(FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - We all enjoy a great night out celebrating a special occasion with good food and drinks or maybe an occasional treat when you've accomplished a goal. But how can we tell if a food reward is actually a food addiction?
Lisa Lynn, personal trainer and weight loss specialist, has some answers.
How Do You Know If You're a Food Addict?
By Lisa Lynn PT, Specialist in Metabolic Disorders and Recovering Food Addict
More than a third of our country is overweight, and diabetes is expected to triple in the next five years, yet no one is REALLY talking about food addiction. There are more food plans and gyms than ever before, yet we are getting fatter by the day. What gives? Almost all of the plans cater to people who DON'T STRUGGLE with food addiction. They are geared towards the people who do eat the right amounts of food and CAN eat a serving and stop. And it's great to work out every day, but if you're not eating properly your efforts can be in vain.
For me…I can weigh, measure and eat a serving of a food BUT some foods cause me to go back for another serving… and another and another! You get the picture!
This topic is VERY close to my heart because I struggle with food addiction. I have dealt with this most of my life, starting when I was old enough to get myself to the refrigerator. I tried numerous food plans with little or no results. I even went vegetarian-macrobiotic in another attempt to control my food addiction. I worked out 3-4 hours a day and taught hard core high-impact aerobics YET…I gained weight!
It wasn't until I tried to eat the way I live now that I found relief from my food addiction. I'VE LEARNED THAT I NEED TO STICK TO A FOOD PLAN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! It's embarrassing BUT it's also turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When I help other people who are struggling with food addiction, I understand what they're going through and know what it feels like to fight with an Oreo!
How do you know if you're a food addict?
Ask yourself the following questions and if you answer yes to any of them you may be a food addict.
1. Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't?
2. Do you think about your weight or food constantly?
3. Do you eat when you're not hungry?
4. Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you're eating?
5. Do you feel helpless about your relationship with food?
One of the factors I use to decide how I'm going to help people lose weight or determine IF they are a food addict is to figure out how much weight they have to lose. If you have more than 10 pounds to lose chances are you're a food addict.
Non-food addicts tend not to gain more than 5-8 pounds and for the most part gain weight on a vacation, eating out (a large cause for weight gain) or over a holiday. However, when the vacation ends and the holidays are over the weight seamlessly falls off them without any efforts.
Food addicts get a taste of a food they like and all "rational thoughts" go out the window. We become so emotional about foods that we almost CAN'T stop eating the very foods that are causing our problem to begin with.
So what should you do if you're struggling with food addiction? Follow the suggestions below. And understand this….FOOD is not the solution but part of the problem and UNTIL you address the root of the problem there isn't a food plan out there that will help STOP compulsive overeating.
●Get help! Reach out to friends or professionals- it will immediately make you feel better. Find someone who can keep you accountable. There are therapists trained to help with this. And there's a SUPERB program that's free--Overeaters Anonymous. It has a GREAT SUCCESS rate. Go to www.overeatersanonymous.com to learn more about them. And please feel free to e-mail me. I have coaches available who can look over your food plan daily as well as help you deal with the emotions involved in food addiction!
●Begin today living on a "NON-TRIGGER" food plan. It will help you STOP craving foods and allow you to get to the root of the problem. This is not an easy process BUT it will help you get back on track! See Overeaters Anonymous or www.lisalynnfitness.com
●Use foods, such as egg whites or a CLEAN, non-sugary protein shake, to help you begin to heal and lose weight while you're re-learning how to eat properly. Once you start feeling better the whole process will be easier.
●Exercise daily by walking 10,000 steps. This will help with the depression that goes along with compulsive overeating and also lower your blood sugar so cravings disappear. You need to learn to reach for exercise instead of food.
Overcoming food addiction is not an easy process. BUT, it's a process worth doing because you'll get your life back, feeling better and happier than you ever have before. I've been there so I understand the struggle. And I can also tell you-
THERE IS HOPE! If you take one day at a time…….YOU CAN DO
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