How To Beat The Food Addiction Once And For All

Take a minute to think about how prevalent food is in our society. It’s the living and breathing force behind everything we do, from hang outs to social events, to daily breaks and evening retirements. Food is something most of us revolve our days around.

And those who are addicted to food take this a step even further – especially if they’re hungry. In this case, the person usually reaches for just about any time of food, without thinking about its nutritional value, and they eat and eat and eat, even after they’ve fulfilled their hunger. And as they continue to eat, they’re going to find unhealthy foods and meals even more attractive, and they will satisfy their craving.

And the sad part is – a lot of them don’t even know they’re a part of this food addiction. They just keep eating whatever they want, no matter what time or if they’ve reached their caloric intact for the day. And unfortunately, this isn’t a case of ‘ignorance is bliss.’

After all, the more they give in to this addiction, the less likely they are to have a high quality of life. In fact, they might not have much of a life at all. It might even get cut short.

But battling food addiction isn’t easy. And one of the main reasons why it isn’t is because of the companies that keep us there. This includes the restaurant industry and the creators behind most of our packaged food. They test tons and tons of different unhealthy ingredients in order to blind us and get us addicted to their foods. This way, we can’t fight food addiction, because we’ve already become blinded.

. This is everyone from chefs, scientists, marketers and basically any company that wants to keep us liking unhealthy food. They continue to make the food addicting and even more appetizing to us.

In fact, they spend much of their time trying out various kinds of ratios with fat to sodium to sugar, in order to feed our addiction. Then, they plaster layers upon layers of food on one another to make you feel like you’re on a high….. for a total of 15 minutes.

Think about it. When you give yourself some kind of sweet candy, a meal bursting full of sodium and calories, or even some majorly processed food, you know the feeling. You get pretty happy for a little while. But then, after a while, that happy feeling starts to wear off (pretty fast, in fact.) And then your body goes right back to normal. However, you start craving to get that feeling again. And every time you eat that kind of food – whatever it is –your body is going to eat it more and more. And you’re literally training your body to eat like crap in order to get that feeling.

Sound familiar?

Kind of sounds like when someone is addicted to drugs. But it’s pretty similar. The way these foods are made up – with the intent of luring you in and never letting go.

But you can’t blame the entire restaurant industry or the chefs or whoever. In fact, they’re just following instructions. And think about it – they’re in the food industry to make some major cash. Here’s the double whammy –we all pay for it. Day after day, we keep funding their behavior.

When you lovingly gaze over at that bowl full of M&M’s, and you literally cannot focus on anything else. Or when you eat that yummy appetizer at your favorite restaurant, yet you still have room for a whole meal.

But now we’re going to change.

Even though we tend to follow our own footsteps and fall into a pattern, even with overeating and unhealthy foods, we’re going to change that. You can say no to your everyday bowl of popcorn.

You need to take control back in your life and your future. So remember that every food choice you make will affect this.

And this isn’t just going on a diet. This is making permanent changes, and life-altering decisions.

What Causes Food Addiction?

Here’s what you should know first.

Be aware of the industry.

Take a good look at the times and situations when you tend to overeat. Ask yourself how you feel before you’ve begun eating or where these feelings come from. Once you’ve recognized these scenarios, you’re going to be able to fight back harder.

The time to change is now. 

Habits are hard to break if you drive past a McDonald’s every day on your way home from work and you just have to stop for a McFlurry. Or McNuggets. Or something else quick, easy and cheap.

So guess what? It’s time to change it up. Go a different way home from work, so you don’t see a McDonalds. If you come home from work and chow down on a bag of pretzels, get rid of all the snack food in your house. Or come home and instead of eating, go for a walk, take your dog outside, play with your kids, etc. This is how you’re going to get out of these unhealthy habits and head right into healthier habits.

Reset your mindset. 

How much do you think you eat in a sitting? Is it the right amount? Odds are, the answer here is no, especially if you’re eating out. The portion size we are served at restaurants is about twice the size we need. Which means you are likely eating more calories in a day than what you need. Here’s how you can fix that  – write down absolutely everything that goes into your mouth. Then, check to see how many calories there are in the meals you eat on a regular basis.

This is your way of getting your brain used to realizing how much food you should be eating – and how much you’ve been overeating. Remember – even if it’s in front of you, you don’t have to eat it.

Focus on the Long Term

When it comes to food, it’s hard to think beyond the moment. After all, those M&M’s might be delicious in this moment, and for the future 30 minutes, but what about after that? What about the long term? Instead, try to remember how great it’ll be when you hear people asking if you’ve lost weight, because you passed up on those unhealthy choices.

If it helps, think about the food in the most negative and disgusting way you can. When you embrace the idea of avoiding these bad ideas, the whole blindness that comes along with food addiction is going to fade away.

Get Rid of your Emotions

Listen, we aren’t just dealing with our stomachs and our brains. We’re dealing with some emotions too. Which means things are going to be pretty freaking hard. So before you head on your way to dinner, tell yourself that you don’t like soda or french fries. No candy or eating while in the car.

After you embed these rules into your head, it’s going to be a lot easier to avoid these terrible foods. You won’t say to yourself, “Oh, I will just eat this one and then I’ll put the bag away.” You simply won’t break any rules, period.

Support is Ideal

You need some major support during any big change in your life, right?

Right. So get it here, too. Are you living with someone?

Tell him or her your plan and how they can help. Ask them to avoid bringing home unhealthy foods or asking to go out to dinner at unhealthy restaurants. You can also work with your husband or wife to make healthy meals for everyone, setting all new rules for the entire house.

Those are the major keys to success. You’ve got the mental skills down to a T. So now you’ve got to fight even harder.

How Do I Fight Food Addiction?

First, step up to the plate. You can’t make any more excuses, or tell yourself that you can’t do it. You can do it, because you have control over your life. There is always going to be a “tomorrow.” Instead, focus on today, and get it done.

Next, get rid of any craziness in your life. You don’t want to make any impulse decisions during this time. So stay away from vending machines, fast food places, and restaurants. You want to make sure you plan each meal out, so you make the right decisions. If you’re heading out to dinner and don’t have much of a choice, then look at the menu ahead of time. Pick a healthy item and stick with it.

Don’t deviate from the planned item you figured out before time. Picking out meals or dishes beforehand will ensure you make the right choice, instead of a quick last-minute decision, where your stomach speaks over your mind.

You also want to go for meals that are high in both fiber and protein. According to numerous studies, protein is going to be the most fulfilling nutrient you can get. Why? Because it empties out your stomach at a rate of 4 calories within 60 seconds, which is pretty impressive. When you look at simple sugar, which only empties the stomach at about 10 calories in a minute, you’re going to get pretty hungry pretty fast, no matter how long ago you ate it.

Foods that have a ton of fiber are equally satisfying because they are digested a lot slower. So your diet needs to consists of fruits, lean meats, whole grains, veggies, and nuts. That’s what it needs to be and that’s what you need to stick with.

Important to Remember When You Are Dealing With Food Addiction…

Even when you mess up, don’t throw in the towel. Keep fighting! You are going to have some times when you just can’t follow the rules to a T. Whether you’re traveling for work, at a wedding or a party, and you’re starving with no other choices, it might happen. You will slip up sometimes. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up entirely.

Accept that sometimes, it’s going to happen and you’re going to get right back up.

And we aren’t saying you need to start over on another week or another day. Just because you have one bad meal doesn’t mean your entire plan is shot. Just alter the rest of the day so it makes up for it. Don’t completely go off the wagon because of one meal. Instead, refresh your memory with your goal and keep going forward. It’s critical that you don’t lose motivation or drive – this is a lifestyle change, remember? It isn’t just a diet. And you can’t change your entire life in a few weeks time. It takes longer than that. So keep going, no matter what might happen along the way. Bumps are to be expected.

Another important aspect – keep your training up. Exercising is one of the best ways for you to keep your weight down. And we aren’t just saying that because it burns major calories. But when you exercise, you’re a lot less likely to go nuts with food.

Your mindset changes up – you think, Huh. I don’t really want this ice cream. Because I’m going to exercise tonight. It’s going to lead to future healthy habits in the long run and help you stay focused on your goal. Exercise and diet changes go hand in hand, so boost your chances of success.

Conclusion

And finally, we want you to fight back on food addiction. Like we said, you can do this. You don’t have to give in to this system. With some proper planning and dedication, mixed with some support, you can do this. We’re giving you the tools – now it’s up to you to build it.

-Terry Asher