Stop Food Addiction

Food addiction is more than over-eating. An over eater is someone who eats too much. A food addict, may or may not over-eat, but when they eat something that they know they ‘shouldn’t’, much like any other addict, they don't stop.

Do you have a food addiction? Ask yourself these questions:

Do you intend on taking a scoop of ice cream but finish the container?

Can you eat large bag of chips and zone out when you’re were doing it?

Do you keep certain foods out of the house, because you know you’ll be tempted?

If I am talking to you, you might be an emotional eater.

Why is it an addiction?

On a positive note, you can overcome this compulsive behavior and these 10 Tip can help

1) Know the trigger foods:These are the foods that you can’t stop eating. For some it’s salty, for others it’s sweets. Beware of them or avoid them altogether.

2) Emotions: get in touch with your feelings. Ask yourself what’s really going on. Are you bored? Angry? Frustrated? Once you acknowledge your feelings you can stop escaping them and take the appropriate action. Ex. Bored? Do something – exercise, call a friend, play video games etc.

3) Danger Zones: When are you most vulnerable to overeat? After work? Lunch time? Take necessary precautions and make a healthy eating plan

4) No Guilt: Guilt serves no purpose other than to make you feel miserable and hopeless. If you feel hopeless, why even try to end your eating obsession Instead, acknowledge that you’re an emotional eater, and get on with taking care of yourself.

5) Snacks: Don’t allow yourself to be hungry. Take healthy snacks from home, and here are more healthy eating tips

6) Say ‘No’: Stand up for yourself. Much like the alcoholic must refuse a drink when it’s offered, a food addict also has to refuse what will trigger a binge. Be polite, but say ‘no’.

7) ‘Diet Foods’: Beware of low cal cookies, sugar free stuff, and ‘diet food’. Two diet cookies may be 40 calories, but a food addict doesn’t only eat two.

8) Punishment: If you’ve eaten too much don’t punish yourself by letting yourself go and eat more ‘bad food’. What’s done is done. Get back on track.

9) Eat: This can sound like conflicting advice, but it’s not. When you’ve eaten too much many addicts compensate by skipping meals. This doesn’t work. It will only lead to hunger, binging and an eating disorder

10) Take Power: When you have this obsession you feel that food controls you – not true. Because you have a brain, you have the power to stop, but you may need help with it. Get counseling or coaching for individual help

join a weight loss group, or Overeaters Anonymous. If you’ve been trying and trying without much success -- Get help!!

Never tell yourself that ‘you can’t’ succeed. If you tell yourself ‘you can’t’, you won’t make it. Accept that you have an addiction -- and like many others, although it’s not easy, it’s possible change the way you think and take control of your life

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