications. Like other eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, compulsive overeating is a disease and it can't be cured with willpower alone, health professionals are needed along with family and friends support.
There are some warning signs to look for if you suspect someone is suffering from compulsive overeating. The warning signs are: eating large quantities of food, even though they are not hungry. Eating fast and eating to the point that they are uncomfortably full, are other signs of compulsive overeating. A sufferer may choose to eat alone because of embarrassment. A compulsive overeater will have feelings of depression and guilt along with disgust after eating. They may also have a history of weight fluctuations."
I do suffer from chronic depression that waxes and wanes in severity. I have been treated with many different kinds of antidepressants over the years, including one that was designed to aid in weightloss. I had the most success with Cymbalta and took it for about 3 years, discontinuing it with my last pregnancy. I was afraid that going off the Cymbalta would be a nightmare, but surprisingly, I have done well. My mood is stable, I don't feel hopeless or worthless. I have decent energy for the weight I'm carrying around. My lack of detrimental symptoms coupled with my sick liver (most AD's are hard on the liver) leads me to the conclusion that I really don't want to go back on antidepressants at this time.
I definitely have emotional ties to eating, but I really don't find that it's emotional triggers that usually set me off. I actually find eating FUN, if that makes sense. This is part of the reason I thought vaping might work well as a substitute. The variety of yummy sounding flavors, the neat little device, the act of blowing vapor. It sounds like fun to me.
It definitely hits me at night, usually when I'm by myself. But I'm not a secret eater... I don't hide food or go out for the purposes of binging.
I definitely have some, but not all of the hallmarks. But again, I don't think AD's are the way to go at this time. They have their own risks and nasty side effects as well. More so and more dangerous, I think, than vaping is believed to have at this time.
I used to be a chocoholic, until I found Johnsoncreek chocolate truffle. I rarely eat chocolate now. I also dont like sweets much anymore either. I vape french vanilla all day, and it has a nice sweetness, so it satisfies. But when I first started, I was on chocolate truffle for 3-4 months. Thats when I kicked chocolate, but it stayed that way. So yeah, I think you can sometimes satisfy the cravings by satisfying the pallet. But the body will generally crave foods that offer the vitamins or minerals it lacks as well, so, not a perfect science. But for those items that are just plain yummy, that should be done in moderation, that vapor can sure fill a gap
I used to be a chocoholic, until I found Johnsoncreek chocolate truffle. I rarely eat chocolate now. I also dont like sweets much anymore either. I vape french vanilla all day, and it has a nice sweetness, so it satisfies. But when I first started, I was on chocolate truffle for 3-4 months. Thats when I kicked chocolate, but it stayed that way. So yeah, I think you can sometimes satisfy the cravings by satisfying the pallet. But the body will generally crave foods that offer the vitamins or minerals it lacks as well, so, not a perfect science. But for those items that are just plain yummy, that should be done in moderation, that vapor can sure fill a gap
Yup. We must, of course, draw a line between compulsive eating, and other forms of unhealthy, but not "disordered" eating (boredom,cravings, sweet tooths, etc). For those things, vaping would probably have a much bigger impact than for compulsive/addictive eating.
I had Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream in the fridge, at the same time I mixed up some Mint Chocolate Chip DIY juice.
And that ice cream sat there, untouched, for the week that it took me to kill all the juice I made. And the day after, the ice cream was GONE.
Though admittedly, I am not particular strict about what I eat. I'm enjoying the youthful metabolism while I can.
And also, I already vape. So any tangential effects it may have on my sweet tooth are just a bonus to the bigger issue, which is getting off cigs.
If for whatever reason I was concerned about my eating, but was also a non-smoker, would I pick up vaping to solve that? The answer is still no.
I've been vaping 27 days and have not really gained or lost. I think people who are intaking more water though are adding maybe some water weight which is ok. Nothing to really freak out about. I haven't snacked or changed anything about my eating per say. Nothing big. Might snack a little less now but my sweet tooth is still there lol. Just not as much
That is great that you don't feel the need to go back on them especially with your liver not being well. I was on Cymbalta before my last pregnancy. They switched me to Zoloft during the pregnancy and I just never switched back. I do get salty cravings a lot and can't really find any flavors that would help with that. They seem to all be related to sweets. :shrug:
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