How to Overcome Food Addiction

When people think of chemical dependencies, cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol immediately come to mind. Most people never consider that food addiction is just as powerful and damaging as any other compulsive disorder. If you suffer from this disorder, you are not alone. It is an underreported, but widespread problem that has affected many people. Like any other emotional dependence, once you resolve the underlying cause of the emotional dependence on food, you can break free of it, but there are several things that you can do to help yourself work through food addiction and improve your quality of life.

Instructions

1. Accept yourself for who you are, faults and all. You are not perfect. No one is perfect. And there's nothing wrong with that. You do have a problem, and you are going to work hard to overcome it, but you can overcome food addiction if you believe that you are strong enough to do so.

2. Stop eating while you are doing anything else. When you eat, just focus on eating and not on your book or movie or the web site you are visiting. The goal is for you to be fully aware of yourself while you are eating, and to break the cycle of habitual eating that makes up such a large part of food addiction.

3. Use smaller plates. Part of food addiction is feeling obligated to finish everything that is on your plate, no matter how full or close to bursting you are. By using smaller plates, you are not able to fill it with as much food and are thus less likely to binge. In cases of eating out, when your food arrives, immediately take half of it and box it up to take home, then place it out of sight.

4. Be aware of what you are thinking and feeling when you feel that sudden desire for food. People subject to food addiction are likely to be thinking negative, irrational thoughts, particularly about themselves. When you have these thoughts, stop yourself immediately and ask yourself why you are thinking this. Return to step 1 and accept yourself, and replace those negative thoughts with positive affirmations that you are stronger than your desires.

5. Find alternative methods to relieve stress. Go for a walk, take a bath, play a video game. Find something that both relaxes and engages you. A big part of overcoming food addiction is finding alternative methods of dealing with those negative feelings and thoughts that you are depending on food to soothe.

Tips & Warnings

• Seek support from people around you. If they really care about you, they will do whatever they can to support and help you with your problem.

• Read step 1 again. Accept yourself as a valid, worthy person who deserves to be happy.

• Avoid dieting. Trying to force yourself onto a diet perpetuates those negative feelings and only intensifies the desire to engage in the compulsive overeating that is the primary outlet of food addiction.