Five Ways to Overcome a Food Addiction
For most of my life, I started off each week with good intentions for cleaning up my nutrition. I wrote out a meal plan that included my breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners. Then I would get my groceries, and spend Sunday mornings prepping so that healthy options could be easy to grab. I followed along fairly well during the workdays, then on my drive home, I would often fall off the wagon. My thoughts would be consumed with what foods I really wanted to be eating (sugary treats or fried fast food).
Too often, I have given in to this temptation, stopping at the drive-thru to feed my fix. Then I would still eat my planned dinner. But I often found it inadequate, so I ended up eating more snacks when out and about later. Weekends were usually worse, with a fast-food lunch being more of a habit than an exception. Why is junk food so appealing? I truly believe it is an addiction, as powerful as alcohol or cocaine. However, it is worse in a way, because we are surrounded by it everywhere we go.
Wanting Change is Not Enough
My wish was to want it more. To achieve my goals to look better, feel better, be better and do better. So why did I give up so easily, each and every day? For every good choice, there were at least two poor choices. I never felt well physically afterward. It’s a short-term high. Often, it didn’t even taste as I expected, and it became a waste of empty calories. It was more of a habit than a desire. I have always had difficulty breaking this chain of habits, even if I mapped out my entire day’s food choices. It’s one thing to know HOW to eat right, but quite another to make these good choices in the moment.
I only managed to get down to my ideal weight a couple of times, but never stayed there for long. My addictions were strong, my cravings fierce, and my ingrained habits too powerful. I couldn’t stand feeling sick and bloated anymore, and I could feel my digestive system and body functions deteriorating. The way I was eating meant I had very low energy. I couldn’t stand seeing my reflection in a mirror, or full body shots in pictures. I had to make a change, and I was at rock bottom.
How to Make Lasting Change?
Over the years, I had learned several ways to overcome these habits, and by starting to incorporate some of them in a way that worked for me, I slowly began to see more success. The main reason for my previous lack of success was that my food plan was not specific enough. Also, the effort to make it appealing was lacking. When I started to put way more thought into my plan, I started to see more significant change. Recently, it’s been more like two steps forward and one step back. I am moving forward. I am moving in the right direction. The temptation is still there, and every day is a struggle, but I am slowly winning the battle.
My Top Five Ways to Overcome Food Addiction
1. Have a visual plan that allows you to check off times and access it easily and frequently.
Previously, I tracked all my food in a book. However, I didn’t look at this book at all until the end of the day after the damage was done. I tried taking a picture of the pages, but I still wasn’t using this tool in a way that kept me accountable. There was a need for a tool that I could look at frequently, and check items off as I went. I started using the Notes section of my phone to list then cross off the foods I wanted to eat. Every time I had a food decision to make, I would open the Notes app. I also had success using MyFitnessPal (a free app) to track my macros for the day. By entering the food into the app in advance, I could have a visual plan.
2. Put it off until later, rather than giving in to the craving right away.
Some days one bad choice led to another. I would have the mentality that the day was ruined so I might as well start over the next day. I might have gone out for a fast-food lunch, then grabbed a donut and iced cap on the way home. Then not eating enough of my healthy dinner, I would perhaps grab more treats in the evening. A strategy that held a great deal of power was to put it off until later. Instead of telling yourself, you can’t ever have the food you want, tell yourself you can have it later. When I wanted a different lunch, I would say, not right now. Eat the lunch you packed, and get the food later on the way home. Then after school, I’d tell myself to eat the planned snack, and I could get the treat later.
After dinner, I always seemed to crave something sweet. Instead of getting completely off track, I would have a small spoonful of dark chocolate chips. I would tell myself it would have to wait until later in the evening. Even if I did fail later in the evening, I at least avoided three or four lapses along the way. I developed the habit of not giving in to that craving right away. Usually, by the time I got there, the urge would not be raging quite as strong. I would have something else less injurious. Or, I could indulge if I really wanted it. One unplanned item, rather than a whole day’s worth, usually wouldn’t be detrimental to my overall progress anyhow.
3. Set a quota of healthy foods, and adopt a “Do” rather than a “Don’t” mentality.
I would decide how many servings of veggies, fruits, grains, and protein sources I wanted to consume in the day. Then, I would put these numbers into my plan. My main downfall was that I always ate the majority of my day’s calories outside of these sources of nutrition. Instead, I would consume sugar, sodium, starch, and fat. Focusing on my consumption goal ensured that I got enough of these nutrients. I would have less room for the other temptations if I had truly filled up and fuelled my body properly.
There is power in saying that I WILL eat a protein shake with greens, berries, and almond milk. I will snack on Greek yogurt with berries and a veggie bag. Lunch will be a tuna sandwich on whole wheat high-fiber bread and an apple. Chicken, brown rice, green beans, and a garden salad will be my dinner, with a square of dark chocolate. This is more powerful than saying: I will NOT eat any fast food, pop, chocolate, baked goods, or ice cream. This shift contributes to the mindset of not obsessing over what we can’t have. Instead, we focus on the things we MUST eat for our bodies to feel good and function at optimal levels.
4. Plan alternatives for triggers that you know will throw you off track, as well as for the unexpected.
I know my triggers and triggering times of day very well. It is never a problem eating healthy at breakfast, and for a morning snack at work. I sometimes crave fast food for lunch, so I make sure that I pack a lunch that I will enjoy. I have to like it if I’m going to follow through. Even if it’s not a green salad, it will still be a far better choice than a burger and fries. My major trigger is to see pictures of baked goods and fast food. Whether it’s scrolling social media, seeing ads, or driving past billboards. My drive home is the worst time for this, as I pass by so many convenient places to stop. I need a healthy snack to stave off any sort of hunger, which is really just a craving in disguise.
The hour before dinner can also be when genuine hunger sets in; rather than mindlessly eat whatever is on hand I should not keep unhealthy options in the house. I should have a plan of what I will turn to at this time. I need to eat enough greens at dinner, and adequate protein, while reducing my carb or starch. For the after-dinner sugar craving, I try to limit myself to a small amount of dark chocolate. The milk chocolate variety can trigger a binger, so I am careful not to buy these!
We eat dinner early due to our work schedules and kids’ sports, so I often feel hunger in the evening. This can be a problem when out, with many temptations for a quick sugar or fat fix. Stopping at the grocery store is another key time for cravings to kick in. We are surrounded by junk food at every turn. I need to make sure I’m never going into a store on an empty stomach. I have a backup snack in my purse and chew my favorite gum. These strategies help me to stick to my list and get in and out quickly.
5. Have a few “go-to” snacks on hand to turn to if needed to help fight the craving until the next meal.
Last, but of the utmost importance, is having “go-to” snack options for my key trigger times. This is what I always used to fail to plan for. My main meals would be fine, but it would be those in-between moments when the next meal felt too far away, and I didn’t have an adequate, nutritionally balanced snack that was convenient. I would turn to the convenience of junk food when I was rushed and had a lot to get done. This “tide me over snack” could easily turn into half the day’s required calories. The perceived lack of time to make something healthy would lead to rash choices as soon as I went out.
Ideas for these must be things you will enjoy and will taste good to you. My protein shakes, portioned cheese, raw veggies, apples, granola bars, or almonds are easy to have prepared and on hand. By actively putting what snacks you need to pack into your Notes app, you will never find yourself completely starving. You will at least have enough to get you home to make a better choice. It’s best to keep these snack options simple, portable, and easy to throw in your bag. It’s also good to stick to similar things that you know you will eat. If you don’t have a plan for these trigger moments, your cravings will always win.
The war with food addiction is completely psychological. You have to actively make a positive choice, over and over again, as you face dozens of decisions about food. By using these tools, you should feel like you have a solid plan for your whole day. It takes time and effort, but saves you so much decision fatigue the next day. The hard part is of course executing the plan. By making your plan more fool-proof, with key times and snacks, and deliberate strategies to avoid your triggers, you will be better equipped to fight this battle, one food choice at a time.
