Do you have food addiction? There are many reasons that we develop food addictions and the majority of them are psychological. Even the way you want your body to look is a psychological problem. That said, it is also important to recognize addiction to certain foods, which can develop just as an addiction to alcohol or drugs. Sometimes the eating response is a reaction to something traumatic in your life which then becomes difficult to escape.
The biggest problem with society and the topic of food addiction is that it goes unrecognized. There are two different types of addiction to food. The first is emotional and the second is physical, which applies to certain food types. Food addiction is not about a lack of willpower, it is caused by the intense signal our body sends to biochemistry of our brain. Just like with any other addiction. There are many studies that support the fact that food addiction is a real problem.
There is no blood test to diagnose food addiction. But there are some behavioral signs which can help you to recognize if you have an addiction or not. If you can relate to 4-5 of these, then you probably do have a serious problem with food. If you can relate to 6 or more, then you are most likely a food addict. Here they are:
You often get cravings for certain foods, despite feeling full and having just finished a good meal.
When you give in and start eating the food you were craving, you often find yourself eating much more than you intended to.
When you eat the food you were craving, you sometimes eat to the point of feeling excessively 'stuffed'.
You often feel guilty after eating particular foods, yet find yourself eating them again soon after.
You sometimes make excuses in your head about why you should eat something that you are craving.
You have repeatedly tried to quit eating or setting rules about certain foods, but been unsuccessful.
You often hide your consumption of unhealthy foods from others.
You feel unable to control your consumption of unhealthy foods, despite knowing that they are causing you physical harm (includes weight gain).
If you find yourself addicted to some foods, it cannot usually be overcome by simply giving up the source. If this was that easy this problem wouldn't exist at all. When a person becomes addicted to something the entire lifestyle has to change. By replacing one behavior with another. For this reason some people start smoking, drinking or do some other crazy things. They substitute one bad habit with another bad habit. Instead, you need to substitute bad habits with good ones. Find what can it be. Can it be sport, volleyball, puzzles, gardening, it can be anything at all. Start doing it on regular basis. Stop hanging out with people who influence you to eat what you should not. Making social changes will be far more effective in dealing with food addiction than simply staying in the same lifestyle and trying not to eat the food. Important! Cut on sugar and caffeine, as these two are stimulants which trigger your brain and help any addiction to be stronger. And keep in mind that addiction is directly linked to loneliness and lack of life satisfaction.
If you feel you need more guidance and support to fight food addiction, you can purchase the coaching program Emotional Eating and I will help you to overcome this issue and to get back to mindful eating.