How To Conquer Food Addiction

Food addiction is a growing problem in America, and it has made a huge contribution to the obesity rates in this country. If you already exemplify some signs of food addiction, now is the time to refocus your goals and take control of your life. Today we are going at how to conquer addiction so you have a path to follow moving forward.

1 – Know If You Are A Food Addict

Earlier this week, we looked at signs of food addiction that you need to watch out for, like eating when you are not hungry or feeling depressed after you eat. Any symptoms you may associate with drug or alcohol addiction can be apparent in food addiction, even if food is not designed to be addictive like hard substances. If you feel out of control when you eat throughout the day, you have a problem that needs to be solved. Keep reading!

2 – Understand Why You Developed An Addiction

Food addictions usually don't just crop up over night. They are the result of using food as a coping mechanism, perhaps to replace a feeling that you may be missing in life. For example, if you lost a loved one and started gaining weight shortly after that, chances are you used food to compensate for the loss. Once you can identify the source of your addiction, you can work on improving the underlying problem and ultimatelygetting healthy once again.

3 – Avoid Processed Foods

A recent study from the University of Michigan showed that processed foods are just as addictive as hard drugs. Pizza, burgers, fries, and almost anything you can get from a fast food restaurant is highly addictive. Healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, do not send the same addictive signals to the brain that processed foods send. You can control your food intake easier when you have the right foods in your diet.

4 – Start A New Hobby

Sometimes all you need is something new to focus your energy o to get away from bad eating habits. Try a new hobby that you have always wanted to get into, like gardening, jogging. Or photography. If your hobby involves you being more active throughout the day, that's even better. You'll be able to use that activity to lose weight and start feeling better about yourself. If you can build up your self-esteem, you may not feel as enslaved by your food.

5 – Consciously Control Your Eating

This is the most important step of all: you must identify when you are eating excessively and make a conscious effort to cut back. In other words, "just say no." You don't have to stop eating entirely, but you should manage your food intake. Eat only enough to get full, and try not to eat a lot of food in one setting. If you need to curb your cravings throughout the day, keep some health snacks around that you can grab on the go. Once this becomes part of your routine, you won't have to worry as much about food addiction.

Don't wait any longer to get your body and your life back in shape. A better life is waiting for you right now.