When Food Becomes Your Drug of Choice–Fighting the Food Addiction

Kathy thought about food constantly. Since quitting drinking, it seemed Kathy’s appetite had increased significantly. She ate healthy food and always included fruits and vegetables with her meals, so she told herself the food was good for her. However, if a little was good, a whole lot was better when it came to the way Kathy had been eating. It had been that way with alcohol, too. She drank way too much and couldn’t seem to quit when she got started. That’s why she quit drinking. Now she had started to wonder if she had replaced one addiction with another. Was food becoming Kathy’s drug of choice?

{+}

At every party or get together, Kathy seemed compelled to try every type of food at the gathering. She often found herself milling about the buffet table and realized that she was more interested in the food that was being served than she was about what she was going to wear. A far difference from the way she had been in the past. But Kathy didn’t want to return to her old ways of drinking in an effort to fight her food addiction. She needed help and support.

What’s the difference between normal food craving and food addiction? While we all have cravings for our favorite foods now and then, an excessive and constant interest in food may indicate a problem. Ask yourself these ten questions to determine if you are addicted to food.

1. Do you think about food a majority of your waking hours?
2. Do you use food as a means of comforting yourself?
3. When you go to a party do you find yourself lingering around the buffet table most of the night?
4. Do you hide food or eat food secretly?
5. Do you sometimes feel ashamed of the way that you eat?
6. When you eat do you feel elated?
7. Do you continue to eat past the point of satisfaction?
8. Do you have an addictive personality?
9. Has it ever been determined that you were addicted to any other stimulant?
10. Is there any certain food that you must have every day?

There are several options that are available to treat food addiction. Doctors including psychologists can help as well as nutritionists, counselors, or eating disorder specialists. There are group support programs such as Overeaters Anonymous that have meetings in different areas and also online.

Drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day will help to curb your appetite and cleanse your body of toxins. Begin exercising gradually and aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Try to stay active as much as is physically healthy for your body type. This will give your mind something else to be preoccupied with instead of eating.

Make your health a priority in your life. Don’t allow an addiction to food or any other substance rule your existence. Seek professional help, if you need it and find a support team that will be there when you want some encouragement.

A diet rich in vitamins and nutrients, based on a five meal a day plan may help you to lose weight and break your unhealthy food addiction. The Fitness4Her Diet is based on healthy eating habits that allow you to love food and enjoy eating while preparing your meals with less salt, saturated fat, cholesterol and sugar.