How to overcome food addiction
'21.08.2017'
In previous two articles I offered you 2 tests to fill out. If, after passing them, you understand that you have food addiction, today's material is for you.
Today we will talk with you about ways to overcome food addiction, and if you have any questions, you can ask them in the comments.
1. Theory
Knowledge is power. If you encounter this problem, you should understand it. You need to study the relevant literature on nutrition, or if you do not have time to understand this issue, contact a nutritionist, nutraceutical.
Many people make the same mistake - they start to try different diets, which in most cases do not give results or give a very short-term result. Do not forget that every failed time reduces not only faith in a positive result, but also the so-called "swing" of weight, lowers the metabolic processes, which each time complicates not only the process of weight loss, but also reducing portions.
When you figured out which program or method is right for you, you can proceed to the next step.
2. Purpose and motivation
Without some lofty goal or motivation a person cannot abstain for a long time. If you decide to change your diet, you need to ask yourself "why am I doing this". If you do it in order to look beautiful in front of a husband, boyfriend, wife, friends, parents, etc., this goal will not support you for a long time. After all, today we adore our friends, and tomorrow we hate them, and in retaliation we will buy a kilo of Napoleon. If we need serious long-term changes in our lives, then the motivation should be directed at ourselves, for the sake of our health, for the sake of good health and a pleasant appearance, for our own sake. Meaning and purpose must be internal - that is, they come from within and reflect our deepest values and life priorities.
3. Practice
It is necessary to understand first of all that our mind on its own cannot cope with addiction. Addiction is an emotional and physiological factor. In other words, on one dry willpower, you cannot last long, no matter how strong the will is. Only one restriction and obsessive thoughts that you are on a diet, increase the need for this or that product or simply increase your appetite, and the chances of "breaking out" begin to grow steadily. It turns out that in order to cope with food addiction, you need to gradually rebuild your personality, your priorities and values.
That is, turning to practice, do not start immediately with hard fasting days, as many diets advise us. Proceed to a balanced diet gradually.
You have determined which foods fell into the rank of food addiction. Begin gradually reduce their use. For example: the first week try to abandon fast food, finding an equivalent replacement for this. A hamburger can easily replace a sandwich in pita bread with salmon and vegetables. And french fries - the same potato but cooked in the oven. It is both tasty and healthy.
If you are addicted to sweets, then chocolates can be replaced with dried fruits in chocolate (dates, dried apricots, prunes), etc. Do not forget that the more tasty the healthy food is, the easier it will be to give up harmful products.
Another point is the availability of food. The easier you get the forbidden fruit, the easier it is for other people to receive it, the easier it is to get hooked on this product. Restrict access to products that cause you addiction.
4. Worldview
Our behavior depends on our environment. We can regulate our behavior by changing the elements of our daily working life and social circle. Find like-minded people with whom you would talk about healthy eating every day. Maybe your girlfriend has a similar problem, you can start to deal with yourself together.
You can also take part in the so-called fitness tours, where people gather with the same problem. My club also holds them. Such psychological support will produce a strong effect, because now the environment around you gives you the opportunity to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Change your internal attitude to the process of weight loss. Think differently. Vegetarians are not forced to become vegetarians. They independently make such a decision. And most importantly, it does not oppress them, but rather elevates them. The fact that you deny yourself junk food is not bad. You strengthen your health, the shape comes in shape, you have more energy, etc.
5. Habit
"Habit over us is given, it is a replacement for happiness." A.S. Pushkin
When you go through all three stages, your appetite will be normalized, the craving for harmful products will decrease, the emotional state will come back to normal - there remains a small matter - to develop a new eating habit. And it takes time.
If we perform the same actions every day, they will become a habit after a certain time. You will not need to think about what is, how much and when, you will just do it at the reflex level.
But do not forget that in order to obtain such an effect, you need to monitor your diet for at least 40 days in a row.
The right eating habits that will help overcome food dependence
1. Try to limit the use of products that fall into the category of food addiction. For example, if you are a sweet tooth, do not go to the shops in the departments of sweet, do not buy sweet home.
2. Make yourself an optimal diet. If you want to get rid of food addiction, you must clearly understand which way to go. Make a diet for yourself, which you will stick to in the coming days. Prepare the products in advance. We often overeat or eat junk food because there is no alternative. If you want to approach this more professionally, ask for help from a specialist (nutritionist), who will draw up a nutrition plan individually, taking into account all the features of your body.
3. Eat little, but often. The longer you are without food, the stronger the feeling of hunger. Temporary diet will help reduce appetite and, as a consequence, the volume of consumed portions. It is recommended to eat every 3-4 hours.
4. Eat slowly. We enjoy food only when it is in the mouth. The slower you eat, the more saturated you will get from a smaller amount of food.
5. Find an equivalent replacement for your favorite products. For example: replace Moscow sausage with dried chicken breast, potato chips with apple chips, fatty ice cream with frozen yogurt, chocolates with chocolate or dried fruit with chocolate. You will not only eat tasty, but also more healthy food.
6. Choose a low-calorie drink to replace your favorite food. Very often we use the so-called hidden calories, which are contained in sweet soda, packaged juice, etc. Replace these drinks with more useful ones, for example: cocoa with milk without sugar, green tea with apples and cinnamon, compote without sugar, etc. .
7. Do not eat from the packaging. Treat the food process more respectfully. Do not eat on the go out of the package, standing or watching TV. Eating should be conscious, and the products are laid out on your favorite plate. When we eat on the go, the body does not catch how much we ate, and the volume of portions increases.
In our society, many behaviors that destroy our body are considered normal. We rarely even think about such a thing as food addiction. The cult of food in our society is strong enough and affects our behavior. But if you ask yourself the question “what do I really need?”, “How do I want to live my life?”, Then each person will decide in his own favor, right?
A person who has a sufficient amount of time and the ability to organize himself independently can cope with food addiction. Often, people who have food addiction, have neither time nor organization. In order to preserve health, appearance, harmony with your personality, first of all you need to learn how to eat in accordance with your physiology.
Harm that brings overweight is difficult to overestimate. Overweight is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, such as:
• cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke);
• diabetes;
• musculoskeletal disorders (especially osteoarthritis);
• certain types of cancer (endometrial, ovarian, breast and colon cancer).
I wish you all to feel the long-awaited freedom from food!
