How to get rid of food addiction step by step technology.

How to get rid of food addiction: advice from psychologists

Along with nicotine or alcohol addiction, food addiction stands out: it has only psychological roots, and ultimately negatively affects human health.

What is food addiction: symptoms, signs, test ^

Food addiction is a condition in which a person cannot control the amount of food consumed, or uses it not to satisfy hunger, but for other purposes: to relieve anxiety, obtain positive emotions, etc.

Thus, food becomes not a means of satisfying appetite, but a way of solving problems at work, in personal life or in finance.

There are three types of food addiction:

• Overeating: a person cannot control the amount of food, tries to eat it under any stress;
• Bulimia: this is a serious psychological disease in which there is an awareness that one should not fill the stomach like that, and patients often combine foods that a healthy person cannot eat;
• Anorexia: This is the moment when people begin to believe that thinness and beauty are the same thing. An aversion to food appears, people begin to see themselves as fat in the mirror, although in reality they are not.

Symptoms of food addiction appear as follows:

• Constantly increasing the amount of food for a long time;
• Lack of self-control: for example, instead of eating 1-2 candies, a person wants to eat them until overeating occurs;
• Frequent thoughts about food, concern about what to eat today, what to cook delicious;
• The desire to “eat up” stress;
• If you cannot eat your favorite dish, a person experiences physical suffering;
• Inability to stop until all food is eaten;
• Eating food at night, secretly from other family members;
• Desire to enjoy food and eat alone;
• Feelings of guilt after eating;
• Negative reaction to criticism from others that one should not eat so much;
• Lack of endurance: for example, after lunch a person sees a chocolate bar, and he has a desire to eat it whole.

How food addiction develops

Psychological food addiction develops in stages:

• At first, a person cannot deny himself his favorite food, does not control his portions, and overeats;
• Then there is a desire to eat even at night, and absolutely any food;
• Then awareness of the problem comes, and if it cannot be solved, then a feeling of guilt sets in.

To identify this disease, you can take a food addiction test by answering “yes” or “no”:

• I have a fear of gaining weight;
• I refuse to eat even when I feel very hungry;
• I am constantly worried about food;
• I often eat uncontrollably;
• When I exercise, I think about burning calories;
• I try to eat only diet foods;
• I enjoy food, so I eat very often;
• I eat to calm down, not to satisfy my hunger.

By answering yes to more than two questions, you can confidently state the presence of signs of food addiction. If 50% of the answers are affirmative, it means there is a moderate or severe form of addiction.

Even if the problem is only at the initial stage, it is necessary to get rid of food addiction in a timely manner, because... in this case, eliminate it.

What can happen if you don't overcome food addiction?:

• Obesity;
• Diseases of internal organs;
• Diabetes;
• Development of complexes;
• Temporary cessation of breathing during sleep;
• Increased cholesterol levels;
• Severe exhaustion.

How to deal with food addiction

To overcome food addiction at an early stage, you must adhere to several rules:

• You can’t completely give up your favorite food: this can lead to a breakdown, which has the worst consequences;
• Do not create inventories. If the refrigerator is full of food, the desire to snack will constantly arise, so it is best to have a minimum set of provisions;
• Avoid temptations. When entering a store, you need to clearly know what you need to buy. Otherwise, there is a risk of purchasing a lot of extra food and, as a result, overeating at home;
• Exercise regularly. With a sedentary lifestyle, people are more likely to want to eat than those who exercise;
• Eat only when you feel hungry.

How to get rid of food addiction on your own: recommendations from psychologists and nutritionists ^

How to get rid of food addiction: reviews and results of those who have lost weight

Psychotherapy for food addiction

Seeing a psychotherapist is the right decision and should be used in the following cases:

• With constant overeating and lack of self-control;
• With an obsession to lose weight even when it is not at all necessary;
• For obesity resulting from frequent consumption of food in large quantities.

Addictive Food Additives

Food addiction has psychological roots even when it was acquired as a result of consuming foods containing food additives. Which substances are considered the most harmful:

• Sodium glutamate (E621): it is added to improve the taste. It is found in fast food, bouillon cubes, processed foods, crackers, chips and store-bought sauces;
• Corn syrup with fructose: it contains fructose, which improves its taste. It is present in confectionery and flour products;
• Sweeteners: they do make drinks lower in calories, but they greatly stimulate appetite, as a result of which a person begins to eat food uncontrollably and gains weight.

How to treat food addiction in children

Very often, parents unconsciously create this problem in their children. To avoid obesity, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

• If a child is crying, there is no need to give him candy, etc. in order to calm him down. This is deposited in his subconscious, and he begins to think that to get rid of negative emotions it is enough to eat sweets;
• You cannot force a child to eat when he is full: over time, his tendency to overeat will only increase, excess weight will appear, and with it complexes;
• If your child prefers to spend time at home in front of the computer and eating, you need to encourage him to find new hobbies. For example, enroll in a sports section or music school.

Before treating food addiction, you need to undergo an appropriate test, identify signs of the disease and decide how to cope with it - on your own or with the help of a doctor.

It is also necessary to limit the consumption of foods that cause food addiction:

• Chocolate, donuts, ice cream, cookies;
• Coffee;
• Fast food;
• Crackers and chips;
• Pasta and pizza;
• Seeds with additives.

Feedback from our readers about their successful fight against food addiction:

Olga, 23 years old:

“I used to have a habit of gnawing on sunflower seeds before going to bed. When I realized that they were starting to make me fat, I simply gave them up. It was difficult to do this, but for the sake of a beautiful figure you can endure it.”

Yana, 33 years old:

“Several years ago I was constantly on a diet: I counted calories. I didn’t eat after 5 pm, didn’t eat sweets, etc. For the whole day I consumed no more than 600 Kcal, as a result of which all that was left of my slightly plump body was skin and bones. It’s good that at that time my mother took me to a psychotherapist, he prescribed me treatment, which lasted about a year, because the functioning of my internal organs was disrupted and I rejected any food. Now I’ve gained weight, and I don’t even want to think about any diets.”

Maria, 35 years old:

“A year ago, I absolutely could not control myself while eating, and, sitting down at the festive table, I ate everything. Now everything is different: I eat as much as I need, and all this is thanks to a simple awareness of the problem and setting a goal - to get rid of it. I didn’t constantly think about my overeating - I just treated it as a small shortcoming that needed to be eliminated.”

Eastern horoscope for March 2019

(including in South Africa), articles and interviews with various researchers began to appear in the media, explaining this problem from the point of view of the phenomenon food addiction. Moreover, they explicitly classify certain foods as poison or “addictive substances.” The current situation has also led to calls for a ban on excessive consumption of sugar and highly refined foods, as well as excessive consumption of tobacco and alcohol. Is the situation really that dire, or is it just a “storm in a teacup”?

Does food addiction really exist?

The essence of the theory proposed on this topic is that tasty foods are addictive in some people, since the reactions underlying addictive behavior and the brain center responsible for overeating are located in the same part of the brain, i.e. directly related to each other.

A team of researchers from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Florida analyzed data obtained from studies of overeating in animals. Scientists have found that behavioral changes in response to overeating are similar to the neurochemical changes observed in animals exposed to drugs (cannabis, tobacco, alcohol). An article published by researcher Davis and co-authors in the journal Appetite also states that "there is growing evidence for the existence of food addiction in overeating animals."

Compulsive overeating. Food addiction in children: causes and treatment

Yale food addiction

• compulsive gluttony (uncontrollable overeating);
• attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder;
• impulsiveness and nervousness;
• emotional reactivity;
• the need to calm down with food.

What foods are addictive?

Here are the foods that are most addictive:

• sweets and refined carbohydrates;
• fats;
• foods that combine fatty and sweet foods;
• high-value products (subjected to a high degree of processing);
• too salty food;
• products containing food colorings, additives and stabilizers.

Danger signals or what to look out for

• preoccupation with food/eating as an obsession;
• loss of control and composure before or during meals;
• suffering from forced eating, in which food provokes a whole cycle of overeating, regardless of what negative consequences may arise;
• “attachment” to food, the connection of feelings of pleasure and comfort with food, as well as helplessness and the inability to stop overeating for fear of losing these feelings;
• developing physical cravings that encourage you to eat all the time.

Controversies

Until recently, the concept of food addiction in all its forms was not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is used by the American Psychiatric Association as a guideline for diagnosing mental disorders. However, it is possible that this concept will be included in future editions of the guidelines and obesity, overweight and overeating will be classified as mental disorders.

How to deal with food addiction?

Here are tips that will also help you overcome food addiction:

• Determine what situations trigger food cravings; try to avoid them if possible.
• To overcome the constant desire to eat, drink plain water. However, don't overdo it.
• Try to regularly perform a simple set of exercises.
• Learn to relax using special techniques: deep breathing, yoga, meditation.
• Try to distract yourself with something as soon as the craving arises (for example, a walk, chatting with friends).

Psychotherapy for food addiction: coding, training, medications, food diary

Food addiction is one of the most common. As a rule, women are more susceptible to this. Up to 80% of the fairer sex are familiar with this phenomenon firsthand.

You can cope with this problem if you meet the main condition: be honest with yourself and be ready to make some efforts.

Forms of food addiction

Food addiction comes in different forms. Let's consider different types of its manifestation:

Professional dietitian

It’s a paradox, but in manic adherence to various diets there is also a hidden addiction to food! At the same time, the “always losing weight” himself is sure that this is just a desire to be in shape.

Unconscious Eater

This person absorbs food without a system. Due to frequent snacks on the go, he may simply forget about lunch. As a rule, in the evening an attack of hunger overtakes him and then he simply cannot stop. He himself is inclined to believe that he is absolutely indifferent to “delicious things,” but precisely because of his disorderly consumption of food, he absorbs much more than is necessary.

Gourmet

A subtle connoisseur of gastronomic delights is at risk - while receiving special pleasure from food, he becomes dependent on plentiful feasts.

Emotional Eater

It differs from other types in that it tries to cope with emotions with the help of food. If the first three representatives can solve their problem by adjusting their diet and style, then in this case they cannot do without global psychological preparation.

How does this usually happen? In moments of internal discomfort or loneliness, a person is visited by a “saving thought” about something tasty stored in the depths of the refrigerator. After all, with its help you can lift your spirits! One piece of cake gives you a feeling of peace, problems seem to recede. The next portion follows the first and so on until everything is destroyed.

And then the terrible mood returns, aggravated by the feeling of guilt for one’s intemperance. Extra pounds and centimeters are added to everything. Even the awareness that food has become like a drug cannot stop the process that has begun. Nutritionists say that loss of control over the desire to snack and the subsequent feeling of guilt is the first sign of food addiction. At this stage, the mechanism of self-deception is activated, when a person tries to push the problems that have arisen into the background with the help of food.

Getting rid of food addiction

Having realized your dependence on food, you should not fall into despair, because you need to get rid of it! How to do it?

1. Assess only physiological hunger and never absorb food mechanically!

Instead of “grabbing” something on the go, try to rate your actual feeling of hunger on a scale of five, where 1 is “very hungry” and 5 is “completely full.” If you can rate your condition as a 4 or 5, never snack.

2. If problems force you to look into the refrigerator, deal with them.

Trust the advice of psychologists: put your problems on paper. Dividing the sheet into two columns, in one indicate the reasons for your worries and anxieties, and in the other - ways to eliminate them. Even with negative results, do not give up your positions and return to the list again.

3. Come up with activities for yourself when negative emotions arise.

A good alternative would be a walk or any distracting activity: needlework, drawing, calling your parents or girlfriend, reading an interesting book. Sitting in front of the TV is not very desirable, as you may be tempted to “snack” while watching a movie.

4. Keep a food diary.

By writing down in it what and when you eat, determine the time of day when you are most often hungry and by this time stock up on low-calorie foods.

5. Adequate sleep is a must.

Hunger very often occurs against the background of a sleep disorder. This happens due to a decrease in the level of leptin in the blood, a hormone that regulates appetite and signals the brain about satiety.

Food is one of the main sources of pleasure, but do not forget that it should be a friend and ally, and not dictate rules of behavior.

Do you eat when you are in a bad mood or in trouble? Do you eat secretly from everyone? Do you feel remorse after overeating?

For many people, food is a drug. With the help of food, people feel at ease in the company of other people; food is the only way to relax after work and have fun. If you think about food all day, if you have an obsessive desire to eat something, if your diet consists of unhealthy foods, you may be one of those who food addiction.

What is food addiction?

Food addiction is a loss of control, a person stops eating to live, and eats for pleasure. A person who has a food addiction endlessly thinks about food, about excess weight, about his appearance and at the same time consumes large portions of food. At the same time, a person understands how much harm he causes to his body; he simply cannot stop. People with food addiction prefer and eat foods that are classified as harmful and unhealthy.

A term has emerged to describe people with food addiction - foodaholics. Gluttons or foodaholics eat fatty, sweet or salty foods, and they also prefer a lot of sweets.

The first symptoms of food addiction

• Portions have increased within a year or two
• Frequent overeating
• It is difficult to refuse the supplement, even after deciding to start losing weight
• Dessert after a big lunch
• Often cravings for sweets and starchy foods
• Eat when no one sees or secretly from everyone, at night
• Eat a lot and then vomit
• Feeling guilty after overeating

Different people become gluttons; they don’t necessarily look overweight. Food addicts can be of normal weight, too thin or too overweight. The only thing they all have in common is food. Food addiction can be psychological and physical.

Causes of food addiction

Food addiction how drug or alcohol addiction affects the human nervous system. Food stimulates the production of dopamine and serotonin in the human brain, which give the body energy, strength and a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. Over time, the body cannot live without happiness hormones. Unconsciously, food becomes the only substance that causes a feeling of happiness, and not a source of maintaining the vital functions of the body. Causes of food addiction:

• Some people treat physical pain with food.
• Emotional distress or trauma sometimes causes some people to gorge on problems. Food can stimulate emotions and help cope with feelings of sadness and loneliness.
• People with mental illness are more likely to develop food addiction. For people with mental illness, food becomes the only thing they can control. The food temporarily eases their negative feelings associated with the illness and calms feelings of panic and anxiety.
• Sometimes food addiction occurs as a consequence of emotional and physical abuse. People with are often dependent on food. Food can block unpleasant feelings and experiences, and be a deceptive shortcut to happiness.
• Food addiction can occur with body dysmorphic disorder (or dissatisfaction with one's body). A mental disorder in which people become obsessed with their body and become preoccupied with the appearance of their body, becoming very concerned about minor defects on the body.

Mayra Kadyrova, nutritionist, endocrinologist: “There is a substance - serotonin, which is called the hormone of joy and pleasure. Often, eating sweet foods triggers the production of this substance in the brain, which results in a feeling of satisfaction and joy. Of course, without receiving these sensations in life, a dependence on food is formed. If food addiction is not dealt with, it will eventually return with serious diseases such as obesity, so immediate action must be taken at the first sign.”

Consequences of food addiction

Over time, constant overeating leads to obesity. Obesity, in turn, causes health complications:

• High blood cholesterol
• Heart diseases
• Some types of cancer
• Osteoarthritis
• Pain in joints and muscles
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
• (temporary cessation of breathing during sleep)

How to get rid of food addiction

Unlike other addictions, drug-food is needed for survival and maintenance of the body, so it is impossible to give up food altogether. We need to develop healthy eating habits that are based on the body's nutritional needs, not emotional ones.

You need to learn to cope with stressful situations using relaxing techniques: breathing exercises, sports, sensory relaxation.

1. Follow balanced diet. Eat three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between main meals, you can have 1 snack with healthy foods; you cannot eat after 18.00.
2. Avoid irritants: Remove gluttony foods from your home.
3. Play sports. Sport helps you lead a healthy lifestyle, control weight and fight stress.
4. You need to fight boredom, find interesting pastimes and engage in hobbies that bring you pleasure.