New ask Hacker News story: Ask HN: Food Addiction

Ask HN: Food Addiction
24 by magusd | 37 comments on Hacker News.
I'm very obsessive and it makes me very susceptible to addictions. I have very poor moderation but I've got strong will power. I was able to stopped smoking, drinking alcohol and playing video games by just getting rid of all the "paraphernalia" and quitting cold turkey. After a good year or so of complete abstinence, I was able to introduce those things back in my life and exercise moderation. I could drink socially and play video games without harming my work productivity, etc. Now I'm struggling with food addiction, which ended up being my escape valve and receiving all my obsession after I quit everything else. I've tried fasting and I was able to do 18h fasts daily with no problem and even go over a week without eating, just on water and herbal tea. But that completely messed up my habits, metabolism and relationship with food, and I'm now struggling to follow a schedule and any kind of diet. So I was looking for a way to "quit food" without the unpleasant side effect of death. This is not about weight, I'm a bit overweight yes, but I exercise and am able to keep a decent shape. The real problem is that my blood work is starting to approach the higher ends of what is considered ok. And I'd love to avoid becoming diabetic and obese in my later life. I'd love to know if anyone has been able to completely replace food with protein powders and vitamins, hospital liquid diet, or any other alternative. The idea here is to abstain from food for a full year and then restart eating normally with a light balanced diet with a nutritionist's help. Has anyone done this or is familiar with the supporting science? What is recommended or non-obvious mistakes to avoid? Thanks!

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