Am I a compulsive overeater

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formerly known as 'cat arranger' - 26 Aug 2004 10:20 GMT

or is that I'm a compulsive shopper and food is
one of the things I buy... and that it is one of the
worst because it hurts my body.

Do you buy thing compulsively or is yours limited
to food?

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Lictor - 26 Aug 2004 10:56 GMT

> or is that I'm a compulsive shopper and food is
> one of the things I buy... and that it is one of the
> worst because it hurts my body.
>
> Do you buy thing compulsively or is yours limited
> to food?

From what I read, compulsive buying is pretty common among bulimics, it's
actually one of the way they can "control" the bingeing. Shoplifting or
nymphomania are not uncommon either. So, there is definately a pattern
there. Though for the food, it seems the important part is actually eating
it, not buying it.

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formerly known as 'cat arranger' - 26 Aug 2004 17:26 GMT

: > or is that I'm a compulsive shopper and food is
: > one of the things I buy... and that it is one of the
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
: there. Though for the food, it seems the important part is actually eating
: it, not buying it.

Do you personally have a problem with overeathing?
Do you have one also with overspending in general?
I feel like I am on the right track here for myself but
apparently not many others, which is cool, just another
fact that helps with what is like a puzzle.

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Lictor - 26 Aug 2004 17:37 GMT

> Do you personally have a problem with overeating?

Yup, but it's improving... I also had binge-eating problems and a short
period of bulimia (though I didn't want to call it that back then).

> Do you have one also with overspending in general?

My girlfriend says so, but my own version is that I'm into just-in-time
budgeting. :p

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Ignoramus24885 - 26 Aug 2004 13:17 GMT

My experience is that I cannot shop for food in a rational manner when
I am hungry. I would, then, buy too much food. These days, though, we
make a list of food to buy with my wife, and I try to stick with it
while shopping. (I shop for groceries in our family)

i

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formerly known as 'cat arranger' - 26 Aug 2004 17:24 GMT

: > or is that I'm a compulsive shopper and food is
: > one of the things I buy... and that it is one of the
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
:
: i

Do you have problems with compulsive buying
in areas other than food, though?

This is very real for me and I think that buying
and money are my problems more than food.
I'm just wondering if others have problems in
buying things too, other than food...

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Ignoramus24885 - 26 Aug 2004 17:37 GMT

>: In article <YXhXc.20191$4o.8017@fed1read01>, formerly known as 'cat
> arranger' wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Do you have problems with compulsive buying
> in areas other than food, though?

Sometimes, relatively rarely, I have an extreme comuplsion to buy
something that, intellectually, I know that I do not need. So, it
happens, just not very often. For example, right now, I really want to
buy a rifle scope with a mil dot reticle, even though, practically
speaking, I do not need one.

> This is very real for me and I think that buying
> and money are my problems more than food.
> I'm just wondering if others have problems in
> buying things too, other than food...

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Lictor - 26 Aug 2004 19:03 GMT

> Sometimes, relatively rarely, I have an extreme comuplsion to buy
> something that, intellectually, I know that I do not need. So, it
> happens, just not very often. For example, right now, I really want to
> buy a rifle scope with a mil dot reticle, even though, practically
> speaking, I do not need one.

lol As for myself, I do have a thing for electronical gizmos. Not because I
need them, but just because I marvel at how they work and all. This reminds
me that this is also described in anorexics; they tend to collect a lot of
small items and "hide" them. Maybe as a kind of substitute for the food
they're not eating. Rats also do that in response to stress. So it's a
pattern common to other mammals too.

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Ignoramus24885 - 26 Aug 2004 19:16 GMT

>> Sometimes, relatively rarely, I have an extreme comuplsion to buy
>> something that, intellectually, I know that I do not need. So, it
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> they're not eating. Rats also do that in response to stress. So it's a
> pattern common to other mammals too.

That's maybe the origin of our term "pack-rat", referrig to people who
like to collect junk... Interesting. By the way, hiding items in
anorexics is a symptom of starvation, not anorexia as such.

About the minnesota starvation experiment:

http://river-centre.org/StarvSympt.html

``In addition to cookbooks and collecting recipes, some of the men
even began collecting coffeepots, hot plates, and other kitchen
utensils. According to the original report, hoarding even extended to
non-food-related items such as "old books, unnecessary second-hand
clothes, knick knacks, and other 'junk.? Often after making such
purchases, which could be afforded only with sacrifice, the men would
be puzzled as to why they had bought such more or less useless
articles"''

i

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jmk - 27 Aug 2004 20:26 GMT

>>Do you have problems with compulsive buying
>>in areas other than food, though?
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> buy a rifle scope with a mil dot reticle, even though, practically
> speaking, I do not need one.

Do you want this for squirrel hunting? BTW, how was the stew?

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jmk in NC

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Chris Braun - 27 Aug 2004 03:44 GMT

>or is that I'm a compulsive shopper and food is
>one of the things I buy... and that it is one of the
>worst because it hurts my body.
>
>Do you buy thing compulsively or is yours limited
>to food?

Well, losing 120 lbs. has turned me into a compulsive clothes shopper

:-).

I can't say I've ever been a compulsive food shopper -- or ever much
enjoyed food shopping. I may have been an impulsive food shopper, but
that's a different thing.

Chris
262/141/ (145-150)

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SnugBear - 27 Aug 2004 16:38 GMT

> I can't say I've ever been a compulsive food shopper -- or ever much
> enjoyed food shopping. I may have been an impulsive food shopper, but
> that's a different thing.

I hear you!

*Can I get out of the store without crackers today?*

(most of the time, I can <s>)

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Walking (but mostly biking!) on . . .
Laurie in Maine
207/110 60 inches of attitude!
Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03

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MH - 28 Aug 2004 05:48 GMT

> > I can't say I've ever been a compulsive food shopper -- or ever much
> > enjoyed food shopping. I may have been an impulsive food shopper, but
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> (most of the time, I can <s>)

I love shopping for food, especially at good stores like Whole Foods or
Trader Joe's. I love it at TJs when they ask at the checkout "did you find
everything OK?" Uh, yeah, duh...

I also always manage to buy more than I planned at Farmers' Markets. I have
to really control myself before I spend a lot, and I can.

Martha

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